February SKI Tips, 2025

1. ​Begin drawing landscape plans and selecting plants. Order seeds and plants.
2. Consider these winter plants in your landscape plan for birds. Trees—crabapple, redbud, spruce, maple, dogwood.  Shrubs—sumac, bayberry, holly, firethorn, viburnum.  Perennials—black-eyed Susan, coneflower, switchgrass, sedum.
3. The odds of being a leap-year baby born on February 29 are pretty slim—just 1 in 1,461 (or 0.068 percent).
4. The birthstone for February is amethyst, which is said to symbolize love. The word amethystos translates to "not drunk" in Ancient Greek. 
5. In the Victorian era, mean-spirited Valentine's Day cards were called "Vinegar Valentines."
6. Pistachios can boost gut health. They are also high in antioxidants, lutein, and zeaxanthin that can help reduce risk of chronic eye disease.
7. Sprinkling baking soda on your front steps will provide traction and melt the ice. Unlike rock salt, kitty litter or sand, it won’t damage outdoor or indoor surfaces or shoes.
8. 90% of the world’s popcorn is grown in Indiana.
9. Gold is the only metal that doesn’t rust, even if it’s buried in the ground for thousands of years.
10. People get more colds in wintry weather than in summer because we spend more time indoors surrounded by co-workers, friends and family who already have colds.  Moisture-less, humidity-free air also dries up airways, making them vulnerable to airborne viruses that invade bodily defenses and come under a counterattack by the immune system.