August 2011

"Summer afternoon – summer afternoon;
to me those have always been the most
beautiful words of the English language"
                    Henry James (1843-1916)

Northeastern Region Weather Watch: Remnants of a tropical storm (1,2,3); showers in the northern part of the region with Storms in the south (4,5,6). Fair and less humid (7,8,9,10,11) turning warmer and more humid (12,13,14). Storms, some severe (15,16,17); fair and rather warm (18,19,20,21,22,23). Storms again (24,25) returning to fair and hot temperatures (26,27,28). Remnants of tropical storm (29,30,31).

Tornado Watch: There is a chance of tornados in the Mid-Atlantic Region from August 12th to the 17th.

Full Moon: August’s Full Moon rises on August 13th at 1:57PM. It has been commonly referred to as Dog Moon for The Dog Days of Summer that end on Thursday, August 11th. It has also been called Full Ripe Moon or Fruit Moon because of the many summer vegetables and fruits that come ripe at this time.

Holidays: The Labor Day holiday is right around the corner so get your young students ready for school, which opens soon after. Start by making a list of essentials they will need such as new clothes, school supplies, etc.

The Garden: August is typically hot and humid and your shrubs, plants and vegetables will need special attention. Monitor them all closely and water liberally during dry periods. Consider adding more mulch to help retain moisture. If you choose to water your lawn, do so only when wilted or discolored. If the weather is cool, Fescue can be sown to repair lawns in the last week of August. Early August is your last chance to plant annuals like Zinnias and Petunias for fall blooming. When pulling up spent annuals such as Poppies, Cornflowers and Larkspur shake them vigorously so their seeds will fall where you want them to grow next year. Be sure to stop feeding trees and shrubs after August 15th. That will encourage new growth that will not have time to mature before winter.

J. Grubers' Thought for Today's Living:

"Arise on a rainy day with as much eagerness as on a sunny one"

Index of Past Month's Entries