Posts from — February 2008

Well this has certainly turned out to be a long winter at the Urban Garden. There has not been too much to write about except snow snow and more snow. I am really starting to get sick of snow. Well today guess what? We are under a winter storm watch for more snow.

It is not that snow is not nice it is just that I am getting antsy for Spring. I miss the woodland garden, I miss the smell of fresh mowed grass and I certainly miss the sunshine.

Hopefully this will be the last of the winter weather and we can get started on the early spring cleanup. I just have this bad feeling we will be in for some more. A little birdie whispered in my ear that we may be in this same weather pattern till the third week in March. Too bad the groundhog didn’t eat that birdie. But then again I think the groundhog said the same thing!

Try to have a great week and remember Spring is coming !  When I am not sure….

Sage is a relative to the mint family. It is common for Sage to be ground, whole or rubbed but is generally in more of a coarse grain. Sage is grown in the United States but is also grown in Albania and Dalmatia. Sage is a very popular herb in the United States and is used quite frequently for flavoring such things s sausage, pork, lamb, and other meats, salads, pickles, cheese, and stuffing. The smell of Sage is very aromatic and distinct.

Sage loves to hang around in the kitchen with Thyme, Rosemary, and Basil. They work very well together. Sage is normally one of the main herbs in stuffing for poultry but is often added to lamb and pork dishes as well. Sage is very strong and should be used sparingly as a little goes a long way. Sage, like many other herbs develops its full flavor the longer it cooks and withstands lengthy cooking times which might be why it is so good when used in the stuffing for the Thanksgiving turkey that cooks for about five hours.

If you grow your own Sage you will find that all you have to do is snip off the tops of the plant with scissors and add it right to your favorite recipe. Sage is still at its best when dried but if you prefer just simply place the fresh Sage leaves in a baggie in the freezer and pull them out as required.

Today, Sage has no medicinal purposes to speak of but back in a different time Sage was used regularly to cure snake bites and was also used to invigorate the body and cleanse the mind. In the middle ages it was quite common for people to make a Sage tea and drink it for ailments such as colds, fever, liver trouble, and epilepsy.

Although there is nothing to solidify these claims it is also said that a chewed Sage leaf applied to a sting or an insect bite will reduce the sting and bring down the swelling. Sage tea has been said to soothe a sore throat and also help in drying up a mother’s breast milk and also reduces blood clots. Further it has been known to help with itching skin if it is added to hot bath water. Today, it is mainly the Native Indians who still rely on the herbal powers of Sage.

The word Sage means salvation from its Latin origin and is associated with longevity, immortality, and mental capacity. Sage never loses its fragrance even after being dried out so it is often added to potpourri and is also added to many soaps and perfumes. It has been used in insect repellents and has antibacterial properties which have helped it become a preservative for many things such as meats, fish, and condiments. Sage has a musky smoky flavor and works very nicely for cutting down some of the richness in many foods. It also goes great with almost any vegetable too. Sage is definitely an herb that most people almost always have in their pantry if they do any cooking at all.

Rosemary is a relative to the mint family and the name is derived from its Latin origin to mean “dew of the sea.” Rosemary is very common in Mediterranean cuisine and has somewhat of a bitter astringent taste to it. While that is true it compliments oily foods very nicely. A tisane can be made from the Rosemary leaves and that is also very popular when cooking.

First it is burned and then added to a BBQ to flavor various foods. Sage, unlike many other herbs has a high nutritional value to it and is rich in iron, calcium, and vitamin B-6 and is more nutritional in its dried form rather than fresh. Rosemary should be harvested just as you are going to use it because it truly loses its flavor once dried. Gardner’s swear that if you plant some Rosemary plants in and around your garden, the Rosemary will fend off moths, beetles, and carrot flies.

Older Europeans loved Rosemary and believed that it improved memory and also used it as a symbol of remembrance and was often tossed into fresh graves before they were buried over. Traditionally it has been said that Rosemary, left untrimmed, would grow for thirty three years where it will reach the height of Christ when he was crucified. Many would also place sprigs of Rosemary underneath their pillows to ward of evil and nightmares. Often the wood that comes from the stems of the Rosemary plant was used to make musical instruments. Remember that people back then liked to utilize every piece of something as not to waste. Today, many wreaths are made from Rosemary as a symbol of remembrance.

Today, Rosemary is still used for many things besides cooking as it is in potpourris, air fresheners, shampoos, and cosmetics. There has also been scientific evidence that Rosemary works very well as a memory stimulant. Rosemary has also shown some cancer prevention properties in animals. But further Rosemary has shown a strong relationship in relaxing muscles, and to soothe stomach upset as well as menstrual cramps. The main thing to remember when using Rosemary for this purpose is that if you use too much it can actually cause a counter effect.

When made into a tea it is ingested for calming nerves and anxiety and as an antiseptic. Rosemary when used as a tea many people find to taste very good. Making the tea from Rosemary is quite simple actually, just pour boiling water over the leaves and steep for 10-15 minutes. A little sugar can be added by you should not add any cream. A few sprigs can be added to oils and vinegars to flavor the products which add a nice taste for cooking.

When used cosmetically it can lighten and tone human hair and when mixed with equal parts of shampoo it has been known to strengthen hair too. It also makes for a nice additive in hot bath water. Rosemary is still used quite commonly today however more so for cooking than anything else.

Well this year is turning out to be a real Chicago Winter here at the Urban Garden. We have just gotten done with a 9.2 inch snowfall on Friday and this evening we will be getting another round of snow and freezing rain maybe an inch or two of accumulation is possible.. So far this season we have received a lot of snow.

• Dec. 4-6, 5.2″
• Dec. 15-16, 10.1″
• Dec. 31-Jan. 1, 4.0″
• Jan. 31-Feb. 1, 9.3″

This is not including the many instances of freezing rain and light snow that caused us to do salting to alleviate icy conditions. They are also calling for additional snow on Tuesday and again on Friday. This has certainly caused a major impact on our snow budget this year. I am sure the administration does not like the added expenses but they can take solace in the fact that they are not alone.

Evanston used more salt in December than it did for the entire year last year. Oak Park is rationing only spreading half the salt they usually spread. Aurora is only doing bridges major roadways and major intersections and they are mixing with sand. Arlington Heights is not even salting until the snow has stopped for the day.

A lot of cities in the town have used up their salt and are trying to get more some have cutback to only major streets. Some are mixing it with sand. There are a lot that wait until the snow is over to salt. This is not only because their salt contract are up but the salt is sitting on barges south of Peoria and can not get up through the ice. The salt companies are trying to get the salt but they can not give an estimate as to when it will arrive. That is up to Mother Nature.

Those of us in the business of snow removal have known this for a while if you recall I wrote about the upcoming salt shortage back on January 11th I wrote a post A Possible Crises At The Urban Garden I am sure that even though some think I get a little overboard some times I know from over 30 years in the grounds business there is one rule of thumb that has never failed me.

Always Prepare For The Worst And Hope For The Best!

It is not always easy to convince people especially those in charge of the money that this is the right course to take. Personally I would much rather set aside $150,000.00 for something that might happen and know the funds are there. Of course then in the Spring if I did not use all the money I will have a problem of having to find someplace else to use the money but I am sure that that would be only a minor problem. On the other side of the coin there are those that always want to role the dice and then have to scramble and cut projects or reduce the scope of someone else’s project in order to pay for this unexpected emergency. I think it foolish for someone who is living in Chicago not to believe that weather can be a career changing event especially if they were around in 1979 .

This is an excerpt from an article in the Moderate Republican I believe that the author put it eloquently :

The mayor at the time, Michael Blandic suffered as a result:

Chicago Mayor Michael Bilandic, who took over after Richard Daly died in 1976 and was seen as a caretaker of the office until Daly’s son was ready, lost the Democratic primary to Jane Byrne in on February 27, 1979. The defeat was widely reported to be a result of his inability to keep the city open for business during this blizzard.

Since that time, politicians have gone out of their way to look like they were on top of the situation. When a major snowstorm blanketed the Northeast, including New Jersey in 1996, that’s state’s then-Governor, Republican Christie Todd Whitman, drove a snowplow to show she was doing what she could to keep the Garden State moving.

You can read the whole article here.

The Moderate Republican| The Chicago Effect

Well enough of the dissertation I just truly believe that if a tool works for you than you should use it. So I leave you with one of the best tools I have in my grounds keeping arsenal.

Always Prepare For The Worst And Hope For The Best!