Overwintering container plants

The key to overwintering plants in containers is to prevent the soil mass from freezing and to maintain moisture in the soil throughout the winter. Freezing can be prevented by having a large soil mass in a well-insulated container or planter located in a protected area. Watering containers with needled and broadleaf evergreens such as hollies, boxwoods and ivy is essential in winter.

Most containers can be damaged by freezing and thawing conditions if the soil is left in them during winter. Large concrete and wooden planters are typically able to withstand northern Illinois winters without being cleaned out. All other planters and containers should be emptied of soil and plants and stored upside-down to prolong their useful life.

PSI Management mourns passing of founder Tracy Hill

PSI Mourns the Passing of
Company Founder Tracy Hill

Rolling Meadows, IL .... It is with great sadness that Property Specialists, Inc (PSI) announces the passing of our founder and past president, Mr. Tracy Hill. Surrounded by loved ones, Tracy passed on Sunday, October 14th of complications related to lung cancer.

As a son of professional homebuilder Kimball Hill, Tracy was born into a family with a strong understanding and devotion to the Illinois housing market. Tracy and his older brother David grew up on construction sites, assisting in both the business and labor side of the industry. For almost 100 years, the Hill Family has worked to build and maintain vibrant communities throughout northern Illinois. While David went on to eventually operate Kimball Hill Homes, Tracy decided to take another route and establish his own niche within the Chicago housing market. In 1975, Tracy formed Property Specialists, Inc., at that point a small boutique firm managing only a handful of properties in suburban Cook County.

As founder and President of PSI, Tracy established the firm as a strong regionally based company, competing with technology offered through larger national firms while maintaining the personal attention of a local entity. Considered a giant in the emerging field of residential property management, Tracy's goal was to establish the communities in which he managed as a profitable return on the homeowner's investment. He understood the importance of a home to the homeowner, always wanting his communities to be a place where his clients were proud to reside.

Tracy was always quick to share his passion for the industry he so dearly loved. He served as a mentor to his entire staff, passing along his beliefs to future generations of community managers. A firm believer in continuing education, Tracy received his Professional Community Association Manager (PCAM) designation, the highest designation afforded to an individual property manager by the Community Association Institute (CAI). He encouraged his staff to follow suit, offering scholarships for continuing education classes. Tracy considered management to be a partnership between his firm and his clients. To better foster this partnership and prime it for success, Tracy developed his own continuing education course for not only his staff, but his clients as well. He was the first person to offer his Board members free educational classes in order to help new and returning Board members navigate the sometimes difficult waters of community management. He was often a featured speaker at CAI events. Seeing others in which he mentored succeed was one of Tracy's greatest joys in life.

Under Tracy's guidance, PSI grew from 10 communities to over 250. The firm is currently one of only five Illinois firms to have obtained the coveted Accredited Association Management Company (AAMC), the highest designation awarded by Community Association Institute.

Tracy was thought of fondly by all employees as a tough but caring employer. He treated PSI as a second family, often helping employees with personal loans, advice and general support. He was always considered more of a father figure than as a boss.

In June of 2012, Tracy retired from active management of PSI, handing over the company to longtime employee and personal friend Cathy Dean Ryan. Tracy wished to spend his remaining time with his family.

Tracy is well known for his charitable contributions, including substantial contributions to Special Olympics. Each year Tracy would personally match dollar for dollar the contributions raised by his employees for this cause. Among his many charitable donations, Tracy has served on the Illinois Board for epilepsy research and has donated heavily to Harper Community College for the purposes of establishing a center for the hearing disabled, both afflictions suffered by members of his immediate family.

He has served on the Board of Directors of the Community Association Institute, Illinois Chapter; as President of the Multi-Family Housing Council of Illinois; as President of the Apartment and Condominium Council of Greater Chicago; as a member of the National Association of Home Builders' Multi-Family Mortgage Finance Committee; as a past Chairman of the NAHB RAM Board of Governors and as a founding member of the Housing Credit Certified Professional organization. Concurrent with this last position, he serves as a National Director of the National Association of Home Builders. In 1996, Mr. Hill was appointed to the Legislative Review Committee and concurrently served as a State Director for the Home Builders Association of Illinois.

In 2001, then Governor George Ryan appointed Mr. Hill to the Joint Energy Advisory Commission of the Illinois General Assembly, where he reviewed proposed legislation for setting residential and commercial industry standards, while also serving as President of the Home Builders Association of Greater Chicago.

Tracy's deep love for country is known throughout the industry as Tracy's annual speech thanking our servicemen and women has become a staple of the CAI's Winter Formal. He was known to offer incentives to those employees who exercised their duty and voted each election day, regardless of which candidate they supported. Though if asked, he never shied away from giving his thoughts on a candidate or political party.

Fun Pumpkin Facts

pumpkins carved by Aaron and Sofia Zych

Total U.S. pumpkin production was valued at around $140 million equaling 1.1 billion lbs

 496 million pounds of pumpkins were produced in Illinois.

The top pumpkin production states are Illinois, Ohio, Pennsylvania and California.

Around 90 to 95% of the processed pumpkins in the United States are grown in Illinois.

Pumpkins originated in Central America.

In early colonial times, pumpkins were used as an ingredient for the crust of pies, not the filling.

The largest pumpkin ever grown weighed 1,140 pounds.

The name pumpkin originated from "pepon" - the Greek word for "large melon."

Pumpkins are 90 percent water.

Pumpkins are a fruit.

Colonists sliced off pumpkin tops; removed seeds and filled the insides with milk, spices and honey. This was baked in hot ashes and is the origin of pumpkin pie.

Native Americans flattened strips of pumpkins, dried them and made mats.

Just for fun

          

Clive Bevan with his giant vegetables

By Daniel Owens
Published on Wednesday 3 October 2012 10:59

Northamptonshire gardener and giant vegetable grower Clive Bevan is putting the final touches to one of the region’s best-loved horticultural competitions.

Super-sized spuds, monster marrows and colossal cabbages will be among the giant vegetables of all shapes and sizes coming to the Autumn Show at the East of England Showground in Peterborough.

Growers from all over the country – as well as from across Northamptonshire – will be showcasing their heavy weight produce at the Show on Sunday, October 14.

Now in its fourth year, the Giant Vegetable Competition is one of the many popular attractions at the show – with entries already up on last year, as more and more green-fingered growers get bitten by the gardening and allotment bug.

Clive Bevan – whose skills have taken him around the world to advise growers in countries such as China and Malaysia – is again helping to organise the competition, and will be overseeing the weigh-in of the vegetables on the day.

Mr Bevan – who has recently appeared on ITV’s Alan Titchmarsh show, along with his monster veg - said: “We are expecting a fantastic turnout, giving the success of the past three years. We’ve already secured Peter Glazebrook and Graham Tranter, respective growers of the recent world record breaking onion (18lbs) and most tomatoes on a single truss (304) to exhibit at the show.

“And we are hoping that Peter brings his record-breaking onion with him to display to visitors.”

Clive added: “It’s not a beauty contest. The vegetables don’t have to look pretty – it is all about the weight.”

All the veg will be scrutinised on the day as the battle for the best and heaviest commences!

Get organized

Get organized!!  I love the inspirational photo that makes me want to run home and get my act together to make my gardening fun and more efficient.