Westworld Alberta

(right) kurtis kristianson/spl S P R I N G 2 0 1 5 | W E S T W O R L D A L B E R T A 51 Member Nelson Sturge (above) carved out this super-cool man cave in his garage last summer. Insure Your Garage Reno Contact your insurance company before and after a garage reno- vation to make sure you're cov- ered for the extra value you're adding to your home. That could include structural changes, such as a new roof, framing, drywall, insulation or built-in cabinets, or the addition of pricey new pos- sessions, like tools or AV equip- ment. Also alert your insurer if you've added a new heating source, or special collections such as sports memorabilia. If you're doing extensive renova- tions, like adding or moving walls, note that most policies will have some limitations during the construction period – there may be no coverage for vandal- ism or broken glass, for example. CONTAINERS WITH WOW You have a home with a yard, so why plant garden containers? Alfred Prins, Parkland Nurseries and Garden Centre greenhouse manager, has the answer: "It allows you to do something spec- tacular in smaller spaces – patios, driveways, porches – with easier maintenance. And you can extend Alberta's short growing season, as long as your contain- ers are portable to some degree." He shares three key elements for creating show-stopping contain- ers, and best-bet plants for Alberta gardeners: THRILLERS: Start with tall statement plants placed in the centre of the container, or at the back if it's against a wall. rillers can be tall flowers, prominent foliage or spiky grasses. Prins suggests elephant ears, fountain grass or vertigo grass, a burgundy- coloured plant. FILLERS: ese are the medium- size plants – often flowers – that round out your container, sur- rounding the thrillers and adding pizzazz. Petunias are reliable under almost any conditions, says Prins, and plant breeders are constantly coming out with new and more colourful variations. Velvety black petunias, such as Crazytunias' Black Mamba vari- ety, have been especially popular in the last few years. SPILLERS: ese are fine-leaved plants that finish a container and drape over the outside edges. Green twist bamboo, a trailing grass, hangs down a metre or so and works well for larger contain- ers, as do leafy-green vinca vines and creeping Jenny. Common ivies work well for shady contain- ers, while trailing lobelia, a deli- cate plant with tiny blue flowers, is lovely in smaller containers. W Parkland Garden Centre greenhouse manager Alfred Prins. Save 10% on plants at Parkland Garden Centre in Red Deer. AMARewards.ca/ Parkland iPad readers: Watch the videos for tips on planting fruit trees and caring for houseplants.

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