EXTRA! MAGNIFICENT, MULTIPURPOSE MINT! PRIZEWINNING RECIPES - THE WONDERS OF BLUNDERS - The Old Farmer's Almanac
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EXTRA!
FROM THE OLD FARMER’S ALMANAC
MAGNIFICENT, MULTIPURPOSE MINT!
PRIZEWINNING RECIPES
THE WONDERS OF BLUNDERS
MAY 2022 ILLUSTRATION: SQUAREDOT95/GETTY IMAGES
s
ss CONTENTS
FEATURES
AMUSEMENT
The Wonders WEATHER
of Blunders FORECASTS
FOOD
How We Make
Prizewinning Our Predictions
Recipes from the May U.S.
Garden Guide and Canadian
Weather Forecasts
FOLKLORE
A Spicy Alphabet Weather Update
LIVING NATURALLY DEPARTMENTS WIT
Humor Me
Magnificent, CALENDAR Grins and groans
Multipurpose Mint!
May Holidays, from the Almanac
Full Moon Names,
and More WHAT’S NEXT
ASTROLOGY
See what we have
Best Days to in store for our
Do Things June issue!
Gardening by the
Moon’s Sign
ASTRONOMY
Sky Map for May
FOLLOW US:
s
ss CALENDAR
may
Holidays, Full Moon Names, and More
may’s birthstone: emerald
The emerald, a green type of
beryl, ranges from light to rich
green; the more saturated hues are
more valuable, especially if pure-
or blue-green. One of Cleopatra’s
favorite gems, the emerald
has long been associated with
fertility, rebirth, and love. Today,
this gemstone signifies wisdom,
growth, and patience.
Eye on the Sky
MAY’S FULL MOON NAMES
Flower Moon, Frog Moon,
Planting Moon
MOON PHASES
First Quarter: May 8, 8:21 p.m. EDT
Full Moon: May 16, 12:14 a.m. EDT Holiday Happenings
Last Quarter: May 22, 2:43 p.m. EDT May 5: Cinco de Mayo
New Moon: May 30, 7:30 a.m. EDT May 8: Mother’s Day
May 21: Armed Forces Day
TAP FOR MORE ABOUT MOON PHASES May 22: National Maritime Day
May 23: Victoria Day (Canada)
TAP FOR MORE ABOUT MAY’S FULL MOON
May 30: Memorial Day
PHOTO: LEVON AVAGYAN/SHUTTERSTOCK
Created for new gardeners, green
thumbs, and old hands alike!
ORDER YOUR COPY TODAY!
s
ss ASTROLOGY
BEST DAYS TO DO THINGS
These May dates, deemed to be propitious in astrology, are based on the
astrological passage of the Moon. However, consider all indicators before
making any major decisions. –Celeste Longacre
AROUND THE HOUSE Dry fruit, vegetables, or meat:
25, 26
Bake: 5, 6
End projects: 30
Brew: 14, 15
Lay shingles: 7–9
Can, pickle, or make sauerkraut:
22–24 Make jams or jellies: 22–24
Demolish: 14, 15 Paint: 12, 13
PHOTO: PIXABAY
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ss ASTROLOGY
Start projects: 1 Cut hay: 25, 26
Wash floors: 22–24 Purchase animals: 5, 6
Wash windows: 25, 26 Set eggs: 11–13, 21, 22
Slaughter livestock: 14, 15
OUTDOORS Wean animals: 24, 29
Begin logging: 18, 19
PERSONAL
Go camping: 16, 17
Go fishing: 1–16, 30, 31 Advertise to sell: 14, 15
Set posts or pour concrete: 18, 19 Ask for a loan: 27, 28
Begin diet to gain weight: 1, 11
IN THE GARDEN Begin diet to lose weight: 24, 29
Destroy pests and weeds: 25, 26 Buy a home: 14, 15
Graft or pollinate: 5, 6 Color hair: 1, 27, 28
Harvest aboveground crops: 10, 11 Cut hair to discourage growth:
27, 28
Harvest belowground crops: 27, 28
Cut hair to encourage growth:
Mow to promote growth: 14, 15
12, 13
Mow to slow growth: 27, 28
Entertain: 7–9
Pick fruit: 10, 11
Get married: 12, 13
Plant aboveground crops: 5, 6
Have dental care: 10, 11
Plant belowground crops: 22–24
Move (house/household): 2–4,
Prune to discourage growth: 25, 26 29–31
Prune to encourage growth: 7–9 Perm hair: 20, 21
Quit smoking: 24, 29
ON THE FARM
Straighten hair: 16, 17
Breed animals: 14, 15 Travel for pleasure: 7–9
Castrate animals: 20, 21 Wean children: 24, 29
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ss ASTROLOGY
gardening by the moon’s sign
Use the May dates shown in the Moon’s Astrological Place
calendar below to find the best days for the following garden tasks:
TAP FOR PLANT, TRANSPLANT, AND GRAFT: Cancer, Scorpio, Pisces, or Taurus
MERCURY IN
+ RETROGRADE HARVEST: Aries, Leo, Sagittarius, Gemini, or Aquarius
DATES
BUILD/FIX FENCES OR GARDEN BEDS: Capricorn
TAP FOR
MAY MOON CONTROL INSECT PESTS, PLOW, AND WEED: Aries, Gemini, Leo,
PHASES
Sagittarius, or Aquarius
PRUNE: Aries, Leo, or Sagittarius. During a waxing Moon, pruning
encourages growth; during a waning Moon, it discourages growth.
THE MOON’S ASTROLOGICAL PLACE IN MAY
1 Taurus 9 Leo 17 Sagittarius 25 Aries
2 Gemini 10 Virgo 18 Capricorn 26 Aries
3 Gemini 11 Virgo 19 Capricorn 27 Taurus
4 Gemini 12 Libra 20 Aquarius 28 Taurus
5 Cancer 13 Libra 21 Aquarius 29 Gemini
6 Cancer 14 Scorpio 22 Pisces 30 Gemini
7 Leo 15 Scorpio 23 Pisces 31 Gemini
8 Leo 16 Sagittarius 24 Pisces
PHOTO: PIXABAY
MERCURY IN RETROGRADE
Sometimes the other planets appear
to be traveling backward through the
zodiac; this is an illusion. We call this
illusion retrograde motion.
Mercury’s retrograde periods can
cause our plans to go awry. However, this
is an excellent time to reflect on the past.
Intuition is high during these periods,
and coincidences can be extraordinary.
When Mercury is retrograde, remain
flexible, allow extra time for travel, and
avoid signing contracts. Review projects
and plans at these times, but wait until
Mercury is direct again to make any final
decisions.
Mercury’s 2022 retrograde periods:
May 10–June 2, September 9–October 1,
and December 28–(January 18, 2023).
–Celeste Longacre
Celebrating its 45th anniversary in 2022,
the best-selling Old Farmer’s Almanac
Gardening Calendar is filled with
beautiful art, helpful tips, insightful
quotes, and an easy-to-use grid with
holidays and Moon phases. Order yours
today at Almanac.com/Shop.
s
ss ASTRONOMY
All About Asterisms
A
n asterism is an easily recognized star pattern that lies
within a constellation. Unlike constellations, asterisms
are entirely “unofficial.” There is no international
TAP TO GET
organization or governing body that assigns names to
A PRINTABLE
MAY SKY MAP asterisms. Their names have come into popular usage because
they are a convenience—an easy way to navigate the sky. If
TAP TO you wish, feel free to identify and name your own asterisms.
FOLLOW
OHIOAN JEFF Who knows? Your names might catch on!
DETRAY’S SKY For a fine example of an asterism, look near the center of
ADVENTURES this month’s star map for the Keystone, a compact pattern
of four stars that lies within the constellation Hercules, the
Hero. Hercules is a sprawling constellation, the fifth largest
in the sky, but the distinctive shape of the Keystone really
stands out.
Above and to the right of the Keystone is the constellation
Corona Borealis, the Northern Crown. To me, this semicircle
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ss ASTRONOMY
of stars looks far more like a tiara than a crown, so The Tiara it is, at least for me.
Higher in the sky lies Boötes, the Herdsman, whose main stars form an
asterism known as The Kite. It’s a sloppy-looking kite, to be sure, but the
shape is certainly suggestive of one—enough so that it can help you to get
your bearings and find Boötes. The bright star Arcturus anchors the tail of
The Kite.
Off to the left, look for the Little Dipper asterism, part of the constellation
Ursa Minor, the Lesser Bear. At the end of the dipper’s handle is Polaris, the
North Star. From brightly lit suburbs, you’ll see only Polaris and the brighter
stars of the dipper’s bowl. Leave town to see the whole dipper.
Between the Little Dipper and The Kite slithers the body of Draco, the
Dragon, which culminates in the Dragon’s Head, a four-sided asterism that
shows up well when viewed from a dark location.
Below the Dragon’s Head, look for two very bright stars that point the way
to a great pair of asterisms, one small and the other quite large.
The star Vega in the small constellation Lyra, the Lyre, achieved notoriety as
home to the fictional aliens who sent a message to Earth in the 1997 Jodie Foster
film Contact. Beneath Vega is a small but beautifully symmetrical asterism, the
Parallelogram. Its exquisite and geometrically perfect shape is a wonder.
To the lower left is the bright star Deneb, marking the tip of the Northern
Cross, which lies on its side at this time of year. Deneb and the Northern
Cross are part of the large constellation Cygnus, the Swan. The name
“Deneb” is derived from the Arabic word for “tail,” and indeed Deneb sits
at the tail of the Swan.
The left side of our sky map features The House, an asterism within the
constellation Cepheus, the King. Yes, it’s a lopsided house, but no more
lopsided than the ones we all drew as children.
We’ve already mentioned that Vega and Deneb can help you to find two
lovely asterisms. These two stars, plus brilliant Altair, comprise the three
corners of the large asterism known as the Summer Triangle, marked in
purple on our Sky Map. The Summer Triangle will be prominent in the sky
from now well into autumn.
–Jeff DeTrayA Flowering Future ORDER THE FIRST EVER EDITION!
AMUSEMENT
The Wonders of
Blunders
Proof that some errors are not mistakes—just happy accidents.
ILLUSTRATION: SQUAREDOT95/GETTY IMAGESAMUSEMENT
TO AVOID ALL MISTAKES IN THE CONDUCT OF GREAT
ENTERPRISES IS BEYOND MAN’S POWERS.
–Fabius Maximus, Roman politician (c. 275–203 b.c.)
M
ost people WHEN YOU DON’T TURN A PROBLEM
try to avoid GET WHAT YOU INTO A SOLUTION.
making WANT, WANT WHAT In the late 1960s,
mistakes, yet YOU GET. scientists at 3M
psychologists say that In the 1930s, DuPont Company developed
learning from our chemist Roy Plunkett a glue to paste pieces
mistakes can help us was trying to develop a of paper together.
to lead happier lives. better refrigerator. The The sheets stuck,
In fact, the history of chemical that he created but they came apart
innovation is filled to be a coolant failed to easily, making the glue
with tales of goofs that perform as expected; worthless—or so it was
turned into happy it was too slippery. thought until later,
accidents, from penicillin Rather than throw it when an employee
(discovered when an out, Plunkett considered named Art Fry used the
experiment acquired other uses. Today, we fickle adhesive to make
bread mold) to Silly know this chemical as a bookmarks. With that,
Putty (a failed attempt to nonstick coating: Teflon. the Post-it was born.
invent artificial rubber),
to name but two. You must make your own To make mistakes as we are
Make no mistake about blunders, must cheerfully on the way to knowledge is
this: You can learn how accept your own mistakes as far more honorable than
to benefit from your part of the scheme of things. to escape making them
blunders. Take note –Minnie Fiske, American through never having set
of these five tips and actress (1865–1932) out to seek knowledge.
timeless words of wisdom –R. C. Trench, Irish prelate
that can help us all to (1807–86)
make successful errors.AMUSEMENT
REMEMBER THAT FOLLOW YOUR KEEP AN OPEN MIND.
SOMETIMES ONE ERRORS WHERE Some of the world’s
WRONG CAN MAKE THEY LEAD YOU. leading firms pay their
TWO RIGHTS. In 1492, Christopher employees to conceive
In 1856, while Columbus set out in of products and
conducting experiments search of a sea route to services that don’t—
to find a cure for the Far East, but instead and won’t—work. It’s
malaria, teenage lab came upon America. called brainstorming:
assistant William Perkin Once, in the 1930s, setting no bounds on
found that one of his while flying over the ideas and expectations
solutions dyed cloth. jungles of Venezuela as a way to stimulate
Fascinated by the failed in search of treasure thinking. Without
antidote, he was inspired below, bush pilot Jimmie the freedom of such a
to sell it as a colorfast Angel found the world’s forum, the concepts of
dye. This decision highest waterfall—a the bookseller without
made him a rich man. cataract known today as a bookstore (Amazon.
(And years later, while Angel Falls. com) and the warehouse
using Perkin’s dye to as a store (Costco)
stain microscope slides, Mistakes are the portals of might never have been
doctors did discover a discovery. developed.
malaria cure.) –James Joyce, Irish writer
(1882–1941) Anyone who has never
Mistakes are often the best made a mistake has never
teachers. tried anything new.
–James A. Froude, English –Albert Einstein, American
historian (1818–94) physicist (1879–1955)
–Nick D’AltoFOOD
Prizewinning Recipes
from the Garden Guide
Each year in The Old Farmer’s Almanac Garden Guide, we invite our audience
to enter our Reader Recipe Contest. Over the years, we’ve asked for your favorite
recipes using tomatoes, strawberries, sweet potatoes, zucchini, and many
other garden-fresh ingredients. Here you’ll find winners from our recent contests
to give you an idea of the range of delicious recipes that we receive. To learn
more about our contests, go to Almanac.com.
PHOTO: BECKY LUIGART-STAYNERFOOD
Stuffed Mashed
Potatoes
PHOTO: BECKY LUIGART-STAYNERFOOD
STUFFED MASHED POTATOES
2 pounds russet potatoes
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 pound mozzarella cheese, cut into 12 pieces
3 ounces pepperoni, finely chopped
3 tablespoons seasoned bread crumbs
Preheat oven to 400°F. Wash and prick potatoes and bake
for about 35 minutes, or until they can be pierced with a
fork. Leave oven on and grease a 12-cup muffin tin.
While potatoes are hot, peel them. Put through a ricer or
shred with a grater.
In a bowl, combine potatoes, butter, salt, garlic powder,
and pepper and mix until butter has melted.
Fill each muffin cup about halfway with potato mixture.
Place one piece of mozzarella in each cup. Divide
pepperoni evenly between cups and top with remaining
potatoes. Sprinkle bread crumbs on top.
Return to oven and bake for 10 to 12 minutes. Unmold
immediately and serve.
Makes 12 servings.
PHOTO: BECKY LUIGART-STAYNERFOOD
Blueberry–
Kidney Bean
Salad With
Fresh
Vegetables
PHOTO: BECKY LUIGART-STAYNERFOOD
BLUEBERRY–KIDNEY BEAN SALAD
WITH FRESH VEGETABLES
1 can (15.5 ounces) red kidney beans
1 sweet onion
1 medium tomato
1 green bell pepper
1-1/2 cups fresh blueberries
1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese
8 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
4 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon curry powder
Rinse and drain the kidney beans and place in a bowl.
Cut vegetables into bite-size pieces and add to the kidney beans.
Stir in blueberries, feta, vinegar, olive oil, salt, black pepper, and
curry powder. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for at least 1 hour
before serving.
Makes 4 servings.
Looking for more great recipes? Get a copy of our best-selling
cookbook with recipes from you, our readers. The Old Farmer’s
Almanac Readers’ Best Recipes is filled with tried-and-true
recipes that keep folks coming back for more, plus the stories
behind them! Store.almanac.com/cookbook-readers-best-recipes/
PHOTO: BECKY LUIGART-STAYNERFOOD Papa’s Sugar Pea and Veggie Medley PHOTO: LORI PEDRICK
FOOD
PAPA’S SUGAR PEA AND VEGGIE MEDLEY
3 cups fresh sugar snap peas
1/2 cup baby carrots, sliced
vegetable oil
1/2 cup sliced mushrooms
1/2 cup diced bell peppers
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 small zucchini, sliced
1 cup ham cubes
2 tablespoons butter
10 drops hot sauce
garlic salt, to taste
freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 egg, beaten
3 medium red potatoes, cooked and sliced
1/2 cup shredded Colby Jack cheese
1 cup spinach leaves
In a large pot of boiling water, blanch peas and carrots. Drain
and set aside.
Coat the bottom of a 10- or 12-inch skillet with vegetable oil
and warm over medium heat. Add mushrooms, bell peppers,
onions, and zucchini and cook for 5 minutes. Add peas, carrots,
and ham and cook for 5 minutes, stirring often. As mixture is
stirred, add butter, hot sauce, garlic salt, and black pepper.
Pour egg over mixture. Fold in egg, potatoes, and cheese.
Cover and cook on medium for 5 minutes.
Tear spinach into pieces and fold into mixture for final 2
minutes of cooking.
Makes 8 servings.
PHOTO: LORI PEDRICKFOLKLORE
A Spicy Alphabet
People have been trading and enjoying spices for centuries.
Some of their uses, both modern and ancient, may surprise you.
PHOTO: ROXILLER/GETTY IMAGESFOLKLORE
• Anise seeds are used seafood dishes; baked seed” because they liked
in baked goods and goods; and dressings. to chew the seeds during
stews. In 1305, money Roman gladiators meetings. Today, it is
collected from importing thought that it helped used in India as a breath
anise was used to pay them to be better freshener.
for repairs to England’s fighters. It was once
London Bridge. given to babies to stop • Gingerroot is used in
their crying. baked goods and Indian
• Basil leaves are used cooking. Ginger ale was
in tomato sauces, pesto, invented in England and
and Thai food. Ancient THE Ireland in the 1800s,
Greeks believed that MISNOMERED after people began
basil brought bad luck. SPICE sprinkling the root on
Ancient Romans believed Pumpkin pie spice top of beer.
that it symbolized love, contains no fruit
as do modern Italians. or pie. It is a blend • Horseradish, the
Some cultures used it to of cinnamon, ginger, root of the horseradish
cure scorpion bites and nutmeg, cloves, plant, is used in sauces.
keep scorpions away. and allspice. It thrives in potash-
rich soil near St. Louis,
• Cinnamon, from Missouri, an area
the dried inner bark • Estragon (aka known as “the American
of evergreen trees, is tarragon) leaves are bottoms” because it was
used in baked goods used in sauces, mustard, carved out by glaciers
and Middle Eastern, meat and fish dishes, and eons ago.
Indian, and Southeast soups. They were was
Asian cooking. Ancient once believed to cure • Indian arrowroot, a
Romans believed its poisonous bites or the starch made from the
fragrance to be sacred bites of mad dogs. Maranta arundinacea
so burned it at funerals. plant, is used as a
Cinnamon sticks are • Fennel seeds are used thickener in cooking. Its
called quills. in fish, sausage, and name stems from its use
curry dishes and in in healing wounds from
• Dill is used in pickling; baked goods. Puritans poisoned arrows. It was
cheese, meat, and called it “the meeting also used on scorpionFOLKLORE
and black spider bites. drinks, sweets, and lamb The seeds symbolize
dishes. Mice hate the sleep, and legend has it
• Juniper berries, from scent of it! Some people that poppy flowers grow
the juniper shrub, are use mint oil to try to get where battles have been
used in marinades, rid of them. fought.
sauerkraut, sausage,
soups, and stuffing. The • Nutmeg seeds, • Quassia is used to
berries did not grow ground, are used in flavor baked goods,
in Egypt but have been sausages, meats, soups, aperitifs, and soft
found in ancient tombs desserts, and eggnog. drinks. Its intense bitter
there; they were used for Connecticut, officially taste comes from the
making mummies. called the Constitution evergreen’s bark and
State, is also nicknamed wood. It is also used for
• Knotted marjoram’s the Nutmeg State medicinal purposes as
unopened flower buds because—it is said— a digestive and to treat
resemble knots. Dried peddlers from there once fevers. It was named
flowers and leaves are sold folks to the south after a former slave,
used in meat dishes, carved, wooden nutmegs botanist, and healer
stuffing, breads, and instead of real ones. from Suriname, Graman
dressings. Ancient Quassi, who is said to
Greeks believed that if it • Oregano leaves are have discovered the
were planted on a grave used in spaghetti sauces. medicinal purposes of
site, the deceased would The word “oregano” is the bark.
be happy for eternity. Greek and means “joy
of the mountain.” It • Rosemary leaves are
• Lavender flowers are was once used to cure used in meat dishes.
used in baked goods. In the “sour humors” Ancient Greeks braided
17th-century London, (bad moods) of elderly rosemary into their hair
people sometimes wore farmers. because they thought
lavender around their that this would boost
wrist in the belief that it • Poppy seeds are used their brain power.
would protect them from in baked goods and
the Black Plague. dressings. In The Wizard • Sesame seeds are
of Oz, a field of poppies used in baked goods,
• Mint leaves are used in puts Dorothy to sleep. dressings, candy, andFOLKLORE
Middle Eastern, Asian, pineapple and is a food pepper, is used in many
and Muslim cooking. source. ways. In the Middle
They symbolize good Ages, Europeans often
luck. A drawing on a • Vanilla’s dried used pepper like money,
4,000-year-old Egyptian beans, or pods, are to pay rent and taxes.
tomb depicts a baker used in baked goods
adding them to his and sweets. In 1841, • Xun sun is Mandarin
dough. Chinese for basil. One
species, Perilla, is used in
• Thyme leaves are used THE MOST stir fries and tempuras. It
in stuffing, meat and EXPENSIVE is believed to repel ticks
fish dishes, and “tussie- SPICE if rubbed on skin and
mussies”—bouquets Saffron comes from clothing.
of aromatic herbs and crocus flowers. Each
flowers tied together crocus flower has • Yellow julienne, the
with a ribbon. In the three stigmas (sticky leaves of the rocket
Middle Ages, people parts of the flower plant, is used in salads.
wore the bouquets to that pollen lands In France, people once
cover bad smells and on). It takes 225,000 believed that it cured
gain protection from stigmas to make 1 laryngitis. Some people
disease. pound of saffron. call it herbe au chantre
This is why saffron (cantor’s herb, or herb of
• Umbrella tree’s sweet, can cost up to high praise).
pandanus flowers are $5,000 per pound.
used to flavor sweets • Zeller, Hungarian for
and to make kewra celery, is dried fruit from
water in northern India. on Reunion Island, a plant related to the
In Southeast Asia, the 12-year-old Edmond vegetable stalk and is
leaves of a different Albius discovered how to used in breads, pickling,
species of pandanus are pollinate vanilla flowers dressings, and soups.
folded to make 3/4-inch by hand. His method is Celery was originally used
boxes for sweets. On still used today. as a medicine. Its first
South Pacific islands, mention as food occurred
the fruit of yet another • White pepper, from in France in 1623.
species resembles the same berry as black –Alice CaryGardening Secrets, Essential
Herbs, Houseplants, and more!
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Magnificent,
Multipurpose Mint!
PHOTO: PIXABAYL I V I N G N AT U R A L LY
W
hat do Think salvias, agastaches, cilantro to make mint
you know and lavenders, bee pesto. We like to add
about the balms, hyssop, and a couple tablespoons
mint family, Lamiaceae? Russian sage. All summer of fresh chopped mint
The most common long, they produce to peas, green beans,
and popular mints nectar-rich blossoms carrots, cauliflower,
for growing have that attract bees and or zucchini to create
traditionally been beneficial pollinators minted vegetables!
peppermint (Mentha along with an occasional 2. Drinks—Freeze a few
x piperita), native hummingbird. trays of strong mint tea,
spearmint (M. spicata), Many, if not most, then use the ice cubes for
Scotch spearmint (M. x mint family members cooling summer drinks!
gracilis), and cornmint contain strongly Add mint leaves or cubes
(M. arvensis); more aromatic oils (think to mojitos, iced tea, or
recently, this list has lavender, rosemary, fresh lemonade.
grown to include apple basil, thyme, and sage), 3. Tea—Why buy mint
mint (M. suaveolens). which accounts for tea when it’s so easy
Mint provides most of their many uses as to make? What we
our common culinary seasonings, flavorings, usually call the “mints”
herbs (e.g., basil, and perfuming agents. (peppermint, spearmint,
oregano, marjoram, apple mint, etc.) are
rosemary, sage, thyme, 12 USES FOR MINT traditional tea herbs. Just
and summer and winter LEAVES steep your fresh mint
savories). There are many safe uses leaves in boiling water
Plus, there are dozens for mint-family herbs for about 5 minutes
(perhaps hundreds) of besides beautifying your and serve. It’s a great
traditional medicinal gardens. Here is just a digestive aid after dinner.
herbs, not to mention sampling: Apple mint is one of my
many aromatics for use 1. Food—Peppermints favorites, with more mint
in flavorings, perfumes, are especially good flavor and less aftertaste.
and cosmetics. culinary mints, ideal for 4. Hair rinse—Add
You’ll also find mints chopping into salads, one part strong mint
among our favorite sprinkling over fruit, or (especially rosemary) tea
landscaping plants. combining with basil or to one part cider vinegarL I V I N G N AT U R A L LY for a conditioning rinse refrigerate the mixture into the leg of an old that you can either leave for several hours. Gently nylon stocking. Suspend in or rinse out. The apply to the burned area by a string inside a vinegary smell dissipates with cotton pads. garment bag, tuck into after drying. 9. Breath freshener— bags of stored woolen 5. Facial astringent— Just chew on a few clothing, or just place Add a few finely mint leaves! Sage teas in your dresser drawers minced leaves of fresh and extracts have been to let your clothes soak peppermint or other used for centuries as up the scent. Refresh mint to a cup of witch a mouthwash for oral periodically. hazel. Store in a glass infections. Don’t use or 12. Bug repellent— jar for a week or more, chew mint-family herbs When ants come into shaking occasionally. if you’re breastfeeding, the kitchen during the Strain the herbs from the as even small amounts summer, placing a few mixture after a week. of sage and peppermint stems of mint, gently 6. Mouthwash—Chop may reduce milk supply. crushed, near suspected 1/4 cup of fresh mint, 10. Scent up a space— entry points really does bee balm, lemon balm, Keep your home deter ants. You need to basil, thyme, or oregano smelling fresh by adding replace the mint with leaves and infuse in a a few drops of mint fresh material every few quart of boiling water. essential oil to your days. Also, keep pets When cool, strain the favorite unscented flea-free by stuffing a herbs and store in the cleaner or just take a small pillow with fresh refrigerator. cotton ball and dab onto spearmint and thyme 7. Mint bath—Steep a a lightbulb. and placing it near your handful of mint leaves 11. Moth repellent/ pet’s bed. in a pint of hot water for scented sachet—Tie Of course, mint isn’t about 10 minutes, then a few branches of used only to deter bugs; strain. Add to bathwater strongly scented mint it also attracts beneficial for an invigorating, (peppermint, sage, insects and pollinators. stress-free soak. lavender, rosemary, Bees, butterflies, and 8. Ease sunburn bee balm) together or hover flies love mint, pain—Make a strong pull off a handful of which is rich in nectar peppermint tea and leaves and stuff them and pollen.
L I V I N G N AT U R A L LY
MEDICINAL USES other assaults from the Seek out as much
OF MINT environments in which information as you can
Mint has long been they evolved. from books, online
viewed as an herbal Interestingly, there are sources, and experienced
remedy, easing queasy even studies showing herbalists in your area.
stomachs, calming that spearmint is Inform your healthcare
stress and anxiety, and beneficial to honeybees practitioner whenever
promoting restful sleep. by cleaning out the mites you begin using an
Peppermint tea is that infect their hives. herbal remedy.
known to be an excellent Most herbalists
way to ease an upset . . . BUT ALWAYS BE recommend staying away
stomach, calming the SURE TO USE WITH from ingesting essential
digestive tract and CAUTION oils as medicines unless
alleviating indigestion, If herbal medicine you are under the
gas, and cramps. interests you, please care and observation
Mint has also been approach the mints— of a medical provider
used for centuries in especially their essential experienced with herbal
traditional medicine. oils, tinctures, and medicines.
Many—perhaps concentrated extracts— Out of an abundance
most—mints are also with care. of caution, herbalists
used for human and This goes for both also urge pregnant
veterinary medicine, over-the-counter and and breast-feeding
as insecticides or homemade remedies. moms—as well as people
insect repellents, Although many have with serious chronic
and as antifungal or been used by traditional diseases—to avoid using
antibacterial protection healers around the world mint-family essential
for crop plants. for centuries, most oils, even in massage oils.
Mints are potent herbs haven’t undergone –Margaret Boyles
plants, full of rigorous testing for safety
phytocompounds that and efficacy, especially
plants manufacture in pregnant/nursing TAP TO READ MORE OF
to protect themselves women, children, elders, MARGARET BOYLES’S
POSTS IN HER “LIVING
against harmful and people with chronic NATURALLY” BLOG
bacteria, viruses, and illnesses.s
ss W E AT H E R F O R EC A S TS
A COLD MAY IS GOOD FOR CORN AND HAY.
How We Make Our predictions
We derive our weather forecasts from a secret formula
that was devised by the founder of this Almanac, Robert B.
Thomas, in 1792. Thomas believed that weather on Earth
was influenced by sunspots, which are magnetic storms on
the surface of the Sun.
Over the years, we have refined and enhanced this for-
mula with state-of-the-art technology and modern scien-
tific calculations. We employ three scientific disciplines to
make our long-range predictions: solar science, the study of
TAP TO FIND sunspots and other solar activity; climatology, the study of
OUT THE
WEATHER prevailing weather patterns; and meteorology, the study of
HISTORY OF the atmosphere. We predict weather trends and events by
THE DAY comparing solar patterns and historical weather conditions
LOVE ALL
with current solar activity.
THINGS Our forecasts emphasize temperature and precipitation de-
WEATHER? viations from averages, or normals. These are based on 30-year
TAP FOR THE
statistical averages prepared by government meteorological
WEATHER
FOLKLORE agencies and updated every 10 years. Our forecasts are based
OF THE DAY on the tabulations that span the period 1981 through 2010.
We believe that nothing in the universe happens haphaz-
ardly, that there is a cause-and-effect pattern to all phenom-
ena. However, although neither we nor any other forecast-
ers have as yet gained sufficient insight into the mysteries of
the universe to predict the weather with total accuracy, our
results are almost always very close to our traditional claim
of 80 percent.
CELSIUS–FAHRENHEIT TABLE
PHOTO: PIXABAYs
ss W E AT H E R F O R EC A S TS
U.S. Weather Regions
15
9 1
12
13
6
3
2
10
16
7
14 4
8
11
5
17
18
canadian Weather Regions CLICK HERE
TO FIND MAY
WEATHER
PREDICTIONS
FOR THE U.S.
AND CANADIAN
6 REGIONS
Y.T.
NUNAVUT
7 N.W.T.
N.L.
B.C.
ALTA. QUE.
SASK. MAN.
1
ONT. P.E.I.
Southern Atlantic
5 British 2 Canada
Southern N.B.
Columbia 4 The Prairies 3 Southern
Ontario
Quebec
N.S.s
ss W E AT H E R U P DAT E
Olé, May!
O
n May 5—Cinco de Mayo—watch for some chaparrones (showers)
across the Northeast, while the weather will be soleado (sunny) and
cálido (warm) from the mid-Atlantic to the Southeast. Lluvia (rain) will
fall across portions of Florida. Sunshine is expected from the Ohio Valley
through the Midwest. Some tormentas (thunderstorms) will fire up across
portions of the Plains. The western U.S. will generally be fresco (cool), with
some showers. Spotty showers and even a few thunderstorms will move across
much of Canada.
The Kentucky Derby will be run on the first Saturday in May—the 7th—at
Churchill Downs in Louisville, and it’s looking like the weather will again be
rosy for the 148th “Run for the Roses.” A cool day is on the way despite some
sunshine, and the track should be “fast” for the third year in a row.
On Mother’s Day, May 8, Mom and her flowers will be basking in sunshine
across much of the East due to early-season warmth, although cool, showery
weather may persist in New England. The warm air will help to spark
thunderstorms from the Great Lakes and Ohio Valley into the Upper Midwest.
Rain pockets will linger across the Rockies and Northwest, while mothers
across the Southwest will enjoy a sunny, comfortable day. Heavy rain will wet
Mom’s hair in eastern Hawaii. Showers may pop up across central and eastern
Canada, as well as some flurries out toward the Northwest Territories.
PHOTO: PIXABAYs
ss W E AT H E R U P DAT E
For Victoria Day in Canada on May 23, the weather looks cool and showery
across the Maritimes, while there will be some breaks of sun along with the risk
of spotty showers from Quebec through Ontario. Springtime thunderstorms
will accompany mild weather in the Prairies, while showers impact northern
and western parts of Canada.
Although we don’t expect this Memorial Day weekend (May 28–30) to
be as brisk as it was last year for much of the central and eastern U.S., it will
be cool with some showers from New England through the Appalachians.
Thunderstorms will help to usher in the unofficial start of summer across the
East, especially across Florida. Generally drier weather is expected farther west
across the Deep South and into portions of the Plains. Early-season heat will be
raging across the interior Southwest, with a marine layer keeping it cooler near
the coast. Even the Pacific Northwest will be on the warm side, with widespread
sunshine. Some rounds of rain will move across Alaska and Hawaii.
In the month of May overall, temperatures will be above normal across
much of the eastern two-thirds of the U.S. Most of these areas will see a drier-
than-normal May, although portions of the mid-Atlantic and Southeast may
buck this trend a bit. Across much of the West, the wet season will try to
hold on longer as it turns out cooler than average from the Rockies to the
West Coast, with near- or above-normal precipitation. Elsewhere, it looks
like a warm May for Alaska and a wet one in Hawaii. Across Canada, it looks
wet from the Prairies off to the north and west, while the weather will be
somewhat drier and warmer than normal across Ontario and Quebec. Expect
a wet May in the Maritimes, with near-normal temperatures.
The Atlantic hurricane season officially runs from June 1 through November
30, and we’re coming off two very active years thanks in part to La Niña
conditions in the Pacific. This 2022 season will feature near- or slightly above-
average activity, with La Niña weakening. If this season’s count does indeed
end up above average, it would be the seventh straight above-average season in
terms of the number of named storms. The best chance for a major hurricane
strike will be in Georgia or the Carolinas in mid-September, with tropical storm
threats in Texas from mid- to late June, the Southeast from mid- to late August,
and the Deep South from mid- to late July and in late October.
–Michael Steinberg, Old Farmer’s Almanac meteorologists
ss WIT
humor me
grins and groans from the almanac
No Laughing Matter “I can send you one, humor?” Twain asked
Mark Twain once a fine young fellow,” cautiously.
approached a the friend said. “He “A sense of humor?
businessman friend came to my office Indeed, he has! In fact,
and confided to yesterday in search of he got off one or two
him that he needed a position, but I didn’t witty things himself
the services of a have an opening.” yesterday,” the friend
stenographer. “Has he a sense of hastened to assure
ILLUSTRATION: DRANTE/GETTY IMAGESs
ss WIT
Twain. seem to budge. The other day, when
“Sorry, but he won’t “See here,” the string one of the bells rang,
do, then. I had one bean said. “Surely you he answered the call
once before with a have room for me. And and then came to tell
sense of humor, and besides, according to an me that my wife was on
it interfered too much Act of Congress, each the line.
with the work. I can bench is constructed to “‘Which one?’ I
not afford to pay a man allow for only 18 inches asked.
$2 a day for laughing.” of space per person.” “‘I’m sorry, sir,’ the
“Well,” retorted boy said. ‘I don’t know
Not Built That Way one of the seated, “it how many you have!’”
Two big, burly men got may be all well and
onto a train in Harpers good for you that the Photo Finish
Ferry, where they bench was constructed A woman once entered
proceeded to occupy according to an Act of the studio of a well-
well more than their Congress, but just for known photographer
fair share of a three- your information, we in Buffalo and
person bench. weren’t.” asked, “Are you the
At a stop outside photographer?”
Washington, what Polyphony Polygamy “Yes, madam.”
appeared to be a tall, A Philadelphia “Do you take
cadaverous-looking, businessman was children’s pictures?”
government bureaucrat telling telephone tales. “Yes, certainly.”
with a briefcase “In this city,” he “How much do you
boarded, only to find said, “we have two charge?”
that the only available telephone companies, “Three dollars a
seat apparently was so in my office I have dozen.”
between the two one receiver for each. “Oh, well,” said the
travelers. Last week, I hired a woman ruefully. “I’ll
He tried to wedge new office boy, and have to see you again
himself between the one of his duties was sometime, as I only
two, who could not to answer the phone. have 11.”s
ss
WHAT’S NEXT
CALENDAR
AMUSEMENT ASTRONOMY
Moon phases; June
Peculiar Laws That Explore with
birthstone, holidays,
Explain Everything our Sky Map
and full Moon names
GARDENING LIVING
Summertime NATURALLY
Is Lily Time FOOD Take a
Believe It or Not, Deep Breath!
It’s Time for Pie!
Plus: Weather Update • U.S. and Canadian Weather Forecasts •
Gardening by the Moon’s Sign • Best Days to Do Things •
• Humor • and much more in the June EXTRA!
CELEBRATING THE ALMANAC’S 231ST YEAR!You can also read
