​September SKI Tips
Bring houseplants that were moved outside for summer indoors before night temperatures fall below 55 degrees. Check for insects and disease before bringing indoors.
Plant fall mums according to color and time of bloom. Blossoms usually begin between September 15 and October 10 lasting 6-8 weeks. Give them at least six hours of sun per day.
A human foot and ankle is a strong, mechanical structure that contains 26 bones, 33 joints and more than 100 muscles, tendons, ligaments.
Fruits that need to be refrigerated include apricots, blackberries, blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, cherries, cut fruits, figs and grapes.
Constantly scanning for predators, giraffes sleep for just a few minutes at a time, and usually only get about 30 minutes total in a single day.
Plant spring-flowering bulbs in late September or later. Allow 4-6 weeks for root development before the ground freezes.
The September birthstone is the sapphire, which was once thought to guard against evil and poisoning. Sapphires were thought to encourage divine wisdom and protection. They symbolized purity, truth, trust, and loyalty. Some believed that if they were placed in a jar with a snake, the snake would die.
Pumpkins were once recommended for removing freckles and curing snake bites.
Weight gain around this time of year may not be from all the food. Researchers have found that lack of vitamin D reduces fat breakdown and triggers fat storage. So, the lack of sunlight has more to do with the extra gain than all the pumpkin spice lattes.
Clean out garden beds and amend the soil with a fresh 2-inch layer of compost, mulch or other organic matter.

​SKI Landscape's President/Owner, John Wolski, hands the truck keys to Dave Withey, Founder/Executive Director of NeighborhoodLink Indianapolis. With the donation of the box truck, SKI makes it possible for Dave and his crew to store and transport tools and materials easily to their many jobsites. NeighborhoodLink Indianapolis offers local seniors home repair services which gives them the opportunity to live independently in the comfort of their own homes.

Recently SKI Landscape donated flats of flowers to residents at the Stratford Senior Living Community in Carmel, Indiana. The wide variety of plantings added vibrant color to their lives and all enjoyed getting their fingernails dirty!

​Most animals can produce their own vitamin C with the exception of fish, primates (including humans) and guinea pigs.
Lady bugs and their larvae are valued insects. They feed on aphids that destroy plants by sucking out juices and transmitting diseases.
Corn on the cob is best served the day you buy it; don’t refrigerate. Look for bright-green husks wrapped tightly around the ear, with flowing moist silk (not brown). Pull back husk; kernels should be small, shiny, firm, and tightly packed.
The Bull Thistle is the national emblem of Scotland. Legend says that when the Danes invaded Scotland, they removed their boots to move quietly. A soldier stepped on a thistle and yelled, which alerted the Scots of the attack. A superstition was thus born that anyone who wore a thistle was immune to danger.
Don’t be alarmed by June drop of tree fruit. It is a natural thinning process. Thin remaining fruit six to eight inches apart, if necessary, or prop heavy branches to avoid breakage.
Pinch shoot tips of impatiens, chrysanthemums, petunias and coleus to promote better growth.
Wait to plant pumpkins until the Fourth of July to avoid egg-laying season for pumpkin-munching pests.
If you are bitten by a tick, watch for the telltale signs of Lyme disease: a rash that spreads usually starting a few days after you were bitten; fever, chills, and muscle aches; extreme fatigue; and neck stiffness that can set in quickly or a week later.
Despite lowering your stress level, walking in the rain offers the following benefits: the smell of the rain refreshes the mind; high humidity keeps the skin and hair moisturized; it is said that physical activity done in the rain burns more calories and fats than when done on a good day; while raining, droplets absorb dust and microbes, so the air is purified and cleaner; walking in the rain makes one feel rebellious; helps you see problems from another perspective; fewer people go out in the rain so have a better sense of space, so our thoughts and emotions can roam free, and run wild!
Gardeners should have a tetanus/diphtheria vaccination every 10 years because they are at a higher risk of tetanus infections.

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1. Begin fertilizing houseplants when new growth appears.
2. Seed bare spots in lawn.
3. The roar we hear when placing a seashell next to our ear is the sound of blood surging through the veins in the ear.
4. Strawberries and cashews are the only fruits whose seeds grow on the outside.
5. Try honey for cuts. Its antioxidant, anti-bacterial properties that help cleanse and heal wounds.
6. Great seed starter--repurpose a stale ice cream cone by filling it with soil and seeds. It’s biodegradable, making replanting easy.
7. Many drinks interfere with medications by either blocking their action or interacting with them to cause dangerous side effects. Avoid washing down medications with these drinks: grapefruit juice, coffee, milk, and alcohol.
8. Wear gloves when removing ladybugs from your home. When startled, ladybugs sometimes release a yellow fluid that can cause irritation if it comes in contact with your eyes or mouth.
9. Galangal—an Indian root, strongly flavored, related to ginger, also sold dried or powered. A popular Thai flavoring, in combination with ginger and lemongrass.
10. If you cut the bottom out of gallon-sized plastic milk jugs, they make excellent covers for small garden plants. Remove the caps to let in fresh air. They are transparent enough to admit sunlight.