Tornado Watch: Watch out! The Hagerstown Town and Country Almanack sees possible tornado activity in the Mid-Atlantic Region from the May 9th to the 17th and from May 23rd to the 26th.

Full Moon: May’s Full Moon occurs on Wednesday, May 10th. Many Native American tribes called it Flower Moon because of the many flowers that bloom during the month. Specifically, the Huron tribe called it Budding Moon for that very reason. Early American farmers often referred to it as Milk Moon because they would notice an increase in milk yield from their cows as the weather warms.

Special Notes: National Day of Prayer is Thursday, May 4th, Cinco de Mayo falls on Friday, May 5th, Rogation Sunday is May 21st, and Ascension Day follows on Thursday, May 25th. The first day of Ramadan is Friday, May 26th and World No Tobacco Day is on Wednesday, May 31st.

Holidays: In 2017, Mother’s Day is celebrated on Sunday May 14th. Remember her on her special day with a telephone call, a sentimental card, a nice flower arrangement, or by just spending some quality time with her. Armed Forces Day is observed on Saturday, May 20th and Memorial Day falls on Monday, May 29th. As the official start of the summer season, plan to do something special 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: May is a good month to repair your lawn. Fill in the bare spots by slightly loosening surface of the soil and sow a good quality lawn seed over the area evenly. Tamp the seed in gently and water. Keep the patch moist by covering with light mulch of lawn clippings. This is the time to eliminate lawn weeds by hand pulling, or the application of a 'weed and feed' fertilizer.... before they go to seed! Setting your mower for a higher cut during the spring months will help the grass to grow in fuller and help choke out the weeds.

Carrots, lettuce, potatoes, corn, beans, peas and most popular vegetables, with the exception of the warmer weather crops, can be seeded or planted into the vegetable garden at any time now. Wait until mid to late May before planting the warmer weather crops like Tomatoes, Squash, cucumber, pumpkins and peppers. Early flowering deciduous shrubs such as Forsythias, Weigela, and Spirea should be pruned back when they have finished blooming. Cut back a third of the oldest canes to ground level, then cut back one third of the remaining branches by one third of their height. 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.