A HISTORICAL LOOK AT THIS WACKY FALL TRADITION Corn Mazes Date Back to Ancient Greece?
Exploring a corn maze is a great way to get outside and enjoy the fall season with friends and family — but who came up with the idea of wandering around a corn field for fun? As it turns out, outdoor mazes are an ancient tradition, and the American corn maze of the ‘90s sprouted from the mazes of 17th- century European gardens. Don’t believe it? Here’s a quick tour of corn maze history. The Minotaur and the Maze Have you heard of Theseus and the Minotaur? This ancient Greek legend tells the story of the hero Theseus, who ventured into an elaborate maze to kill the half-man, half-bull imprisoned there. The monstrous Minotaur was known to eat heroes, and the labyrinth was known to trap them, but Theseus managed to slay
the Minotaur and find his way home with the help of a string that he unspooled as he walked. This story isn’t the first recorded example of a maze or labyrinth — according to the World History encyclopedia, “[L]abyrinths and labyrinthine symbols have been dated to the Neolithic Age in regions as diverse as modern-day Turkey, Ireland, Greece, and India, among others” — but it’s perhaps the most famous ancient tale. If you’ve ever navigated a Halloween corn maze staffed by ghouls and ghosts, you can see the parallels! Garden Art to Get Lost In Mazes formed from bushes began popping up European gardens in the 17th century. They were a popular artistic feature of upper-
class gardens in England, more for looking at than solving. One famous example is the half-mile-long Hampton Maze, which was planted in 1690 and still stands today. The Corn Maze: An American Invention Garden mazes eventually hopped the pond to America but didn’t become interactive puzzles until Don Frantz, Creative Director of the American Maze Company, came on the scene. In 1993, Frantz created the “first ever cornfield maze for private and public entertainment” to attract college kids in Pennsylvania. Today, every small-town corn maze is a descendant of his “Amazing Maize Maze.” To learn more about that wacky history, visit AmericanMaze.com.
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you do your own research on these effective products. While we don’t do treatment application ourselves, we do have a good referral company. Treatments can help trees stay pest free, and pruning can prolong the stability of a tree. But in the case of a damaged or decayed tree near a house, removal can be the best choice. For tree removals, we use a tall bucket truck, spider lift, or crane to assist with lifting pieces out of the tree. Using specialized equipment increases speed and builds the skill sets of the workers. So, when you see our guys out there in the yellow shirts, you can be sure they are
committed to working as safely and efficiently as possible. When you hire a local arborist, you’ll benefit from the knowledge and good-faith effort to preserve trees if possible. We’re invested in this community, and we want to see the trees survive or be replaced.
In addition to crane-assisted tree service, we also do fall gutter cleaning, leaf cleanup, and a
limited snow blowing route. We get numerous late calls in November for yard cleanup, gutter cleanings, and snow removal, but services are limited. We want to make sure all of our customers are taken care of, which is why we stress the importance of booking in advance, and scheduling us for two clean-ups. Don’t wait until the last minute. Give us a call or an email today — and be ready for tomorrow.
We are always here for your questions and estimates. Email us at TroutBrookTree@gmail.com or call or text us at (860) 888-8472.
–Andrew Bachman (860) 888-8472
Sincerely,
2 | (860) 888-8472
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