With March 17
th just a few days away, Kane
Landscapes wanted to provide you with a few interesting facts about St. Patrick’s day, and what it
means apart from green beer, green clothes, and green beads. And, most importantly, what the difference is
between a Shamrock and a Clover.
St. Patrick was actually born in Roman occupied Briton circa
390 AD. He was kidnapped by slavers in
his teenage years and brought to Ireland to tend sheep. After 6 years of slavery, he escaped to
return to his home. It was at this point
that St. Patrick studied theology. He
would return to Ireland as missionary at which time he would drive all the
snakes out of Ireland. But, in reality,
Ireland was probably already snake free.
This popularized myth probably refers to the expulsion of pagan
influences. Some scholars think that he
expelled a snake cult called Crom Cruaich, a bloody pagan cult demanding human
sacrifices to a snake deity that was particularly popular in Ireland during the
time. And of course, he is most famous
for using a shamrock to illustrate the hard to grasp concept of the trinity to
those he was proselytizing. What you may
not know, is that St. Patrick’s order used blue as their color, not green.
But as for the difference between what we call Shamrocks and
what we call clovers, it might surprise you to know there is much debate on the
subject. A shamrock is the common name
for any number of plants that belong to the genus Trifolium, Latin for “having
three leaves.” The plant that is most
commonly referred to as a shamrock is actually a small, white clover and comes
from the Irish word “seamrog” meaning “little clover.” The green weed that grows in your yard is
actually just a plain old clover, despite the popular misconception.
So, this Saint Patty’s day, put on the traditional blue, pin
on a white shamrock, and go looking for followers of Crom Cruaich to expel from
the land. Happy Saint Patrcik’s Day,
everybody.
Written by: Justin Hill
Well, it was another warmer than average winter with little
in the way of snow, but hey Spring is almost here! With the flowers getting ready to bloom and
the grass starting to green now is the time when Kane Landscapes goes from being
busy to really busy. However, before things really take off I wanted to
thank all our returning clients and welcome all our new clients for the 2013
season. 
As the years have gone by and Kane Landscapes has grown I find
myself spending more and more time in the office, planning and crunching
numbers, and less time outdoors on your properties. Luckily we have been blessed (and worked hard
to find) such a great team of managers and foremen who have really kept that
personal touch and high standard of customer service alive. From Julie and Justin in the office handling your
questions, David overseeing our maintenance crews and setting schedules, to Bobby applying fertilizer, to Jose hand
pruning your perennials and shrubs our team is there to help. We strive to not
only make the lives of our clients easier and more enjoyable by providing great
service, but we really try to treat our team like family. We have been fortunate that Kane Landscapes
tends to be where many make their careers and stay for a long period of time. This not only helps improve our
service but allows our clients to know who is on their property and really get
to know them. I am sure several of our
long time clients will notice that the same foremen have been servicing their
properties for almost a decade now. 
Redbuds are one of our favorite blooming trees here at Kane Landscapes. Redbuds make fine lawn trees, look great in groupings, and have their place in shrub borders and even foundation plantings. What makes redbuds unique is that they are the only flowering tree that re-bloom on old wood year after year. They generally have a short, often twisted trunk, spreading branches, and grow to be about 20-30 feet tall. Despite their name, the flowers on redbuds are a lovely lavender or purple hue and appear in clusters from Spring to early Summer on bare stems, before the leaves appear. Blossoms are followed by clusters of flat, beanlike pods that persist into winter and give rise to numerous seedlings around the tree. Handsome, broad, rounded or heart-shaped leaves may change to bright yellow in fall, but fall color is inconsistent. 
St. Patrick was actually born in Roman occupied Briton circa
390 AD. He was kidnapped by slavers in
his teenage years and brought to Ireland to tend sheep. After 6 years of slavery, he escaped to
return to his home. It was at this point
that St. Patrick studied theology. He
would return to Ireland as missionary at which time he would drive all the
snakes out of Ireland. But, in reality,
Ireland was probably already snake free.
This popularized myth probably refers to the expulsion of pagan
influences. Some scholars think that he
expelled a snake cult called Crom Cruaich, a bloody pagan cult demanding human
sacrifices to a snake deity that was particularly popular in Ireland during the
time. And of course, he is most famous
for using a shamrock to illustrate the hard to grasp concept of the trinity to
those he was proselytizing. What you may
not know, is that St. Patrick’s order used blue as their color, not green.
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