Photo: FLLewis/Media City G -- Garden Guru Emilio "Elmo" Telles

 ”What is a black rose like the ones they have in the florists that I can grow”?

Well those “black” and also the “blue” roses are only found in those 1960 Hercules movies and the “NCIS” TV series! Those rose colours(and other florist colours) are dyed by fresh cutting the stems and putting them immediately in the colored water to slowly absorb the color to the “tight” budding blooms.

There are two popular roses that the gardener can grow in their garden that can give them a reasonable facsimile.

Black Baccara rose

Black Baccara and Ink Spots are two extremely dark red roses that bud out to almost black and last in color until they open up to a nice velvety red.

There are also the blue roses, Blue Girl and Blue Nile, which are “lavernder-ish” roses with a blue-cast colour in bud form. Another one that I’ve found that customers really want is a “real” yellow rose as opposed to a rose with a  “golden” colour. What I have discovered is that yellow roses tend to fade to a bland yellow in the summer heat. Although, all roses will be more colorful during the spring to early summer months, which is fine because that is when you want to do your “summer haircut” (pruning) to your roses anyway. We’ll talk about that in about three months.

Any questions, feel free to post here. Now that I’m not working two jobs, I’ll have time to post answers and more articles!

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Emilio “Elmo” Telles is a garden expert at Armstrong Garden Center  5816 San Fernando Road, Glendale  91202.

Photo courtesy Guest Blogger Jean Youn

Do you like flowers? If so, what kind do you like?

The most popular flower in Korea, China, and Japan is what’s called Me-wha.

Its English name is Japanese apricot blossom.

If you look at a lot of old Asian art, many are images of Me-wha or Japanese apricot blossoms, orchids, chrysanthemums, and bamboo trees.

However, among Me-wha plants, there is a kind that blossoms in the winter time. It is called seol-jung-me. No matter how harsh the winter, this plant’s flowers blossom even underneath winter’s snow.

So as a symbol of overcoming adversity, people have grown particularly fond of this flower.

Even though winter might be bitterly cold and long, people would see this flower and see it as hope that the spring time isn’t all that far off. Also, it also reminds people no matter how tough circumstances might become, like the me-wha flowers that bloom under the cold winter snow, people can also overcome any situation as long as they have hope.

With the intent of inspiring new hope in a new week, I send you the sweet aroma of the me-wha flower.

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Jean Youn is the owner of Value Village Cleaners at 912 West Glenoaks Boulevard in Glendale 91202. For details on services, coupons and more, check out the Value Village Cleaners website  here.

Photo courtesy Guest Blogger Jean Youn

Today I would like to introduce to you the Korean word bo-ja-gee.

These days there is an assortment of expensive, quality name brand bags in the market and also many different designs of scarves. There are also different kinds of book bags for school children. There are even many different kinds of wrapping paper to wrap gifts in.

Today, Korea is not very different from the United States, however, 40-50 years ago there was a time when the functions of bags, scarves, and wrapping paper were all done with a cloth called bo-ja-gee.

A square shaped cloth was used to wrap up just about anything that needed to be carried somewhere and it was even used to wrap up gifts. It could also be used as a scarf.

Today, people can buy bags, scarves and just about anything they want, and there are also people who can’t afford quite as many things. Such is the human condition. This does not mean that the people who can buy anything they want are happy and that the people who can’t buy those things are miserable.

That very fact is what we can learn from the bo-ja-gee. Even though it was just a piece of cloth, it served many functions. Where there was a will, there was a way.

At our cleaners, we make sure that your scarves maintain their original color.

I hope that every day of this week will suit you like your preferred way of wearing a scarf.

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Jean Youn is the owner of Value Village Cleaners at 912 West Glenoaks Boulevard in Glendale 91202. For details on services, coupons and more, check out the Value Village Cleaners website  here.

Photo courtesy Guest Blogger Jean Youn

 Tomorrow is the beginning of a new year on the Lunar Calendar. It’s the day that many Americans know as Chinese New Year.

In China, it is called Chun Jie, which means the beginning of spring. It is also the day of the biggest festival of the entire year.

Other countries like Korea, Vietnam, Mongolia etc. that surround China also celebrate this day as the beginning of the year.

In Korea this day is called Suhl Nahl.

Unlike in China, it is not a day of a big festival. Suhl Nahl translates to “refrain me to be careful.” Considering the day as a fresh start to a new year, it is a day to be careful of what you say and do.

Traditionally, Koreans bow and offer blessings to their ancestors who have passed on and also bow and offer blessings to living parents and grandparents.

Another tradition is for husband and wife to bow and offer blessings to each other also. (This traditions is no longer observed.)

Every culture has its own unique traditions.
Also, traditions change as generations go by, similarly to the way fashion trends in clothing size, color, and styles change.

However, I hope that no matter what country you are from or what traditions and customs you hold, people will continue to respect one another, similar to the expression of respect that is shown in the traditional bow and blessings that Korean husbands and wives gave to one another.

In the same way, I guarantee that I will offer the same respect to every item of clothing that I clean and do my best with each of them.

This is the traditional blessing that is offered along with the traditional bow, and I would like to offer it to you, saehae bok mani badeuseyo, which means that I hope you receive many blessings this new year.

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Jean Youn is the owner of Value Village Cleaners at 912 West Glenoaks Boulevard in Glendale 91202. For details on services, coupons and more, check out the Value Village Cleaners website  here.

Photo courtesy Guest Blogger Jean Youn

Have you ever experienced the effects of generation gaps?

First generation immigrants like me, with children who grow up in America, experience a significant generation gap with their children.

A generation that knows what it’s like to go hungry has a much different experience of life than following generations who have never gone hungry. If you add cultural differences on an already existing large generation gap, it can become very difficult for immigrant parents to see eye to eye with their Americanized children.

I read an article about how the “hungry generation” is turning into the “hangry generation,” and I believe that is very good thing.

Hangry is an acronym for Hi-Tech, Amusement, Naturalism, Green, Realism, and You First.

Though it’s true that the advancing of technology (Hi-Tech) has been beneficial to us throughout the passing generations, however, I believe that the remaining five letters of hangry have made it through thousands of year of human history without any change and have remained important aspects of modern human life.

To illustrate what I mean consider clothing; technology advancement has allowed people to created synthetic fabrics like polyester and nylon, but natural fabrics like cotton and silk have remained top quality fabrics for thousands of years.

Of all the words or phrases represented by hangry, I think “You First” is the most important. It’s the first step to making the world a better place.

I would like our cleaners to be “the cleaners that thinks of you first.” If I can go about business with that kind of mindset, I wonder if that could help bridge the generation gap between my children and me. I hope that would help me be able to see things from their point of view.

I hope that your week will be filled with a “you first” mentality.

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Jean Youn is the owner of Value Village Cleaners at 912 West Glenoaks Boulevard in Glendale 91202. For details on services, coupons and more, check out the Value Village Cleaners website  here.

In East Asia, upon tradition, each year is represented by a cycle of 12 animals. This year is the year of the dragon.

The animals that represent each year are the rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, sheep, monkey, dog, chicken, and boar. Eleven of the animals are ones that exist in real life but the dragon isn’t a real animal.

Western people and Eastern people hold different views about dragons.

Photo courtesy Guest Blogger Jean Youn

Many people often ask me the same question.
“Are you from South Korea or North Korea?”
Chances are, every Korean person you have ever met is from South Korea.

Last week, North Korean dictator, Kim Jong-Il passed away.
A customer asked me what my thoughts are about this.

The Korean peninsula is a very small piece of land. It has been 66 years since it was divided into North and South Korea. The land has a very sad history.

Today is Christmas.
I understand that there are those of you who celebrate Christmas and there are also those of you who don’t.

However, regardless of what religion we adhere to, this is a season of peace.
My hope is that every person on earth could experience peace.
I’m not talking about something huge like world peace.
I mean that I hope we could all be at peace with everyone we interact with on a daily basis, whether that’s family, friends, or neighbors.
I pray that North and South Korea could experience that same peace.

The reason I am able to clean your clothing and enjoy life is because of peace.

I hope your week overflows with peace.

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Jean Youn is the owner of Value Village Cleaners at 912 West Glenoaks Boulevard in Glendale 91202. For details on services, coupons and more, check out the Value Village Cleaners website  here.

Photo courtesy Guest Blogger Jean Youn

You’ve probably noticed a lot of holiday decorations being up lately. When I close up shop to head home, I see many beautiful decorations and lights all over the place. Some of you probably decorated your houses with holiday cheer as well. There are also probably others of you who don’t decorate or celebrate at all.

You can put many different meanings into decorations. You might feel thanks and joy as you prepare and lay out your decorations. Though, others might just see all the decorations as a bit excessive — so they might not like decorations at all.

However, there is no wrong or right in any of these cases. Whether you put up holiday decorations or not, I hope that all your hearts are beautifully decorated.

I hope that your hearts are decorated with everything you are thankful for about this past year and all the people that helped you along the way. I also hope your hearts are decorated with the love and appreciation for your family as they’ve experienced all the good things and bad things of this year with you. These are the kinds of decorations that can never be too excessive.

I would like to express my thanks and gratitude for everyone who sought after our services throughout this past year.

I hope your week will be decorated with many things to be joyful about.

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Jean Youn is the owner of Value Village Cleaners at 912 West Glenoaks Boulevard in Glendale 91202. For details on services, coupons and more, check out the Value Village Cleaners website  here.

Photo courtesy Guest Blogger Jean Youn

Have you ever been to the top of any mountains?

Korea is a very small country in land area, but it has many mountains. About 70% of the land is covered with mountains. Most of them are not very high though. Anyone could climb to the top of them.

When you’re at the top of these mountains, if you yell something, you would be able to hear echoes.

Whatever you say, the mountains will echo back to you. If you yell, “I’m tired and beat!” they will echo back “I’m tired and beat!” If you yell, “I’m so happy!” the mountains will echo back “I’m so happy!”

It is the holiday season. We have to get all our cards and gifts ready.

Like the way it is very tiring to climb up mountains, sometimes buying and packaging gifts and writing cards can be tedious and unpleasant.

However, just like the way the air is cool, crisp, and refreshing at the top of the mountain, and the feeling you get when you yell at the top of your lungs when you’re up there, it is gratifying to see the happy look on the faces of your family and friends when they open the gifts and cards you got for them.

Whenever you do good things for others, the good things will echo back to you like the way your voice echoes in the mountains.

Have a wonderful week and I hope that you get into the spirit of giving!

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Jean Youn is the owner of Value Village Cleaners at 912 West Glenoaks Boulevard in Glendale 91202. For details on services, coupons and more, check out the Value Village Cleaners website  here.

Photo: FLLewis/Media City G -- Garden Guru Emilio "Elmo" Telles

Shopping for a fresh cut Christmas tree should be a fun and analytical experience. The first two things to look for is (obviously) shape and gaping holes between the branches. A little bit of gap is okay, because when you hang the ornaments the weight will help bring the branches down.

What about the old story about pulling the branches to see if any needles pull off? If some needles come off and are green, you’re okay. It’s when they are brown and it’s still two weeks until the 25th – choose another tree. The most important thing to make sure the trees are positioned in a tree stand with a water bowl combination at the lot.

A lot of times I get customers that want a second cut so the tree is “fresh”. The problem with that is that when the salesman makes another cut, by the time you get it home the cut will “self seal” and you’ll have a dry tree soon. If the bowls are filled up every day at the tree lot, the cut tree should easily last you until after Christmas.

The real trick, is to check the tree once in the morning and once again when you get home from work, or the evening. Cut trees are thirsty. Keep the trees in your home in a place away from the heater drafts.

A very important thing is after the holiday, look up a local tree recycling center. There should be one close to you. They shred Christmas trees up for mulch and you can use it for your gardens in the spring!

I take the bus to work and nothing looks worse than old Christmas trees littering the streets. Sometimes when I’m walking, I have had to jump over some of the dumped trees!

Any questions feel free to write/post a comment here.

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Emilio “Elmo” Telles is a garden expert at Armstrong Garden Center  5816 San Fernando Road, Glendale  91202.

Photo courtesy Guest Blogger Jean Youn

 It is now the month of December, the last month of the year 2011.

There are some people who live as though they have nothing to live for and there are also those who live every day as if it were their last.

Steve Jobs was one of the people in the second category.

These are some of the words he gave at the 2005 Stanford University commencement address:

“I have looked in the mirror every morning and asked myself: “If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I am about to do today?” And whenever the answer has been “No” for too many days in a row, I know I need to change something. Remembering that I’ll be dead soon is the most important tool I’ve ever encountered to help me make the big choices in life.”

In a study done to figure out what kinds of people have the least regrets, the results were that it is the people who live every day as if it were their last.

I hope that this last month of the year be a special time in which you plant the seeds of new hope for the coming new year.

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Jean Youn is the owner of Value Village Cleaners at 912 West Glenoaks Boulevard in Glendale 91202. For details on services, coupons and more, check out the Value Village Cleaners website  here.

The reboot of local news, video, and features website, Burbanknbeyond.com is  out to shake up the Media City and grab a bigger chunk of the online audience. There is probably more Burbank news, sports, and events on BurbanknBeyond than any other website. Now B-and-B is even better.

The new look of Burbanknbeyond debuted a few weeks ago with numerous upgrades, better organization of stories, and a much more readable front page. Executive Editor and driving force behind the site, Craig Sherwood, says more tweaks and improvements are on the way.

Here’s a Q&A with Sherwood about the site, where it started and where he wants to take it.

1. BurbanknBeyond has a dramatic new look, what are some of the major changes and why did you feel they were necessary?

When I started BurbankNBeyond back in April of 2010, I had a limited amount of experience as a website designer.  My goal at that time was to try and provide Burbank with a daily news source since all there existed was a twice weekly newspaper with a limited website and a bi-weekly paper with no web presence.  I found after about a year that the idea was working, but the website I had created was not able to keep up with or reflect the constant changes and updates.  I looked around at different media outlets and found most used a WordPress template, so I decided to go in that direction.  I taught the media department at Crespi High School for nine years and had some extremely talented students who went on to college and studied web design, so I turned to Matthew Majcher and started working out the new design.  What I was looking for was a fast paced layout, but something that would also archive past stories so that they were easy to find.  I thought it was very important to incorporate social media so people could interact as well as having areas where people could leave comments.  I had to also incorporate our videos since we are the only full content Burbank media outlet that offers video which hopefully makes us unique.  Bottom line was we had to redesign if we wanted to be a player.

2. In terms of readership, BurbanknBeyond has seen considerable growth, right?

Our growth has been amazing once the word started spreading.  I have the site hosted with Go Daddy and they send out a daily report of hits and locations.  In July of 2010 we were at about 5,000 hits a day and by July, 2011 we were averaging about 20,000 a day.  Once we launched the new design, we are now averaging about 35,000 a day with 3 different days we have exceeded 50,000.  What is interesting is that about 60% are from Burbank, 20% from Glendale and North Hollywood/Toluca Lake, and the rest all over the United States.

3. Is it part of your plan to actively challenge The Burbank Leader for the position as the main local news source in Burbank?

I would love to challenge the Burbank Leader as the main news source for Burbank but it is just not possible, yet.  Let’s face it, the Leader is part of the L.A. Times, and as much as Leader people will deny it, they do have resources from the Times that go into their local coverage.

 At what we do, I think my staff does beat the Leader for daily news, since we are all located and live in Burbank.  We know the City and the people.

I am also currently working to find some more people who can write a City Hall beat, school beat, and a couple of other areas that I have ideas about but can’t discuss because if I do it will give someone else that idea.  Right now I know most people come to us first when there is a big accident or fire or big event in the City, once I can get the editorial content daily I know that we will be a player.  I know the issues and the stories that people in Burbank want to know about, I just don’t have the resources to get the information out yet.  There are 100′s of untold stories in this city.  Hopefully things will start changing with this new design.

4. If there is something else you would like to add, go ahead.

I think the news business has no idea what the future holds.  Everyone is convinced that on-line is the future yet trying to find the revenue that will support it is tricky.  With that said, I think local news will always be the key and people will always seek out what is going on in their neighborhood that affect their daily lives.

Hopefully this new design will attract advertisers and once that happens I have no doubt that BurbankNBeyond will become the first choice for people in Burbank.

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Craig Sherwood writes a column for BurbanknBeyond, “Thoughts From The Bullpen.” You can check it out here.

Photo courtesy Guest Blogger Jean Youn

Thanksgiving is just around the corner. There are countless things that we feel that we lack and want but there also a countless number of things to be thankful for. Of those things family is what’s most important and what we are most thankful for.

Family is what I am most thankful for but what allows my family and me to live day in and day out is actually you my customer.

When I think about all of the blessings I have received over the years, none of those things would be possible without my customers.

So many things that I am thankful for and so many of the things that I put my hope in, they would not be possible without my customers, and for that I am very thankful during this season of Thanksgiving.

As often as we regularly use the words “thank you,” it seems that those words seem to pale in significance to the gratitude I have toward my customers.

Please enjoy a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday with your families and if the table cloth gets dirty during your Thanksgiving dinner, you can always bring them to us to be cleaned.

As a token of sincere gratitude and thanks, if you bring your table cloth in on Friday the 25th, we will clean it for free.

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Jean Youn is the owner of Value Village Cleaners at 912 West Glenoaks Boulevard in Glendale 91202. For details on services, coupons and more, check out the Value Village Cleaners website here.

Photo courtesy Guest Blogger Jean Youn

Have you ever heard anyone say ‘burning fall/autumn?’
That is the name given to this time of year in Korea.
It’s in reference to the red color of the leaves around this time.

Fall isn’t a time of melancholy as some might say, it is a burning red time of year. Burning is often used to describe passion.

Passion is what makes every day worth the while.

When I dry clean your clothes, I hope that I look at it as though I am clothing you with passion. I hope with your freshly cleaned clothes, that you would live out each day with a burning passion for all you do.

I hope that this week, everyone would overflow with passion.

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Jean Youn is the owner of Value Village Cleaners at 912 West Glenoaks Boulevard in Glendale 91202. For details on services, coupons and more, check out the Value Village Cleaners website  here.

Photo courtesy Guest Blogger Jean Youn

I want to share a story with you.  A long time ago, an old man sat underneath the shade of a tree near the entrance of a village.  A traveler walked toward the village and noticed the old man.

He asked him, “How are the people in this village?” The old man asked the traveler, “How are the people in the village you’re from?” The traveler replied, “The people in the village that I’m from are no good and I don’t like being around them. They weren’t the kind of people I want to live around.”  The old man then said, “The people in this town are the same way.”

A few days later, another traveler came walking toward the town and noticed the same old man sitting under the shade. He asked the old man, “How are the people of this village?” The old man asked the traveler the same question he asked the other traveler.

The traveler replied, “The village that I’m from is great! The people are nice and a overall pleasure to be around. I love living there.” The old man then replied, “The people in this town are the same way.”

November is the month of Thanksgiving.

I would like to thank each and every one of my customers for being the kind of people I want to be around.

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Jean Youn is the owner of Value Village Cleaners at 912 West Glenoaks Boulevard in Glendale 91202. For details on services, coupons and more, check out the Value Village Cleaners website  here.

Photo: FLLewis/Media City G -- Garden Guru Emilio "Elmo" Telles

I have customers coming in saying that it’s time to over-seed their Bermuda and St. Augustine grass while it’s “calendar” wise for them to go dormant (= “go to sleep, and get brownish”).

The thing is with us here in the valley having a very short dormant period, I would watch the weather and when it says we will be cooling down soon, that’s when you want to over seed with the Annual rye seed. The annual ry is a cool-season temporary grass that is a cool season grass that will die out when next warm spring will start dying out when the dormant grasses will start greening up.

Halloween week is my traditional time to do your last lawn feeding on dormant winter grasses. Not only will it give your lawns a last pre-dormant boost, but it will also shorten the dormant period!

Mow the lawn first, so the seed comes in contact with the soil better then top it with bags of seed cover. If you like the smell of steer manure have at it, BUT using a product like E.E. Stone’s Top Coat is a better idea. The problem with steer manure is after using it after several seasons, your soil will have a high salt content due to the corralled steer’s diet which utilize those salt-lick wheels. The Top Coat has only about 10% steer and a finer grade compost to cover the seed.

Keep the lawn well watered, but don’t wash away the seed off the curb! Wait until the new grass is ready and up to height for the first mowing before you mow. Otherwise a mowing while the seed is young, it will yank the young sprouts out of the ground.

Here’s the bottom line, if you want your lawn green over our short winters, go for it. Still, I have plenty of customers that go out of town and could care less and save money paying their gardeners a bit less during the holidays.

My wife hates the dormant look, and her gardener loves the $80 extra to do the lawn. Good thing I don’t have to pay!

Any questions feel free to post them here!

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Emilio “Elmo” Telles is a garden expert at Armstrong Garden Center  5816 San Fernando Road, Glendale  91202.

Photo courtesy Guest Blogger Jean Youn

Tomorrow is the last day of October and it is also Halloween!
Do you celebrate Halloween? Some people do and others don’t, and that’s ok. People hold different kinds of customs and traditions based on their culture and beliefs.

Families like mine that consist of first and second generation immigrants often find it necessary to mix the customs and cultures of both their native land and of the United States. Sometimes we clash with our children due to different customs and values. This reminds me of the film, “Fiddler on the Roof.”

In that case, the customs of the parents had to give way to the customs of the children. Throughout the passage of time, traditions and customs often change.

Only 10 years ago it was customary to wear suits to work and dress up for church. Nowadays it’s common for people to go to work and church dressed casually. That change in particular caused the dry cleaning industry to take a bit of a hit with a decrease in business, but what can you do? We come to work dressed casually too.

Customs and traditions change, but there are still some things that never change. The goodness of love and being thankful will always be there no matter what.

We are going into the month of November.
I hope that this month would be full of love and reasons to be thankful.

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Jean Youn is the owner of Value Village Cleaners at 912 West Glenoaks Boulevard in Glendale 91202. For details on services, coupons and more, check out the Value Village Cleaners website  here.

Photo: Volunteers dig in to spread soil mixture in one of the vegetable beds at the new community garden adjacent to the Burbank Community Day School at 223 East Santa Anita Avenue in Burbank October 29, 2011

Volunteers used people power and creativity to get a new community garden planted in Burbank yesterday.  The garden is the love project of Principal Chris Krohn and her students at Burbank Community Day School at 223 East Santa Anita Avenue. The students, grades 7 - 12, are at risk kids looking for a second chance. Krohn says it all started last year with a small garden she described as “an eyesore.”  The students came up with five plans to turn the tiny garden and the surrounding weeds into a productive community garden. They got help refining their plans from Taryn Foster and Olwyn Kingery from the UCLA Extension Landscape Architecture Department.  

Master gardener and member of the Sustainable Burbank Commission, Sharon Springer, signed on as a volunteer last year. Springer says the garden is a learning experience, which will produce food for the school’s pet tortoise, Kobe,  and vegetables and fruits for the students to take home to their families. They’ll get to “… see the results of their work.”

Photo: FLLewis/Media City G -- Kobe, the pet tortoise at the Burbank Community Day School October 29, 2011

Other volunteers included seniors from the next door Artists Colony and the LA Conservation Corps, which planted 15 trees and installed the irrigation system.

Photo: FLLewis/Media City G -- Some LA Conservation Corps volunteers, in the green hats, helped out in the council circle, which will serve as an outdoor classroom in the community garden October 29, 2011

About 30 members, friends, and families of the Warner Bros. Impact Giving Program volunteered as well.

Photo: FLLewis/Media City G -- Volunteers from the Warner Bros. Impact Giving Program pitched in to help plant a community garden for the Burbank Day School at 223 East Santa Anita Avenue in Burbank October 29, 2011

Principal Krohn was thrilled with the donations received for the project and the volunteers whose efforts made the garden a reality: “Nice to see the community wants to get involved with our kids.”

Photo courtesy Guest Blogger Jean Youn

Have you ever heard of a species of bird called the goldcrest? It is a very tiny bird about the size of your thumb. Goldcrests are birds that can withstand very harsh winter climates.

Animals have different methods of winter survival.
Bears hibernate and migratory birds fly south for the winter.
Goldcrests also have their own special way of withstanding the cold.

First of all, they build their nests in a way that helps keep out cold air. At night, they huddle together to make collective body heat. During the day, they are always on the move searching for food, which also helps maintain body heat.

The way that goldcrests are so active in the day, it seems that they also have an ability to go on because of a passion for life.

Last week, a customer shared with me how times are difficult for him these days. It’s no surprise though as many of us are also periodically going through some tough times, especially during this economy.

Though, no matter how difficult things become, I hope that we all can get through those times with a strong passion for life. It’s important to have passion for everything we do. It makes everything worth it.

With the warmth of your patronage, we will be sure to do our job with passion, here at our cleaners.

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Jean Youn is the owner of Value Village Cleaners at 912 West Glenoaks Boulevard in Glendale 91202. For details on services, coupons and more, check out the Value Village Cleaners website  here.

Photo: FLLewis/Media City G -- Garden Guru Emilio "Elmo" Telles

Oh geez! How many customers have I talked out of pumpkin seeds this week? Mark your calendars for next year around June if you want to plant a pumpkin patch for the kids or yourself.

Pumpkins are a warm season crop that likes the heat and ripens about this time in the fall. If you can find the starters about August, you might have some luck in time for some “smallish” pumpkins to come up for the kids. But don’t expect some jack -o-lantern size ones if you start this late.

The trick is, make sure you have room to grow them! That’s why Linus spent Halloween in a pumpkin patch!

Mulch the soil with a thick coat of straw, you can find at your local horse feed store, so the fruit will not rot and get mushy from contact with the moist garden soil. Another word, water the plant at it’s base and don’t flood the whole area with water.

Just like with other plants in the squash family, use an organic fungicide to help control the spread of powdery mildew, which is that white powder-looking stuff that gets on your roses. Oh, water in the morning to help fight against that stuff.

Once again, any questions, let me know.

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Emilio “Elmo” Telles is a garden expert at Armstrong Garden Center  5816 San Fernando Road, Glendale  91202.