Maybe it’s because I can’t get
Fit into the garden on a regular
basis, or maybe it is the phase of
the moon, or something equally
strange, but I no longer seem able
to get a full night’s rest.

Sometime between 3 and 4,
there I lie, eyes wide, ears on the
alert, nerves prickling with ten-
sion. What is this all about? It

ems to come at this time of year,
and has something to do with
conscience, I think. I begin to
worry about all those things I
ought to have done, and haven’t.

My brother calls it the monkey

© on his back, prodding him to keep

going, never allowing him to rest.
Maybe it is because Christmas is
coming, maybe it is because we

ggscem to owe retum hospitality to
~ everyone we know, maybe it is just

because I haven’t yet got the
plastic over the glass on the green-
house, nor one very large plant
(the Hawaiian White Ginger)
inside. Whatever the cause, here I

=~sit writing to you in the wee small

hours, not quite sure what you will
want to know.

Well, the fall rye is up and
growing strongly, and I am glad it
didn’t get planted any earlier, or it

. would be a foot high in January,

e

and eye-level by the middle of

. February when it should be dug in.
’ _Nice to see it, though, I love the

rusty brown color of the earliest
shoots, which will turn green
within days, and look like grass for
the rest of the winter.

“himself” and I had a really
productive day this week, when

= there were only scattered showers
~ to drive us inside. He raked the

leaves in their millions, into huge
piles on the deck, and down below
on the cement, and then filled
barrow after barrow with them and
trundled them over to one of the
compost heaps. He has a most
wondrous garden tool, which we
call an Auntie Daisy.

It is like a large pair of tongs
which will pick up masses of
leaves at one time for their trip into
the wheelbarrow.

Once, when we hoped to make

Some Siatfacts

It’s true for us both as individu-

als and as a national population —

we re growing older.

Statistics Canada figures show
that people 65 and over made up
Just over 8 per cent of the popula-
tion in 1971 but this was up to
10.7 per cent by 1986.

By 2001, the figure probably
will be about 14 per cent.

As Canada’s population ages,
the number of “senior” seniors
also increases. In tum, this brings
a need for mote care facilities.

From 1971 to 1986, Statistics
Canada figures show the propor-
tion of people 75 and over living in
institutions went to 20 per cent

® from 14 per cent for women, to 12

per cent from nine per cent for
men.

Continuation of the current
aging trend will result in a popula-
tion of about 318,000 seniors
needing institutional accommoda-
tion by the year 2001, according to
Statistics Canada figures. This
compares with about 143,000
seniors requiring such care in
1986.

ze . 2598 Sidney Signal
iy Royal Canadian Army
ce Cadet Corps

“Action & Adventure for local youth 12 lo 18”
Weekend camps every month for all,
good opportunities for free and paid
summer camps, communications train-
ing, rappeling, target shooting and
much more.

our fortune, “himself” had a cou-
ple of them made, but no one
seemed interested in purchasing,
SO we gave one away, and kept the
other. Because he finds it difficult
to bend down, Auntie Daisy has
been a very useful relative!

While he raked leaves I moved
most of the deck plants inside, and
made sure I had at least several
felicia, Richmond Dempsy bego-
nias, pelargoniums, common and
scented geraniums from which to
take cutting in early spring.

I’m sure the jade plants thought
I'd forgotten them entirely, but
they look just fantastic, with lots of
strong new growth.

The clivia are getting so huge I
know they should be divided, but
this is a hateful job, and will just
have to wait for spring. I brought in
the tuberous begonias, still in their
hanging baskets, and hung them
up inside. I won’t water them
again, and when their foliage dries
I'll dig the tubers out and store
them in peat.

My natural lazy nature suggests
I leave them right in their pots, to
sprout again in the spring, but, far
too often, the bulbs will have one
or more of those nasty white grubs
burrowing into their flesh, and we
can’t have that!

I soak the tubers in a solution of
Diazinon and water for maybe half

rcs — as gardening conscience [-
kicks in with help from phase of the moon -

an hour, before drying them off
and burying them in peatmoss.

The fuchsias really are making
it difficult to get them ready for
winter ... still flowering like mad. I
hate to cut off the bloom, but I
can’t wait much longer.

I'll prune them back pretty sev-
erely, partly because it makes it
easier to store them, there will be
fewer leaves to clean up, and
pruning does encourage lots of
fresh spring growth. The plants are
in large pots so should only need
to be watered once a month until
they begin to sprout early next
spring.

I didn’t mention that I brought
in the Easter cactus, which as
usual, looks very unhappy. This is
really an ugly duckling of a plant,
but when it blooms, a swan it
becomes, for sure! The Christmas
cactus was still delighted to be out
in the cold, but just to make sure it
wouldn’t be forgotten has covered
itself with fat pink buds.

I won’t have to do the usual
dirty tricks to it this year. You
know the way you have to stop
watering them, and put them in a
cold North window, until from
sheer fright, they produce buds by
the score!

Talking about buds, I’ve found
several crocus poking their heads
above ground, and the crazy winter
jasmine is beginning to flower.
Why do they do this? Don’t they
know winter hasnt yet arrived,
and already they are thinking
about spring!

Diana Anderson of Pat Bay has
just called to cheer me up on this
dull day. She reports that her jade
plant is now blooming for the
second time this year. This is
something of a record. Jade plants
are not known for profuse flower-
ing ... in fact most people don’t
believe they ever blossom, so
Diana has a real winner!

She laughingly claims her jade
plants thrive on neglect, but then
tells me that, occasionally, she
washes the pads with a mild soap
solution and then rinses them with
clear water. That’s what I term
spoilings!

‘You Know the way you have fo
stop watering them, and put them
in a cold North window, until from
sheer fright, they produce buds by
the score!’

TheReview en November 21, 1990 —

CAPITAL REGIONAL DISTRICT

The Capital Regional District is accepting applications from residents of
North Saanich, Central Saanich and Sidney who are interested in
serving on the
SAANICH PENINSULA WATER COMMISSION

The Captial Regional Board annually appoints two members-at-large to
the 11 member Commission. Residents of the three member munici-
palities who are interested in serving on the Commission are asked to
submit a summary of their qualifications by FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 30,

1999; 1S: W.M. Jordan, Executive Director
Capital Regional District,
P.O. Box 1000, Victoria, B.C.

HOUSE OF RUSSEL Ou Reputation,
HAIRSTYLISTS LTD.
UNISE Q
656-1522 vere

® Precision Cutting

IN SIDNEY CENTRE
#102-2367 Bevan Ave., Sidney, B.C.
(Next to Safeway)

ees

is

Oy

| OPEN / ONS
A WEEK

656-061 1

CAFE MOZART

Presents

MOZART’S MOONSHINE DINNER

Monday - Thursday
Daily 4:30 - 6:30 p.m.
RESERVATIONS ONLY

BRAD & LAURA
2488 Beacon Ave.

You are
invited to

on

JAPAN

GREAT

652-3981

a free presentation

at the Agricultural Hall 7
Saanich Fair Grounds =
7910 East Saanich Rd. ———
Wednesday, 28 Nov. 90 at 7:30 pm
DOOR PRIZES

Call for a reservation

BEACON TRAVEL

656-0961

Fall
Special

20% OFF

¢ DRAPES

° BLINDS

¢ BEDSPREADS .
¢ UPHOLSTERY

« SLIP COVERS

Complete
Interior Design
service

SS INTEDIONS

LOCATED INSIDE STANDARD FURNITURE 10th FLOOR

SIDNEY CENTRE 655-1514