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a Be ry by Valerie MacDonald "If you've never heard of slugs drinking themselves to death, then read on." People garden for a variety of reasons according to the executive and directors of the Pine Ridge Garden Club. To the avid _gardener it's a pleasure, not a chore because of course, you have to have a love of flowers and plants. Others garden to obtain the best quality produce for them- selves, their families and neighbours. And John King- stone, first vice-president of the Horticulture Society which was formed five years ago, says: "It saves you money - if you're in the garden you're not out spend- ing it." Ala The Pine Ridge Garden Club is the "baby" society in District 17 which covers most of Durham region. Although'its membership this year is around 75 they are always encouraging new membrs to join and share ideas about horticultural interests. Last week I met with some of the members of the group and we talked about great ways to get the best out of a vegetable garden - some conventional and others quite surprising. Rika Wygerde of Nestleton is the president of the club and doesn't spray her garden with insecticides at all. Of Dutch origin, Rika brings many of the "old country" ways to her garden patch. Instead of using potato dust or sprays, she plucks the insect invaders from her garden and "'jars" them. . "If youlet them stay in the garden", she says, "they multiply, ruin the potatoes and move on to the tomato plants." \ The idea of putting these garden pests in jars comes from Rika's school days in Holland when students would leave classes to go to the west coast and catch the potato bugs as they moved inland from the North Sea. The contest was won by the student who collected and "jarred" the most. Reka Wygerde is an avid gardner and goes to a lot of work to ensure her flowers and vegetables are in the best of condition. That includes hand-picking the bugs off the potato plants. But not all club members share her . "natural" approach. John and Pat Kingstone spray to rid their garden of the colorado beetle (commonly called the potato bug) and to stop blight on potatoes and tomatoes. Blight is a bacterial disease or mold that attacks the leaves of these plants in damp weather, Recalling their life in England during the war, the Kingstones remember when there was a '"bounty" on the head of the beetle and there was a reward for reporting the finding of this insect. Ida Hurtig is on the board of directors and like Rika doesn't spray for insects, but uses soapy water instead. When Ida, is finished doing the dishes she throws out the warm left over dishwater on her lettuce, cabbage and even on house plants. Secretary for the club, Claudia McDiarmid of Nestleton does the same thing. One of the big destroyers in the garden is the common slug which gets into every- thing from strawberries to cabbage. Ida and Claudia both crush egg shells and put them around the stem of the plants. Grace Bajema, also on the board of the Pine Ridge Club, says the slugs don't like the feel of them on their soft stomachs. Another sure fire way to outsmart the slug is to put small dishes of beer in their path. So long as your husband or dog doesn't get there first, the slugs crawl in and drink them- selves to a very happy death. To obtain a good yield from tomato plants make sure they are well staked up with soft ties or use "cages" around them. Pinch off the lower branches as the plant grows keeping only four or five sprays on each plant to develop. As the end 'of the season approaches take off any new blooms and as many leaves as possible to allow the fruit that has already set to be ripened by the sun. Claudia finds this practice works well. The Marigold flower can be planted throughout the garden, especially near cabbages, tomatoes and potatoes to drive off insects. Apparently they don't like the odour and stay away. Ida has planted "Pyrethrum" between different flowers this year for the same reason. In fact OOOO DOOOOODC ICCC ICRI IC ICICI ICC, Te] OPEN 7 DAYSA WEEK! CD RESTAURANT & TAVERNLTD. * 18 WATER STREET, PORT PERRY - 985-3281 HOT & COLD SMORGASBORD Daily 11:00 A.M. to 9:00 P.M. a We take pleasure in announcing to Crandell's Riverboat staff. the addition of a sy, Fr hay -- NEW CHEF -- 5 oNgay Yee xy 3 DANCE] NIGHTS a PE a AT AT AT AT AT AT TATA TAA local disc jockey. I I IC IE I IE IT OT Ir v AA Tus AE AT FE this plant is used to make "natural" insecticides, according to several club members. "Mulching" the garden is a great time saver. This is the covering of the ground in and around plants with various types of material to deter the growth of weeds. Hay, newspaper, straw, wood shavings and plastic are all used, but everyone has their own preference. 1 use newspaper with straw on GRANT MENZIES Lic. REO 979. Syed ray i oe 4A v3 dL, fs 2 AR TRIN) het gs Gps dos dhins vid Slr fag Members of the Pine Ridge Garden Club often get together to discuss their common interest, and to lend each other a helping hand in the garden. Grant Menzies aa MOTORS gm 1981 Jeep CJ7 - 258, 4 speed standard, ps/pb, tilt steering, radio, floor carpeting, rear seats, complete with Renegade package. Brown. 8550 1979 Pontiac ACADIAN. - 4 door, 4 cylinder, 4 speed, power steering, cloth bucket seats, radio, good econo- my car, light blue. Lic. OHX 856. 3969 1979 AMC CONCORDE - 258 automatic, ps/pb, velour bucket seats, AM/ FM stereo, cream. Lic. NXO 940 $5330 NCL £4 SEAR CY y 7s i . [3% SIA / Poo ALE iS Eh G5 1 LEALTA Andi tnd PORT PERRY STAR -- Tuesday June 29, 1982 -- 11 How to get the most out of your garden top, although straw takes longer to break down and return to the soil. Hay breaks down faster but often has week seeds in it which defeats the purpose of mulching in the first place. Sawdust is great but you need a lot to work well. Plastic is effective around tomato plants and other heat loving vegetables, but not for something like peas. Mulch- ing not only keeps the garden practically weed free and Bt : Ty LIMITED 1430 KING ST.E. OSHAWA 971-3600 KLO 612. Lic. LMH 368. 1979 Buick LeSABRE - 8 cylinder, auto., ps/ pb, AM/FM stereo, brown. Lic. *3250 1977 Chev IMPALA - 2 door, 8 cylinder automatic, ps/pb, AM/FM 8-track stereo, red cloth interior, silver. 202. $3995 1974 Ford PINTO - 4 cylinder, 4 speed, AM/FM 8-track stereo, bucket seats, low miles. White with red pinstripes, certified. Lic. MHW *1925 holds the moisture in, but gives a consistent look to the area surrounding the plants in the garden. , Experimenting gardeners try all different methods and crops. Ida Hurtig grows peanuts, garden huckle- berries and artichokes (often called poor man's potatoes). John and Pat Kingstone cultivate chicory by growing it six inches high, and then (Turntopage12)