"I bet deep down you still wish your mom would take you
clothes shopping every August for the new school year."
Bridget Willard (1953- )
Mid-Atlantic Weather Watch: Hazy, hot, and humid (1, 2, 3); offshore hurricane, storms mainly in the eastern part of the region (4, 5, 6) turn hot and humid again (7, 8, 9). Showers and storms (10, 11, 12) turning fair and not so hot (13, 14, 15, 16). More fair weather, very warm (19, 20, 21, 22, 23) with more showers (24, 25, 26)
and even more showers, mainly in the south (27, 28, 29). Fair and very warm (30, 31).
Full Moon: August’s full moon occurs on August 26th. Many Native American tribes have referred to it as Fruit Moon or Ripe Moon because of the many fruits and vegetables that become ripe during the month. And since August 11th marks the end of the ‘Dog Days of Summer’, it has also been called Dog Moon.
Holidays: Labor Day will be here before you know it, signaling the end of summer so enjoy it while you can!
The Garden: August is not too late to sow Portulaca (moss rose). They will bloom in about three weeks from seed. Stop feeding trees and shrubs after mid-August. You don’t want to promote new growth that will not have time to fully mature before winter sets in. Summer blooming shrubs should be pruned for shape after they have finished
flowering. Remove any dead or diseased branches. To encourage more flowers, azaleas should be trimmed after they bloom in the spring and before the end of August.
Think about potting herbs you plan to move indoors for the winter. Don’t move them in just yet but get them accustomed to their containers early. Rosemary, thyme, and tarragon are the best candidates for this. Keep the weeds pulled, before they have a chance to flower and go to seed again. Otherwise, you will be fighting newly germinated
weed seed for the next several years. Weeds in the garden are harmful because they rob your plants of water and nutrients, harbor insects and diseases, and, on occasion grow tall enough to shade your flowers and plants. Change the water in your bird bath regularly, and keep it filled. Standing water is less healthy for the birds, and may become a breeding ground
for mosquito larvae.
J. Gruber’s Thought For Today’s Living:
"The time to make friends is before you need them."
