July put an end to the streak of wet, cool months. Patiently waiting for the right conditions, many perennials and shrubs that flower from mid June to early July bloomed a bit late. The sun and heat finally arrived on the Fourth of July weekend. I especially enjoyed the phlox, monarda and honeysuckle vine this summer. Rhododendron maximum or giant rosebay rhododendron generally starts blooming in late June into early July. This year’s rosebay began blooming the second week of July. We are in the far northern range of the rosebay hardiness limit and I have stumbled upon pockets of this plant growing along the swamp behind the garden center. To our south in Pennsylvania and Virginia, I’ve seen rosebay grow the size of small trees. It’s a striking plant when grown in small groves. This year’s flowers were short lived as July heated up and became a scorcher.
Some short grasses suffered when the heat and high humidity exposed lawns to red thread fungus. Blackspot, powdery mildew and apple cedar rust could be found in some locations. Japanese beetles, hemlock wooly adelgid and tent caterpillars are few and far between this year. Their numbers sufficiently dropped off because of the prolonged cool, wet spring weather.
As July progressed, we began watering more often. I found container plants quickly dried out as the temperature went well into the nineties. Before the crabgrass set in, I raised the height of cut on the lawn from four to five inches. This saved the lawn from burning out. Wasting water on my lawn is something I will not do; keeping containers, vegetables and fruit trees hydrated is more of a priority.
August is asters, goldenrod, corn, squash, tomato and a second cut of hay. August is early apples, peaches and pears. August begins the harvest.
August is low water. Some streams go right down to a trickle. Ponds and lakes warm up in the hot August sun. August is bullhead season. Catching mud cats in the late evening with a box of worms and a light fish pole are relaxing evenings I will always remember. Observing from the dock how the Martins turn into bats and the muskrats turn to beavers, transitions evening into night.
August daylight is getting noticeably shorter. We lose an hour and a half of sunlight by the end of the month.
Late evening summer thunderstorms are not only interesting to watch, but can drop the warm evening temperature twenty degrees. The August heat can be searing as the Atlantic turns into a sauna. Our first threat of a hurricane can be in the forecast. After a hot, dry summer the warm rain of a tropical storm can help with rain deficits as the summer winds down.
The August full moon is not quite the harvest moon. It’s a mellow, calming and a more hypnotic globe. Let’s call it the generous moon.
The August night can be the maestro of a bug symphony. Crickets, grasshoppers and katydids start wing-scratching right up until first frost. They must have a lot to say before they bed down to a long winter’s nap.
Late August misty mornings are the first sign of fall. As the fog burns off, it exposes the crisp blue morning sky. It’s a perfect time to go out and pick the ripest, juiciest beefsteak tomato. Slice it thin on whole wheat toast with olive oil, salt and pepper. While the bread is toasting, I’m going to make some watered down lemonade. Care to join me?