New moon: In Pisces, March 7
Full moon: In Libra, March 21
The stars: Cancer (the crab) and Canis Minor (little dog), visible in the northern sky.
Astrological sign: Pisces (Feb. 19 to March 20), Aries (March 21 to April 19)
Gem stone: aquamarine, bloodstone
Flower: daffodil, jonquil
Thirty-four years ago in Harvard:
The price of heating oil ranged from 31 to 46 cents per gallon.
Household tip:
- Place stalks of rosemary along counters to repel ants.
Going green:
- At home—Buy a supply of cotton napkins (organic, fair trade) and use instead of paper napkins; buy a supply of flour sack towels to use instead of paper towels.
- At work—Before sending paper to the recycling bin, turn it blank side up and put on a clipboard or in a thin binder and use it for all note-taking.
What to do in the garden:
This is the month to start seeds indoors. Plants such as tomatoes benefit from getting a head start inside. Use biodegradable seed-starting pots, such as peat blocks or cardboard toilet paper rolls. The rolls can be turned into seed-starters by cutting them in half, making four equidistant cuts on one end, and folding the resulting four flaps as in a cardboard box. Place on a waterproof surface near a sunny window, fill with potting mix, add water, and plant seed. When seedlings are ready to transplant, put the containers directly into the ground. The cardboard will disintegrate and the transplant shock will be minimized.
Thought for the month:
“All through the long winter, I dream of my garden. On the first day of spring, I dig my fingers deep into the soft earth. I can feel its energy, and my spirits soar.”
— Helen Hayes, American actress (1900–1993)
Do you have an almanac tidbit you’d like to share? E-mail to editor@harvardpress.com.
