Knob Hill's 2026 October Update | Boo-tiful Landscapes Start Here 🎃
The ghosts are out, the pumpkins are glowing, and somewhere in the neighborhood there's a hydrangea that's grown just a little too ambitious.
As we wrap up another October, we're sharing a few treats from around the company, celebrating some exciting milestones, and exploring a garden that's a little more toxic than your average poison apple. Grab your favorite fall beverage and enjoy this month's update!
Learning New Tricks in Nashville
This month, Knob Hill traveled to Nashville, TN for the Leanscaper Financial Intensive.
Between insightful speakers, industry networking, and discussions on building stronger landscape companies, our team came home with plenty of ideas to help us better serve our clients.
Of course, no trip would be complete without checking out some incredible landscapes along the way. From stunning water features to creative plant combinations, Nashville gave us plenty of inspiration to bring back to Central Illinois.
Knob Hill Named 2026 Business of the Year Finalist
We're thrilled to announce that Knob Hill has been named a finalist for IL Local First's 2026 Business of the Year Award!
Central Illinois is filled with extraordinary small businesses, and we're honored to be recognized alongside:
Bailey Family Insurance
Ceramics Made by Rosie
Docs Just Off 66 - Girard, IL
Happy Hour Pilates
Want to find out who takes home the trophy?
Join us at the IL Local Holiday Market on November 28th at 3:00 PM in the Orr Building at the Illinois State Fairgrounds. Browse local vendors, support small businesses, and maybe even cross a few holiday gifts off your list while you're there.
Celebrating Four Years with Sharah Mickelson
Every great company has a few things it can't function without. For Knob Hill, that's coffee, teamwork, Mazie the office dog... and Sharah Mickelson.
This month, we're celebrating Sharah's 4-year anniversary with Knob Hill! Whether she's exploring new ideas, tackling challenges, or bringing fresh insights back to the team, Sharah is always looking for ways to help Knob Hill grow and improve.
Over the years, she's become an integral part of our team, while also ensuring Mazie receives the attention she deserves and keeping the office comfortable with her ever-present portable space heater.
Sharah, thank you for your dedication, leadership, and all you've contributed over the past four years. We appreciate everything you do and look forward to many more years of success together!Â
The Customer Portal Isn't Scary, We Promise
Avoid the frightening fate of digging through emails for old invoices.
Our Customer Portal lets you:
Pay Invoices
Approve Proposals
Request Service
Review Account Information
Seasonal tasks on schedule
All from one convenient location.
Not signed up yet? Contact our office, and we will be happy to send you an invitation.
Email us at zoe@knobhilllandscape.com and we’ll send you an invite!
Shoes, Brews, & Biz 2026
Another year of Shoes, Brews & Biz is officially in the books!
A huge thank you to everyone who stopped by our booth and took time to chat with our team. We always enjoy meeting members of our community and talking all things landscaping.
Photo taken by Studio Bliss Photography
Alnwick's Poison Garden
If you thought your weeds were dangerous, let us introduce you to The Poison Garden at England's historic Alnwick Castle.
Created in 2005 by Jane Percy, Duchess of Northumberland, the garden contains more than 100 toxic and dangerous plant species from around the world.
Unlike most gardens that celebrate plants for their beauty or healing properties, this one focuses entirely on species capable of poisoning, injuring, or otherwise ruining your day.
It's part botanical garden, part cautionary tale, and 100% on every plant nerd's bucket list.
This Halloween season, we're grateful the only thing lurking in most Central Illinois gardens is a stubborn patch of crabgrass.
Lock in 2026 Pricing Before It Vanishes
Let's be honest. The haunted-house landscape aesthetic only works until November 1st. After that, it's just overgrown shrubs, fallen branches, and garden beds plotting their revenge.
Now through December 1st, commit to your 2027 maintenance program and lock in 2026 pricing.
Recurring maintenance helps keep:
Plant beds clean
Edges crisp
Shrubs Healthy
Walkways clear
Seasonal tasks on schedule
Don't let your landscape become the scariest thing on the block.
Flowers of October
Marigolds
Marigolds are October's unofficial mascots. Their bright orange and gold blooms perfectly capture the colors of autumn and have long been associated with harvest celebrations and seasonal traditions.
They're cheerful, resilient, and impossible to ignore, making them the perfect companion plants to ward off unwelcome pests.
Cosmos
Cosmos symbolize peace, harmony, and balance.
Their delicate blooms continue flowering well into autumn, bringing soft pinks, whites, and lavenders to the landscape even as temperatures cool.
They may not be spooky, but they certainly make October a little more magical.
Have a Spooktacular October!
Whether you're carving pumpkins, handing out candy, cheering from the sidelines at a football game, or simply enjoying the fall colors, we hope you find plenty of reasons to get outside and enjoy the season.
Thank you for allowing us to care for your landscapes, tackle your outdoor headaches, and occasionally rescue a shrub that's gotten a little out of hand.
Happy Halloween from all of us at Knob Hill Landscape Company!Â
