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

There was a time in the garden business that I couldn’t give away mole ( gopher) repellents.  As of the last two years, I can’t keep it in stock!

My theory is because of the limited rainfall, we have been inundated with moles and gophers. They are coming down from the hills.

Here’s the deal. With gophers, you will have the holes open and exposed in your lawn and garden beds. With moles you will notice mounds of “fine”-powdery soil covering the holes.

There is this product called “Molemax” that will help repel both. The beauty about this product is you don’t have to use the “old school” poison baits that were dangerous to kids, pets, and your ground water.

Photo: FLLewis/Media City G -- Molemax, mole and gopher repellent

 I have had plenty customers that swear by it.

One pound covers about 500 square feet.

Here’s the cool part, I heard that it also deters rabbits, skunks, and even armadillos! I guess that’s why we don’t have armadillos here in So. Cal!

Any questions, feel free to ask.

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

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

 Yep, it’s getting about that time to start thinking about where to plant your fall bulbs(tulips, hyacinths,  freesias, daffodills—-etc).

Don’t do it now. Wait until next month and shop early.

Planting bulbs in late September is easy. You just have to remember that tulips, hyacinths and crocus have to be cooled in your refridgerator for a month in a paper bag before you plant them.

Unless you live like I did in Moultonboro, NH like I did for a bit where the soil temp is real cold, unlike here in the valley!

Wait until the heat is over before you even think about planting pansies, snapdragons, and primrose. Bottom line, it’s still too hot to think of fall planting.

Feel free to post any specific gardening questions for me here at Media City Groove.

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

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

As I walk my Golden Retriever through my neighborhood here in Sun Valley, I’ve noticed a rash of mold and mildew on citrus.

 Here’s the deal.

With the sudden heat and the colder nights and mornings, mildew spots are appearing on your  citrus. How do you solve the problem? First, do not water the foliage in the evenings and also use an organic spray to get to those aphids — ants will literally farm the aphids to make that “poop” that the ants love and promotes that white and black sooty mildew.

Another problem with citrus is leaf miner, which occurs with the new growth. Not to be gross, but it looks like a swirly trail on the leaves and someone spit on them! When I’m walking my Danica I have encountered many people having that problem on their citrus trees. They talk to me ’cause I have my Armstrong shirt on!

Also, there’s a product named Spinosad that is awesome working on those citrus leaf miners and in the past few years, the problem has been declining.

Feel free to post any specific gardening questions for me here at  Media City Groove. By the way, if you haven’t already, check out part one of summer care for citrus trees here on this blog.

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

Welcome a new guest blogger.  Emilio “Elmo” Telles, the Garden Guru.  He has a vast knowledge of gardening and a passion for growing things like plants, flowers, trees, and shrubs. Elmo works at the Armstrong Garden Center in Glendale, where he frequently teaches free classes.  I’ve covered some of Elmo’s great gardening classes on this blog.

Last Saturday, July 9, Elmo conducted a class on “Citrus and Tropical Fruits.”  In his first guest post, Elmo  shares some of the advice he gives about caring for citrus trees.

Photo: FLLewis/ Media City G -- Garden Guru Emilio "Elmo" Telles gave some pointers on how to select the right product for the best results in a class on "Citrus and Tropical Fruits" at the Armstrong Garden Center in Glendale July 9, 2011

Summer citrus care and maintenance

I’ve been in the garden retail business for over 20 years. I take my Golden Retriever out for a walk everyday and get questions asked by my neighbors about gardening. Lately, I’ve been quizzed about why their citrus trees are having certain problems. I’m a nice guy and willing to answer questions while my doggy (Danica) waits patiently.

The #1 problem

Lawn sprinkler watering — which doesn’t get water down to established tree roots. When you have established (older) citrus in lawns that get everyday watering — that really does nothing for the roots of an older tree.

The #2 problem

Is over watering, especially with citrus in pots. If the top of the soil is moist then you know you are watering deep enough– so don’t increase the watering.

Deep and infrequent watering is the key to solving both problems. I once had to tell my wife, Yvonne, to not water the Meyer lemon in a big pot like she does the regular bedding plants (petunias, pansies, impatiens etc.) that we have in containers.

Feeding your citrus trees

Fertilizing citrus is something for you to decide. For instance, organic type of fertilizers are great to use about every six weeks. Organics take a while to break down and get to the root of the problem (no pun intended!).

Chemical type of fertilizers (Miracle Gro and other granular citrus foods) act faster and can be applied once a month because they get “leached” down to the soil more readily.

By the way, all citrus needs at least five hours of sun a day to be the most productive. Feel free to post any specific gardening questions for me here at Media City Groove.

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

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

Photo: FLLewis/Media City G -- Gardening expert Emilio Telles conducted a class on rose care at Armstrong Garden Center in Glendale January 15, 2011

“Think about me on Valentine’s Day. That’s when you need to fertilize,” recommended gardening expert, Emilio Telles, during the rose care class at Armstrong Garden Center in Glendale, on Saturday, January 15, 2011.   Telles used another holiday, Halloween, as a stopping point for fertilizing rose bushes.

Telles’ January class focused mostly on the pruning of rose bushes. I took Armstrong’s “Rose care for beginners,” last May and wrote about it in this blog.  So for this winter class, I was taking detailed notes on pruning because I was ready, for the first time, to cut down my rose bushes and not leave that chore to the gardener.  

Photo: FLLewis/Media City G -- Gardening expert Emilio Telles demonstrated the proper way to prune a new rose bush at an Armstrong Garden Center class in Glendale on January 15, 2011

In between humorous stories of what-not-to-do, Telles provided helpful tips and techniques on pruning. Most important, for established roses cut them down by a third. Severe pruning is for new rose bushes. Also, Telles instructed the group of amateur gardeners to remove the leaves and clip the branches with the cut pointing outward, thin out the rose bush, and open up its center.

For hearty beautiful rose bushes, Telles recommends pruning even if they have buds on them: “You have to let your roses go to sleep.” He says the rose bushes will go dormant, but start growing again in a few weeks. That’s exactly what happened to my rose bushes.

Photo: FLLewis/Media City G -- Gardening pro Emilio Telles demonstrated how to remove a new rose bush from its packaging at an Armstrong Garden Center class in Glendale February 12, 2011

I’m thrilled to say, I have new growth on all the canes of my rose bushes. My pruning was far from perfect, but apparently rose bushes are forgiving of a few awkward cuts here and there. At last Saturday’s February rose pruning class, I concentrated on fertilizers and dealing with nasty pests and diseases that attack roses.

Got questions about your rose bushes? Drop by the Armstrong Garden Center at 5816 San Fernando Road and ask a green shirt pro for advice. The staff is really eager to help customers out with any type of plant or gardening issue or problem. Other Armstrong Garden Centers offer the classes, which are free, as well. Information on classes and gardening tips are available at the garden centers or on the company website.

Burbank City Council approves new budget and utility fee hikes

Last night the Burbank City Council green-lighted a $785 million budget for fiscal year 2010-2011. The tally  4-to-1, with only Councilman David Gordon voting against the budget. As with past budget debates, Dr. Gordon was the lone member of the council fighting to try to “keep utility rates down.” 

I have watched this recent debate, week after week, and I do think the four other council members believe they are doing what is in the public interest. I disagree with them, and support Dr. Gordon’s position that with all the millions being spent in this new budget there should have been enough money to cap utility rates in these tough times.

Can you blame staff, many of whom live outside of Burbank, for pushing a budget with no layoffs and plenty of hidden merit raises for themselves, even in this recession battered economy? I guess not, but city council members should be able to see beyond the self-interest, but most do not.   It is up to the voters to send the council members a message they cannot refuse to hear — through the ballot box. Mayor Anja Reinke and Councilman Gary Bric are up for re-election next spring. Bottom line, if the makeup of the council remains the same, the votes on major issues like the budget will probably remain the same.

Under the new budget, water rates will be jacked-up 13.5% and electrical around 2.9%. And that’s not all. Trash and sewer rates will increase, too. By the way, one of the main architects of these fee hikes, Water & Power General Manager, Ron Davis, is up for a huge raise to his six-figure salary. Guess where that money is coming from? The city council is scheduled to formally discuss Davis’ pay hike at its July 6, 2010 meeting.

Burbank Police Commissioner resigns

 Photo: FLLewis/A Writer’s Groove — Burbank Police Commissioner Claudia Bonis listens to the discussion at a police commission meeting back in fall of 2009

A lot of chatter in Burbank about the unexpected resignation of long-time Burbank Police Commissioner, Claudia Bonis. The phones started ringing and e-mails flying about the surprise decision late Monday. Bonis’ resignation to Mayor Anja Reinke and the Burbank City Council, dated June 21, 2010, cites “personal and private reasons” for stepping down from the commission.

Bonis had been a member of the police commission for 9 years and was very reluctant, at first, to accept the new pro-active agenda pushed for by other members of the body. As one police commission watcher said, Bonis “has come around” in the past few months. She’s become a supporter of the upcoming town hall meeting and now sees there are real problems in the Burbank PD that need solving.

Recently I got a shock, when Bonis told me she reads and follows, “the blogs.”  Wow!  Bonis has been involved in community service for more than 30 years. Perhaps in the future, she might find a way to once again serve the citizens of Burbank.

Burbank residents complain about shoddy repair work

Photo: FLLewis/A Writer’s Groove – A crew working on a sidewalk repair project in the Burbank hillside area in spring of 2010

Recently a homeowner over on East Angeleno Avenue near South Bel Aire Drive, gave me an earful about what she described as shoddy work and rude behavior by a sub-contractor doing ramp and sidewalk repair in the Burbank hillside area, late this past spring.  The homeowner complained and pointed out to me sub par work done on and near her property and spoke about similar problems over on Orange Grove Avenue. The homeowner wondered why Burbank city inspectors were not out keeping a closer eye on the quality of work. Oh, she railed about the unprofessional attitudes of some of the sub-contractor’s workers as well.

To get some answers, I shot off an e-mail to Burbank Public Works Director, Bonnie Teaford, on June 16, 2010 and got a quick informative response. Teaford identified the sub-contractor as Kalban, Inc. and said the company had completed several projects for the city of Burbank “over the years.”

I asked if Teaford had received any complaints about Kalban’s work from homeowners: “Yes. As with any sidewalk project when we are working directly in front of residents’ properties, issues arise and we do our best to resolve them.”

Clearly, there have been problems with Kalban — then, why keep giving this company city projects? Teaford’s answer: “They were the lowest responsible bidder.” This seems to be a citywide practice — low bidder, poor quality work, and later city pays a bunch of money for additional repairs. You’d think, city officials would have figured out, especially after the millions of dollars of repairs to the Police and Fire Headquarters, that paying a little more to get the job done RIGHT the first time is the prudent way to spend taxpayer dollars.

My adventures in composting

Photo: FLLewis/A Writer’s Groove — My free compost bin from the Burbank Recycle Center

Yesterday I fed my compost bin an assortment of goodies: wilted lettuce, tangerine peels, other fruit and veggie scraps along with pieces of paper, balls of lint from the clothes dryer, and hair clippings from my recent visit to the hair salon. Not my idea of a feast, but the little hungry recycling critters in the bin consider this gourmet faire. I’m pretty sure something is happening in the bin now that I’ve added some important premium players or eaters, red worms.

Photo: FLLewis/A Writer’s Groove — Master Gardener/Compost Expert,  Jessica Craven, gives instructions with wit and humor to attendees at the June 12, 2010, Burbank Sheridan Gardens Nursery workshop.

I dropped by the two compost workshops at the Sheridan Gardens Nursery on North Hollywood Way in Burbank a few days back. The Sheridan Gardens are lovely to stroll and browse or sit and learn.  Compost Diva, Jessica Craven, taught both workshops. Craven was the instructor for the workshop I took back in May, which got me into the compost groove.

Along with tips on how to build the compost pile and what to dump in it, we got some freebie including little baggies of organic potting soil. Also, I scored some red worms from Burbank Recycle Coordinator, Kreigh Hampel. The red wigglers are voracious processors of organic waste. The worms are supposed to be able to produce pounds of dark, nutrient-rich soil like material called compost in a matter of a few months. We’ll see. I’ll post future updates.

Photo: FLLewis/A Writer’s Groove — participants at the June 9, 2010 Burbank Sheridan Gardens Nursery workshop give a plate of compost the sniff and touch test. This is the finished soil amendment waste recyclers hope to harvest from their compost bins.

Sunflowers for the King of Pop  

Photo: Lisa Burks/Freelance photographer — A generous flower merchant donates hundreds of sunflowers to brighten the Glendale crypt of Michael Jackson

The late King of Pop’s tomb is now filled with a huge collection of sunflowers — thanks to Jason Levin who runs a San Diego company called Sunflowerguy.com. On Friday, May 14, Levin loaded up a truck with 15-hundred happy face sunflowers and drove to Forest Lawn cemetery in Glendale to deliver the special gift. 

Levin’s company is known for donating bunches of what the website calls “the happiest flower on Earth” to good causes. So it’s no surprise, that Levin took action after hearing a report that Jackson’s ex-wife, Lisa Marie Presley, was asking fans to send sunflowers to brighten the resting place of the legendary entertainer.  Apparently, the sunflower was Jackson’s favorite flower.

Local writer/photog Lisa Burk was there when Levin unloaded 30 large containers of gorgeous flowers at the Great Mausoleum Holly Terrace. Later, Forest Lawn personnel carried the flowers inside to Jackson’s crypt.

Photos: Lisa Burks/Freelance Photographer — Dozens of containers filled with hundreds sunflowers  are shown outside the tomb of the late Superstar Michael Jackson 

Burks has more great flower photos here.  Also, you can check out Burks’ posts on Michael Jackson and his fans on her website.

A great line from Director/Actor/Producer Woody Allen

At 74, filmmaker Woody Allen has slowed a bit, but he’s still in the entertainment business. Allen and some of his cast from his latest movie, “You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger,” are at the prestigious Cannes Film Festival on the French Riviera, this weekend.  

Sharon Waxman of The Wrap is in Cannes and was there yesterday when Allen made this comment about the final curtain call: “My relationship with death is the same, “ he quipped at the news conference after the film’s first screening. “I’m strongly against it.”  

Waxman has more on Allen, his film, and the festival here.

The final launch of Atlantis

Photo courtesy NASA TV: Space Shuttle Atlantis is launched on its final mission from Kennedy Space Center on Florida last Friday, May 14

The Space Shuttle Atlantis is on its farewell mission. Atlantis blasted off from Kennedy Space Center on Friday, May 14, with a six member crew and supplies for the International Space Station. Atlantis is scheduled to come home on Wednesday, May 26.  

It will be end of the line for Atlantis, after 25 years and more than 115 million miles. Details and updates on the last space journey of Atlantis on the NASA website. 

Adventures in gardening and yard care

Photo: FLLewis/A Writer’s Groove — Master Gardener Jessica Craven gives instructions on composting to a workshop at the Burbank Recycle Center on May 1, 2010

I’m in a compost groove: recycling garbage into a rich organic soil amendment in a compost bin. Actually, I’m just getting started with this whole composting thing. The Burbank Recycle Center dropped off my compost bin last Thursday. On May first, I attended a free one-hour composting workshop at the Burbank Recycle Center on South Flower Street with around 50 adults and 10-12 youngsters.

Compost Expert & Master Gardener, Jessica Craven, taught the fundamentalists. The basic elements for producing compost are nitrogen, air, and moisture. Also, you need brown stuff (such as dried leaves, twigs), green stuff (like grass clippings, green leaves), kitchen scraps (all sorts of fruits, veggies, breads, paper towels, paper napkins, egg shells, coffee grounds, tea bags … etc).  

Photo: FLLewis/A Writer’s Groove — Two compost workshop participants check out a sample of the finished product

Burbank residents in the class received free compost bins to store their brown and green stuff where it can “cook,” and microorganisms can turn the garbage into a dark, nutritious matter –  an excellent food for your yard, garden, and plants.

There are a lot of websites with information on different methods of composting and the assorted goodies that can be dumped into your mixture. By the way, more composting workshops will be held at the Sheridan Gardens Nursery on North Hollywood Way in Burbank next month. Call the Burbank Recycle Center for details and to RSVP (818) 238-3900.

It’s a wrap for Burbank Mayor Gary Bric

Photo: FLLewis/A Writer’s Groove — Burbank Mayor Gary Bric read a statement about the lawsuits and investigations swirling around the Burbank Police Department at the September 29, 2009 city council meeting. 

Mayor Gary Bric is off the hook… somewhat. Last night, Bric presided over his last Burbank City Council meeting. Over the past months, Bric has improved in his job. The soon-to-be-ex-mayor still needs work in some areas, like when it comes to handling the public comment sections of the meeting. 

The way it’s set up, each person gets five minutes to speak on matters related to Burbank or city business in the first comment section. There were 24 cards from people who wanted to step to the podium last night.  As he has in the past, Bric suggested the speakers be brief and not take all of their allotted time. I think folks who come down to city hall and go before the council with their concerns and issues, should not be discouraged from speaking the entire five minutes. It’s their right. The council members have the responsibility and duty to listen and take those concerns seriously — even if the number of commenters push the meeting to a late hour.

Also, Bric has gained the confidence to stand-up to Councilman/tough guy, Dave Golonski. Last night, Golonski became impatient with Burbank resident Eden Rosen’s explanation of the problems in her apartment building and interrupted her. Golonski claimed Rosen’s complaints did not rise to the level of city business. Rosen insisted it was Burbank business because the building on Olive Avenue was subsidized with taxpayer funds. Bric decided Rosen had a right to speak. Council members Anja Reinke, Jess Talamantes, and Dr. David Gordon refused to get involved — so Bric’s opinion won out.

Over on The Burbank Leader website, there’s a farewell statement from Mayor Gary Bric. The mayor doesn’t mention the Burbank police mess (those lawsuits and investigations), instead focusing on events such as the unveiling of the Dr. David Burbank statue and his trip to South Korea with Vice-Mayor Reinke.

Speaking of Reinke, she has the inside track to become the city’s next mayor. That’s reason to worry. Frequently, Reinke is barely attentive at council meetings and has not shown a lot of sensitivity to the concerns of regular Burbank citizens. 

Example, Reinke has been dancing around scheduling a town hall meeting for the Burbank Police Commission to hear citizen concerns. At the Wednesday, April 21 Burbank Police Commission meeting, the Vice-Mayor did a clumsy tap-dance around why she hadn’t made any progress in scheduling the town hall meeting. Reinke seems more intent on getting “answers” and “plans” together to defend the city rather than giving citizens the opportunity to speak their minds.

Last night Reinke, who is the liaison from the council to the police commission, brought up the town hall meeting, hinting she might have something relevant to say about it at the next police commission meeting, Wednesday, May 19, 2010. Reinke is a fast talker. I just wish there was more substance in what she says.

Oh, if Reinke is having trouble figuring out how to organize a town hall meeting, perhaps she should ask those who put together the two city council town hall meetings in 2008, which she attended. Below, are a couple of photos from those town hall gatherings.

Photo: FLLewis/A Writer’s Groove — Then Mayor Marsha Ramos, Council members Anja Reinke and Dr. David Gordon listen to speakers at a town hall meeting back in the winter of 2008.

Photo: FLLewis/A Writer’s Groove — A full house at a town hall meeting held at the Burbank Buena Vista Library in the winter of 2008.

Another controversial firing at a top Hollywood agency

 Nikki Finke is reporting on her  Deadline.com Hollywood that another talent agency controversy is brewing involving a minority assistant. This time the assistant, Katrina Lopez, was shown the door by United Talent Agency for a writing a blog or blog post called “Confessions of a Hollywood Serial Dater.”  According to Finke’s sources, Lopez did not mention names or where she worked. However, a UTA executive is quoted in Finke’s post as saying the assistant violated a number of company policies (probably some they are busy creating now) as well as she “…chronicled personal details of a UTA employee she was dating.” The UTA executive thinks the firing puts an “…end to the story.”  No way. It’s being talked about on the Internet, and according to Finke, the assistant is considering legal action.

Burbank student wins major scholarship

 Burbank High School student Heawon Yang is one of the 2010 Gates Millennium Scholars!  One thousand outstanding minority students were selected from 45 states, Washington, DC, and three U.S. territories. The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation shelled out $1.6 billion for the scholarship program, which is administered by the United Negro College Fund.

Gates Millennium Scholars receive financial assistance, academic support, mentoring and leadership training. The program was established in 1999 by Microsoft founder Bill Gates and his wife, Melinda. Wow, talking about putting your money to work to help others. These scholars, who come from low-income homes, reportedly have an average graduation rate of almost 80 percent — 45 percent higher than the six year rate for all college students.

“By supporting a diverse cadre of students to earn their degrees, we can help develop the next generation of leaders in communities across the country,” according to Senior Program Officer at the Gates Foundation, Margaret Daniels Tyler.

Bees buzzing Burbank and beyond

I spotted some of those eager pollinators in my flower garden during the past few days. Hummingbirds, butterflies, and bees — the most prolific pollinators. Bees are being watched very carefully not just by researchers, but by average gardeners. In 2006, millions of bees died or mysteriously disappeared. Some experts have labeled it “Colony Collapse Disorder.”

The phenomenon could be the result of a virus, predatory mites or even pesticide. Scientists haven’t reached a definitive conclusion.  The bee decline continues, but has slowed down some. The other pollinators such as wasps and butterflies have suffered as well — but none has been as hard hit as the bees.

Bees help plants and flowers flourish our gardens, as well as  pollinate one third of the crops in our food supply. Due to the bee die-off and its ramifications, I appreciate bees more when I see them at work in my yard.  

Meanwhile, researchers up north at U.C. Berkeley have been studying the diversity and habits of native bees in the state since 2005. La Canãda Flintridge is a part of that survey, which is an extension of the Urban Bee Project that’s being ongoing since 1987. The other cities in the survey are Ukiah, Sacramento, Berkeley, Santa Cruz, San Luis Obispo, and Santa Barbara.

So far, La Canãda Flintridge has scored the largest number of bees with 94 species. Probably some of those species go hunting for pollen and nectar in the flower beds and landscaped areas of Burbank as well.  Want to learn more? Loads of bees-in-your-garden tips here.