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February 2015
"If you have only one smile in you
give it to the people you love".
Maya Angelou (1928-2014)
Mid-Atlantic Weather Watch: Fair not s cold (1, 2, 3) with light snow mainly in the north (4, 5). Windy; cold (6, 7, 8, 9, 10) with more snow in the north, rain in the south (11, 12). Windy turning colder (13, 14, 15, 16, 17) with lake-effect snow (18, 19); Fair and cold (20, 21, 22, 23) with Nor’easter,
heavy snow (24, 25). Returning to fair weather but windy and very cold (26, 27, 28).
Full Moon: February’s Full Moon will occur on Friday, February 3rd. It has widely been recognized as Hunger Moon by many Native American tribes who lived in cold and temperate climates and faced harsh winters and a real scarcity of game during this month. Many tribes have also referred to as the Snow Moon because snow was often at
its deepest now in certain parts of North America.
Special Notes: "Punxsutawney Phil" makes his call on the coming of Spring on Monday, February 2nd. As legend has it, if the old boy is frightened by his own shadow, the little coward will return to his burrow for another 6 more weeks, signaling winter will continue! If he doesn’t, there will be an early Spring and rejoicing
throughout the land!
Holidays: The Christian Festival of Lights, or Candelmas, is celebrated on Monday, February 2nd. The day is marked when many churches traditionally display many more candles than usual during their services. The added light made the day so special and it also was believed that the additional light helped to ward off illness and
plague in the coming year. Valentine’s Day, February 14th, falls on Saturday in 2015. Plan a special ‘Saturday Night’ date with your special someone and let them know just how much you appreciate them in your life. The birthdays of Abraham Lincoln (Thursday, February 12th) and George Washington (Sunday, the 22nd) are collectively celebrated on President’s day
which falls on Monday, February 16th to provide us with an extended holiday weekend.
The Garden: With some good news from our friend "Punxsutawney Phil", we can start thinking about things to do in an early Spring. Mid to late February is the perfect time to fertilize shrubs and evergreens. Use an acid type Rhododendron fertilizer to feed evergreens, conifers, broad leaf evergreens, Rhododendrons, Azaleas and
Camellias. Trees that weren't fed last Fall should be deep fed by punching a series of 1-2 inch holes two feet apart around the drip line and filled with an appropriate food. A mulch of well composted manure is also an excellent treat for your tree. Plants that may have been pushed out of the ground by frost heave should be pressed firmly back into place. Plant
Daylilies, Bleeding Hearts, and Hostas this month. Deciduous vines such as Honeysuckle should be pruned for shape. Most perennials can be divided and moved up until the time they begin to show new growth.
J. Gruber’s Thought For Today’s Living
"You only reap what you sow, so be sure to spread more kindness and consideration for your fellow man than envy or ill will".
Index of Past Month's Entries
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