New moon: In Cancer, July 2
Full moon: In Capricorn, July 18
The stars: Corona Borealis, Draco (the dragon), and Hercules are visible in the northern hemisphere. Hercules is the fifth largest constellation in the sky.
Gem stone: Ruby
Flower: Larkspur
Astrological sign: Cancer, June 22 to July 22; Leo, July 23 to Aug. 22.
Harvard history snippet:
According to Robert C. Anderson, in Directions of a Town, a man named Joseph Palmer supplied the community at Fruitlands with its only practical knowledge of agriculture. Palmer, a farmer from NoTown—a village on the outskirts of Fitchburg—moved to Fruitlands in 1843. A year later, Fruitlands was abandoned, and in 1846 Palmer bought the farm on the western slope of Prospect Hill for $900 from Ralph Waldo Emerson, who had been holding it as a trustee. Palmer renamed the farm “Freelands,” and lived there for nearly 30 years, during which he “ran the place as a sort of halfway house and hostel for tramps, ex-convicts, and other low characters of all descriptions.
Household tip:
Heat up leftover pizza in a nonstick skillet on top of the stove. Set heat to medium-low and heat until warm. This will keep the crust crispy.
What to do in the garden:
Stay ahead of the weeds and remulch as needed. Keep an eye out for pests. Start thinking about what you’re going to do with the harvest.
Going green:
- If you are heating an outdoor pool, cover it at night to conserve the heat.
- Buy locally grown, seasonal foods to cut down on environmental costs associated with transporting produce to the supermarket from far-flung locales.
- Save glass jars for storage and gradually replace your plastic containers.
Thought for the month:
“Hot July brings cooling showers,
Apricots and gillyflowers.”
—Sara Coleridge, (1802–1852), English author and translator
Do you have an almanac tidbit you’d like to share? E-mail to editor@harvardpress.com.
