Posts from — October 2008

Most of northern Illinois is under a freeze warning with temperatures to drop into the 20’s over night. This will put an end too most of summers remaining flowers as well as most vegetables in the garden. The urban garden will not freeze as we are two blocks from Lake Michigan and the warmer water there will regulate the air temperature and keep us above freezing. In general the lake keeps us about 10 degrees warmer in the winter and about 10 degrees cooler in the summer than the suburbs surrounding Chicago. This climate variable has always fascinated me especially when driving in and out of the city and you can actually feel a change in temperature.

Well with the first signs of winter coming it is time for us to switch over to preparing the equipment for snow and ice abatement . Being born and raised in Miami Florida this is usually not my most favorite time of the year. Though the cold is not my favorite it is a part of my job and a part of gardening in the north we all have to live with. I laugh now when the temperature dips down to the 30″s in Florida and everyone is freezing cold because that would be like a relatively pleasant winters day in Chicago. The winter months do give the garden a chance to rest and renew for the next growing season. I believe it makes gardeners all the more aware of the beauty around them when they have gone through a gray dull winter and then the Spring comes a splashes color everywhere.

Well back to the urban garden. The irrigation systems where all blown out and winterized last week. We are starting to receive in our road salt for the upcoming snow season. Our lawn tractors are already converted to the snow blades with all the electrical systems checked as well as the heaters and hydraulic systems so we are ready to go. The trucks are scheduled to have the plows and salt spreaders installed in the next week or so and then we should be ready to fight what ever snow and ice that mother nature throws at us this year. I personally think that one snow event about two inches Christmas Eve is sufficient for those who like a white Christmas. I know though from past experience the best way to predict what will happen to us this winter will be to look back in April of next year. The best we can do is have everything ready and plenty of supplies and spare hoses and parts for the plows. Then while we are waiting we can work on getting the beds cleaned up and dormant pruning of the trees through the winter months. Also this is a good time to repair and paint the barricades and other equipment we use in the summer months. There is always something to do to get ready for the next season.

Autumn is a special time of the year it signals the end of another growing season and it is the beginning of nature shutting down a taking a well deserved rest. It is also a time to prepare for the long winter months ahead. All the crops should be harvested and stored for use when there is ice and snow every wheres. The homes and shelters should all be winterized and ready to face the harsh weather. Winter is a time of rest for a chance to catch up and to prepare for the upcoming new spring.

Autumn is the time which prepares us. It is also the time for planning for next years garden. Take some time to think about what did very well this year in your garden. Was there some plants that did not perform as well as you liked maybe this would be a good time to transplant them to a different location. Is there a project that you thought of this summer and did not get a chance to do. Make a list and add it for next years garden. This is also a good time to start thinking about getting on the garden catalog lists so that you will be able to spend some cold winter days look for new and different plants for next springs garden. If you have some time it may be good to sign up for a horticulture class at the local community college. It is really amazing at what you can learn and the great ideas you can gain by taking a class. There are also garden clubs that you can join. Winter can be a time of learning and productivity for the avid gardener and it is always good to learn something new it will keep you young and add a new dimension to your life. So prepare now for your winter time activities and I can guarantee that your winter will be shorter as you look forward to your new spring garden and all the surprises ahead in the new growing season to come.

Tulips Daffodils and Hyacinths are some of the stalwarts of the early spring garden. The melting snow and the early spring sunshine start to show their little heads popping up out of the ground it is a sure sign that Spring is arriving shortly and nature is about to paint the garden with some of the most wonderful colors in her pallet. The explosion of colors that spring holds is like a fireworks show to get you excited about the upcoming growing season.

Truly every garden should have a display bed of early spring flowering bulbs. Now is the time to get them in the ground. There are few more short weeks but you must plant them now in order for the bulbs to get established before the freezing weather comes.

Planting is very easy simply dig holes about 2 1/2 times the size of the bulbs then drop them in cover over. We plant thousands each fall at the urban garden so we use a small auger attached to the power drill and can plant dozens in just a few minutes . Some people like to plant in large beds of mass plantings. I prefer smaller groups. We will drill between 8 and 14 holes in an irregular shape and plant the bulbs there. It is like having dozens of bouquets of flowers each a bit different and can be a very dramatic effect. If you prefer a larger bed like arrangement mark out an area and dig out the soil to about 8″ place all the bulbs in the hole and then replace the soil. You can easily plant several hundred bulbs this way in less than a half an hour.

What ever method is your choice the main thing is you need to get started and you should get started this weekend the weather is going to be against you soon and remember to get a beautiful display in spring you need to get them in the ground this fall.

Fall is definitely in the air here at the Urban Garden. There are a ton of Fall garden chores to take care off. This week we will be planting the tulip bulbs and getting the beds mulched down for winter. It is usually hectic for us because this is the one season when we transition to a whole new routine. We must take care of all the horticultural needs on the campus while we are readying the specialized equipment for snow and ice management.

The snow and ice equipment must all be checked over and maintenance such as hose and fluid replacement must be done so that at 2 am with 4 inches of snow on the ground we are not out fighting to get something started. Even with brand new equipment it is always possible for something to break down and that is never a good thing. I really do not like snow removal it is a long process and there is a lot of pressure to get it done and by the time a storm is over you are drained physically and emotionally. Here at the urban garden cleanup may take two to three days before it is complete because we have a limited amount of parking and we are a 24 x7 operation so we must go back each time a car moves to clean the area.

Back to fall. The leaves will be hitting the ground shortly and with close to 700 trees on campus most in the parking lots we will spend a lot of time getting those up. They will not only harm grass area but can clog the sewers as well causing flooding or ice damns in the winter so we must get them up.

We also must be sure the tender perennials are mulched well so that they can survive the winter. The lawn areas will receive a winter fertilizer application by the 15th of the month so it can help get the root system nice ad strong for next spring. All the perennials that have not been cut back yet will also need to be taken care of. As an additional job we must blow out and winterize the irrigation system no small task when you are looking art almost 60 zones.

All in all fall is a busy time here at the urban garden and definitely not a time to rest on your laurels.