The largest pumpkin ever measured was grown by Norm Craven, who broke the world record in 1993 at 836 lb. or the size of a walrus.

Samhainophobia is the fear of Halloween. Other phobias include phasmophobia which is the fear of ghosts; wiccaphobia, the fear of witchcraft; and the fear of darkness, hyctophobia.

On October 1st, 1908 Henry Ford introduced the Model T car which cost $825.

Bring green tomatoes indoors and they will ripen to full red. Light is not necessary but temperature matters--the warmer the temperature, the faster the ripening.

Firm, tart apples are best for baking holiday pies. They include Granny Smith, Rome, Jonathan, Northern Spy, and Winesap.

Divide and transplant summer-flowering perennials such as peonies, irises, and coreopsis.

Watch for the last of the hummingbirds heading south to their winter homes.

Acorns are an important food source for a variety of mammals—squirrels, birds, pigs, bears and deer. Acorns are toxic to horses.

Pickleball is currently one of the most popular games throughout the U.S.  In the summer of 1965, pickleball was founded by Joel Pritchard, Bill Bell and Barney McCallum on Bainbridge Island, Washington. Joel’s wife Joan came up with the name “pickle ball”—a reference to the thrown-together leftover non- starters in the “pickle boat” of crew races. 
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Dentistry is the oldest profession in the world. One study found evidence of teeth being drilled in skulls that dates from 7,500 to 9,000 years ago. 

Fireflies were named official state insect in 2019 by Governor Eric Holcomb.

When repainting a room in your home mark the paint and trim colored used on the back of your electrical wall plate.

The Romans believed that September was looked after by the god of fire. So they always expected fires and volcanic eruptions to occur during this month.

Make sure you prune your plants while the weather's still mild. Try to cut your shrubs to about a quarter of their original size and thin out the congested stems to improve air circulation. 

Did you know? Pumpkins need the help of bees to grow. Pollinating bees take the seeds from the male plant to the female plant and pumpkins are born.

September was once the 7th month of the year, until the winter months became official on the calendar.
The sapphire is the official birthstone of September. The only naturally occurring thing that can scratch a sapphire is a diamond.

Chrysanthemums are beautiful fall flowers that are available in two basic types: florist and garden. Florist mums make wonderful gifts, but do not do well outside. For landscape use, look for garden mums.

It’s time to relocate plants which have enjoyed being outside for the summer into indoors. To prevent unexpected soil pests from moving indoors, sink each pot in a bucket of water for a few hours before bringing the plant indoors. This process drowns or uncovers any slugs, snails, worms, or beetles hiding below the surface of the soil.
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Football season fun fact: the markings on a college football are slightly different from its professional counterpart. There are white stripes painted at either end of the ball to make it easier to spot when it's passed between players.

Order spring-flowering bulbs for fall planting.

Don’t fertilize woody plants now. It stimulates late growth that will not have time to harden off before winter.
Vitamin C works like super-glue in keeping cells together. Vitamin C also helps to produce collagen. When you are wounded, collagen glues the separated tissue together. Cells are held together by collagen. Collagen is also the basis on which bone is formed.

August 17 is when the Cat Nights begin, harking back to a rather obscure Irish legend concerning witches; this bit of folklore also led to the idea that a cat has nine lives.

Each pumpkin contains about 500 seeds. Pumpkins along with cucumbers, tomatoes and avocados, come from the flowers of their plants making them all fruits.

Be aware of heavy sweating, hot and dry skin, rapid pulse, pale or clammy skin, and cramps in your leg or abdomen muscles. All could be signs of heat disorder.

Lay down a barrier of baking soda under sink-pipe openings and along basement windows to keep carpenter ants, silverfish, and roaches from invading. Roaches eat the baking soda, dehydrate and die.

Eating lettuce with your dinner is supposed to be calming, helping you to sleep and have pleasant dreams. 
In 1901 Food writer Julia Davis suggested pairing peanut butter and jelly in a sandwich.
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Take cuttings from plants such as impatiens, coleus, geraniums and wax begonias to winter over indoors. These are called herbaceous cuttings. Root the cuttings in media such as vermiculite, perlite, peat moss or planting soil instead of water. Keep them moist.
 

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John David Poetz
February 15, 1966-June 29, 2022

When John Poetz came to SKI Landscape 33 years ago, we knew we had hired someone special. His strength, his determination, his independence and his loyalty to the company made John the heart and soul of any SKI crew. His knowledge of hardscapes and landscape installation was unsurpassed. John’s dogged personality kept each task on schedule. No matter how rainy, muddy, hot or cold, John would see each project through—a job well done.

According to Mark Reynold, SKI’s landscape architect, John “was always game to try new things that he had never done before and if I could draw it he could build it. So much of his work will outlive all of us. The walls he built will still stand. The trees he planted will continue to grow all over Indianapolis…he was a good man who did good things.”
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John, may you wander the great green pastures of heaven knowing you won’t have to mow or pull weeds ever again! Thank-you and bless you.

The term “Dog Days” traditionally refers to July 3 through August 11 when the weather is particularly hot and humid. In ancient Greece and Rome, the Dog Days were believed to be a time of drought, bad luck, and unrest, when dogs and men alike would be driven mad by the extreme heat! 

Harvest daily as vegetables always taste better when young and tender.

The first crewed mission to the moon, the Apollo 11 Mission, launched on July 16, 1969. Four days later, on July 20, 1969, Neil Armstrong made history by taking the first step on the moon while declaring, “That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind!”

The Liberty Bell located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, rings 13 times every Independence Day to honor the 13 original states.

Only female mosquitoes bite. They are attracted to carbon dioxide (what you exhale) and sweat. Try to wash off sweat and keep your body temperature down.

The “Star-Spangled Banner” became the new American national anthem in 1931.

Cats and dogs do not suffer from poison ivy rash, but their coats easily transfer the oil in poison ivy, poison oak, and poison sumac to humans.

Parsley eaten raw, freshens breath. In tea, it may boost circulation of the blood. It may also help regulate blood pressure, clear bladder infections, and help prevent kidney stones. Parsley is rich in vitamins A, C and K while also providing potassium, manganese and other minerals.

To feel cooler in this warm weather, eat cooler by reducing your protein intake.
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 If you are in need of kindling to start a fire on your next camping trip use Doritos. They’re not just good for munching!

June is accordion awareness month, as well as candy, dairy and papaya month.
 
Remove tops of spring-flowering bulbs after they have yellowed and withered. 

In early times, crabapples were grown for the fruit to be used for jellies. 

Cashews are rich in copper (key for immunity) and magnesium (healthy blood pressure and blood sugar levels) 

If squirrels are a problem at the bird feeder, try using food they don’t like. While squirrels love birdseed, nuts, sunflower seeds, fruit and corn, they dislike safflower seed nyjer seed and white proso millet. 

A necktie used to be one of the ultimate gifts for Father’s Day. But did you know that neckties could date as far back as 221 B.C.? When Chin Shi Huang, China’s first emperor, and his “terracotta army” were discovered, each replica was wearing a necktie.  

99% of Libya is desert. 

In Catholic countries of Europe, Father’s Day has been celebrated on March 19 as Saint Joseph's Day since the Middle Ages. In the United States, Father's Day was founded by Sonora Smart Dodd and celebrated on the third Sunday of June for the first time in 1910.Continue planting carrots, beans, and sweet corn for successive harvest.
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Frederick Law Olmsted is regarded as the father of landscape architecture. He showed the country the importance of public parks, laying the groundwork for America's National Park system.

On April 15, 1912 the Titanic, believed to be unsinkable, hit an iceberg and sank 2 hours and 40 minutes later. Unfortunately, there we too few lifeboats to save everyone and only about 700 of the 2,224 passengers were rescued.

Plant seeds of cool-season crops directly in the garden as soon as the soil dries enough to be worked. When squeezed, soil should crumble instead of forming a ball. Cool-season crops that can be direct-seeded include peas, lettuce, spinach, carrots, beets, turnips, parsnips and Swiss chard.

Nylon stockings can be used to tie up tomato plants. The give in the nylon will allow the plant to grow without strangulation.

Grass stains on your fabric shoes can be cleaned with baking soda. Dip a wet toothbrush into some baking soda and brush vigorously. Rinse well and dry out of the sun. No baking soda? Use white, non-gel toothpaste instead.

Plant indoors seeds of warm-season plants, including tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, marigolds, zinnias and petunias for planting outdoors later.

Hummingbirds do not have a sense of smell. They locate their food by eyesight.

In your garden select plants you like to eat otherwise it’s a waste of space, time and food. Also make sure the crops you select will do well in your growing area.

Try attaching a slinky to the top of your bird feeder pole to keep squirrels from scaling it.
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Arbor Day sprouted from the mind of a zealous tree lover named Julius Sterling Morton, who had a passion for planting all kinds of trees.  The first Arbor Day occurred on April 10, 1872, in Nebraska City, Nebraska. It’s estimated that nearly one million trees were planted on this day.

Instead of roaring like other big cats, Cheetahs purr.

Each year March and June end on the same day of the week.

Baby birds learn to sing during the spring. Although they are born with the ability to sing they must learn the specific songs of their species. They often learn their songs within two months of being born.

Potatoes were illegal in France for 24 years. In 1748 the French Parliament forbade the cultivation of the potato on the grounds that it was thought to cause leprosy. This law remained in effect until 1772.

Stanford researchers found that beer bubbles create a gravity-defying loop. Bubbles head up in the center where frictional drag from the glass is less and down on the outside as the top gets crowded.

Plant seedlings of cool season vegetables and flowers as soon as the soil is dry enough to work. These include broccoli, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, peas, spinach, lettuces, radishes and beets.

The idea behind “Gardening by the Moon” is that the cycles of the Moon affect plant growth. Just as the Moon’s gravitational pull causes tides to rise and fall, it also affects moisture in the soil. It’s said that seeds will absorb more water during the full Moon and the new Moon, when more moisture is pulled to the soil surface. This causes seeds to swell, resulting in greater germination and better-established plants.

Houseflies don’t like sweet clover. Fill a few cheesecloth-mesh bags with the herb and hang them around the room.

Native Indiana plants are born survivors, hiding 2/3 of their growth underground. Roots and root hairs beneath a square yard of tall grass are said to stretch 20 miles end to end.

The first successful goldfish farm in the United States was opened in Martinsville, Indiana in 1899.

Botanically speaking, a fig isn’t one fruit, but hundreds. Each seed inside—and the flesh around it—is a tiny fruit.