 The American Flag: red stripes signify valor, sacrifice and blood
white stripes represent virtue and unity blue stripes stand for liberty and freedom “We take the stars from heaven.” (George Washington) July was originally the month of Quintilis in the Roman calendar. It was the fifth month of the year until January and February were added in 450 BC. Around 150 million hot dogs are consumed on Fourth of July. Water plants deeply and regularly, especially during hot, dry spells. Water in the early evening to minimize evaporation and prevent rot. Avoid any further pruning of spring-flowering shrubs. These bushes should be setting their buds for next season by this time, so you will want to let them be, so they will have bountiful blooms come springtime! The wired cage that holds a cork on a bottle of champagne is called an agraffe. Divide daylilies and irises this month. If you want pumpkins for baking, autumn decorating, or carving, now’s the time to get your seeds in the ground. Look for compact varieties if you’re short on space, though those vines still require about 6 to 8 square feet to grow. Place a few pumpkin seeds in each hole, and keep watered, especially when flowers and fruits are forming. Switzerland has four official languages: German, French, Italian and Romansh, reflecting its diverse cultural heritage. “Old Faithful” in Yellowstone National Park is the world’s most famous geyser. It erupts once every sixty-five minutes and lasts for about six seconds. The height of the eruptions is from 120 to 150 feet. "Moon trees" in Indiana. Which should you use--gravel or stone--in your landscape? SKI Tip advice and lots more interesting fun facts!!! https://conta.cc/4kjFgAk
 The first day of summer is the summer solstice. This happens in June every year. Solstice means “stilled,” “standing,” or “stopped” sun.
Lightning can strike out of a sunny sky 10 miles or more from a storm. Many lightning casualties occur as a storm approach or within 30 minutes after it has passed. Apply mulch to control weeds and conserve soil moisture after soil has warmed. Producing a Tesla battery requires mining several key materials, including lithium, nickel, cobalt, and manganese. Extracting one ton of lithium alone can require up to 500,000 gallons of water. Moles have an extra thumb on each forelimb that helps them dig. Moles capture earthworms and store them for later—sometimes hundreds at a time. The star-nosed mole can catch and eat prey in 230 milliseconds, the fastest of any mammal. In case of a flood, put your valuable or cherished papers in the freezer to stop mildew growth and deterioration until you can attend to them. Selenophile—a person who loves the moon. Plant marigolds around edges of gardens to keep the insects away. Deeply water newly planted trees, shrubs, annuals and perennials every seven to 10 days when rain is lacking. Water lawns and vegetable gardens too. The June beetle sometimes known as the June bug, is a type of insect that lives in the United States only between May and June and eats a variety of plants and bushes.  May 1 is May Basket Day. This tradition was popular through the 19th and 20th centuries, especially with children or sweethearts. The custom was to knock on the door, yell “May basket!” and then run. If the recipient caught the giver, he or she was entitled to a kiss. In Hawaii it’s called “Lei Day,” and people make pretty leis for each other. In parts of Ireland, people would make a May bush; typically, this was a thorn bush or branch decorated with flowers and ribbons. People in Britain welcome spring by “Bringing in the May,” or gathering cuttings of flowering trees for their homes. The French have a tradition of giving each other Lily of the Valley since it is their special May Day flower.
Ten women have started the Indianapolis 500: Janet Guthrie (1977-79); Desire Wilson (1982-84); Lyn St. James (1992-97, 200-); Sarah Fisher (2000-04, 2007-10); Danica Patrick (2005-11); Milka Duno (2007-09); Ana Beatriz (2010-12); Simona de Silvestro (2010-12); Pippa Mann (2011,2013-16); Katherine Legge (2012). Early in the month you can still plant cool-weather crops such as lettuce, radishes, carrots, onions and potatoes. Prune early-spring-flowering trees and shrubs as blooms fade. What causes toasted skin syndrome? Exposing your skin directly to low-grade heat repeatedly for long periods of time can lead to “erythema ab igne”. The heat sources can include space heaters at close range, heating pads, hot water bottles, heated car seats and even laptops. A heat index is a measure of how hot it feels when humidity is factored in with the actual air temperature. This combination reduces your body’s ability to cool itself. The Middlemist Red Carmellia, or Camillia japonica “Middlemist’s Red”, is an exceptionally rare flower with vibrant pinkish-red petals. There are only two living specimens in the world, are in New Zealand and the United Kingdom. The way it smells after it rains is called petrichor. Drought tolerant flowers in Indiana include: cosmos, salvias, annual vinca, narrow-leaved zinnias, portulaca (moss rose), wax begonias, and Melampodium. Avoid impatiens. You don't have muscles in your fingers that help you move them. They're controlled by the muscles in your palms and arms.  One of your first springtime chores will be to spruce up your landscape after a long winter. The best and quickest way to give your surroundings a “facelift” is by spreading a layer of fresh mulch. Besides looking great, applying organic or inorganic material around trees, shrubs, flowers, vegetables, and any vertical surface including walls or utility boxes, offers additional benefits. Organic mulch, in particular, will:
Marble chips, pebbles and lava rock are common examples of inorganic mulches. They also are decorative and may be used alone or in conjunction with plastics or landscape fabrics. Just remember, even though plastic is used, silt can build up between rocks or chips and create an area for seeds and weeds to germinate. Inorganic mulches do not have all the environmental advantages that organic products provide. It is important that you don’t spread too much mulch in one area causing plant stress and/or death. New mulch bed layers should be 2-4 inches deep. If re-mulching beds, you may need to remove the old layer and add a light layer (1/2” to 1”) of new mulch twice a year. Try to avoid mulching heavily around perennials like irises and daylilies that multiply by underground root structures. Avoid covering up trunks and roots as you mulch around trees. Called “volcano” mulching, this practice can lead to insect damage, rodent infestation, bark rot and other diseases. Spread mulch 3-5 inches away from young trees and 8-10 inches from mature trees. Extend mulch evenly to the tree’s dripline. When purchasing mulch products, it is important to seek out a reliable source, otherwise, mulch could be full of noxious weeds creating many future problems. Calculating how much mulch your job will need can be a snap. Environmental Hardwood Mulch is most effective between 2 and 4 inches thick. If your working area is 10 feet by 10 feet and 3 inches deep, it will require 27 cubic feet or 1 cubic yard. Use the formula below to calculate your mulch totals. 10ft x 10ft = 100sq / 4 = 25 cubic feet / 27 cubic feet = .92 cubic yards SKI Landscape offers quality hardwood bark mulch in a variety of colors to complement any landscape. Contact us if you have any further questions at 317-757-5000 or www.skilandscape.com.  March 9 is the start of Daylight Saving Time, which begins at 2:00 A.M. that day. Don’t forget to “spring forward” and set the clocks one hour ahead!
Before alarm clocks, folks hired "knocker-uppers" to tap on their windows and wake them up. A sneeze travels about 100 miles per hour. Bananas are considered berries, but strawberries aren't. Shamrocks are the national plant of Ireland often worn on clothes on St. Patrick’s Day, March 17. They are types of clovers. The word shamrock comes from the Irish word that ultimately means "Young Clover". The shamrock is a three-leaf clover. The odds of finding a four-leaf clover is 1 in 10,000. It is considered very lucky if you find one! Pot up summer flowering bulbs to be transplanted outdoors later, including tuberous begonias, caladiums and cannas. Sow seed or plant seedlings of cool-season and half-hardy annuals, including calendula, larkspur, poppy, snapdragons, English daisy, pansies and sunflowers. Cold and flu season is still plaguing Indiana. The following foods can be added to recipes to help fight ailments: Clementines are rich in vitamin C and loaded with folate, potassium, vitamin A and other disease-fighting antioxidants. Cardamom has long been used in traditional Chinese medicine. It has many antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Lentils are a frugal protein alternative to beef, chicken and fish. Hazelnuts are a great source of healthful omega-6 fatty acids, vitamin E and calcium. The first successful goldfish farm in the United States was opened in Martinsville, Indiana in 1899. Insect populations have yet to develop, and the remaining wild seeds, nuts and fruits have either been utilized or become undesirable. Because of these challenges, March is one of the most crucial months to continue feeding your backyard birds. Read about guarding seeds for future generations, snow pileups, cooking oils for the right culinary masterpiece and much more... conta.cc/3CjRU1D
 The Roman calendar initially only had 10 months, with January and February not included. This is due to the fact that during the coldest and darkest months, the government and military were not active.
Use a light touch on the brakes when stopping on snow or ice. Apply brakes firmly to a point just short of locking up and ease off the brake pedal slightly. Creosote buildup in chimneys and stovepipes is a common cause of house fires. A fireplace inspector will check for creosote deposits that may be blocking the chimney, as well as for dangerous cracks in the brick of the chimney. The opening of Ellis Island in New York City on January 1, 1892, which allowed for the immigration of nearly 20 million people, was one of the most significant milestones in American history. Natural remedies may make you feel better when the winter blues strike—a walk, a bite of chocolate, some time in the sun. Eli and Peyton Manning are the only set of brothers to play quarterback in a Super Bowl. They are also the only brothers to both win the Super Bowl MVP award. Indiana is presumably named from the fact that the land lying along the Ohio River was purchased from the Indians. Moist to wet snow that falls when the temperature is around 32 degrees is best for building a snowman. Snow appears white because snow is made up of individual ice crystals arranged together. When light hits snow, it bounces all around the ice crystals and the “color” of all the frequencies in the visible spectrum combined is white. While white is the color we see in snow, individual ice crystals are actually clear. Velcro—derived from velvet and crochet—was first created by Swiss electrical engineer, George de Mestral when he noticed burrs stuck to his clothes and dog's fur while walking in the woods in 1948. Originally each Velcro tape was made by hand and took forever to produce. A manufacturing process to increase production was patented in 1955.  3 billion Christmas cards are sent every year in the United States.
Although Christmas celebrates the birth of Christ, it does not actually mention December 25 anywhere in the bible. In fact, some historians think Jesus was born in the spring, not the winter at all! Christmas on December 25th was not celebrated until about 336 AD. Extend the life of holiday plants, such as poinsettias and Christmas cactus, by placing them in a cool, brightly lit area that is free from warm or cold drafts. Apply mulch to bulbs, perennials, and other small plants once the ground freezes. Along with the usual nuts and seeds, red squirrels dry out mushrooms in trees to make their own mushroom jerky to survive the winter. Be prepared for power outages and other emergencies by making sure your house and car are outfitted with well-stocked emergency kits. The basics include bottled water, a hand-crank radio, a flashlight with extra batteries, a cell phone charger (hand-crank or battery-powered is best), food, blankets, and a first-aid kit. At home, keep essential documents in one easily accessible place. Reindeers that live above the Arctic circle live in total darkness for weeks at a time. A small area of tissue behind the animal’s retina changes color from gold in the summer to blue in the winter and this allows them to detect ultraviolet light and to see in the dark. According to Guinness World Records, the coldest temperature was set on July 21, 1983, in Vostok Station, Antarctica which was -128.6°F. What do you call a person who loves winter? Chionophile. Chion is from the Greek word khiōn, which means snow. Indiana’s highest point, Hoosier Hill, is in the area referred to as the “Corn Belt.” It rises 1,257 feet in the air. |
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