"Motherhood: All love begins and ends there"
- Robert Browning (1812—1889)

Mid-Atlantic Weather Watch: Fair, warming trend (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8) with storms (9, 10, 11); showers, mainly in the northern part of the region (12, 13, 14) turning fair and warm (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22). Storms, mainly in the south (23, 24) returning to fair and warm weather (25, 26, 27, 28); showers in the north, storms in the south (29, 30, 31)

Full Moon: May’s Full Moon occurs on Tuesday, May 29th and has traditionally been called Flower Moon (or as the Huron Indians called it, Budding Moon) because of the many flowers that start to emerge and blossom during this month. Farmers came to refer to it as Mike Moon because of the noticeable increase in milk produced by their cows as the weather starts to warm.

Special Notes: National Day of Prayer, Thursday, May 3rd was established in 1952 at the direct suggestion of Reverend Billy Graham (1918–2018) and signed into law under Ronald Reagan in 1988. Cinco de Mayo is celebrated on Saturday, May 5th. Rogation Sunday falls on May 6th, Ascension Day follows on Thursday, May 10th. The first day of Ramadan is Tuesday, May 15th, and World No Tobacco Day is on Tuesday, May 31st.

Holidays: Mothers are honored on her day, Sunday May 13th. A telephone call, a sentimental card, a nice flower arrangement, or just spending some quality time with her will make her feel special. Armed Forces Day is observed on Saturday, May 19th and Memorial Day falls on Monday, May 28th. Plan to do something special to mark the official start of the summer season with family and friends but don’t forget that this day was set aside for honoring those who have served in our military and those who are currently serving. Their service and sacrifice has protected our precious freedoms and ensures our way of life.

The Garden: Once your last frost data has passed, warm season crops can be planted. When the ground temperatures reach 70 degrees Fahrenheit, it is safe to begin planting Okra, Pumpkin, Sweet Potatoes, Eggplant, Peppers, Peanuts, Watermelon, Cow Peas, Black-eyed Peas, Crowder Peas, Butter Peas and Butter Beans. Keep a vigilante eye on the roses. Keep them sprayed for aphids and other pests and diseases such as black spot. It's still not too late to fertilize your trees and shrubs. Use a Rhododendron or Evergreen type of plant food to feed evergreens and other acid loving plants like Azaleas and Rhododendrons, Camellias and Junipers, etc. Use an all-purpose garden fertilizer (10-10-10) to feed roses, deciduous shrubs and trees. Be sure to water the fertilizer in thoroughly after it is applied.

Remove the wilting seed heads from Rhododendrons and Azaleas so that the plants energy can go to foliage growth and next year’s flowers, rather than seeds. Work lime in the soil around your Hydrangeas to produce pink flowers or Aluminum Sulphate for blue blooms. Remove any sucker growths from fruit trees as soon as they appear!

Gruber’s Thought For Today’s Living

"While the truth may be painful to hear today, the wise man will benefit from it tomorrow"