“WHAT POTENT BLOOD HATH MODEST MAY.”
~RALPH WALDO EMERSON

MONTHLY SIGNS & SYMBOLS

FULL MOON:

“PLANTER’S MOON”

FLOWER:

LILY OF THE VALLEY, HAWTHORN, MAYFLOWER

TREE:

CHESTNUT, ASH, POPLAR

COLOR:

YELLOW, GREEN

BIRTHSTONE:

EMERALD & AGATE

ANIMAL TOTEMS:

BEAVER, DEER & BULL, SEAHORSE

ASTROLOGICAL ZODIAC SIGNS:

TAURUS: (APRIL 20 – MAY 20)
GEMINI: (MAY 21 – JUNE 20)

PLANETS:

Venus (Taurus)
Mercury (Gemini)

NATURE HOLIDAYS & OBSERVANCES

MAY 1: May Day
MAY 1: Lei Day (Hawaii)
MAY (1st week): National Wildflower Week
MAY (1st Saturday): Herb Day
MAY (1st Saturday): World Naked Gardening Day
MAY (Friday before Mother’s Day): National Public Gardens Week
MAY 8: World Migratory Bird Day (2nd weekend of May)
MAY 8: Iris Day
MAY 13: Tulip Day
MAY 15: Bring Flowers to Someone Day
MAY (2nd Sunday): Lilac Sunday
MAY 20: Pick Strawberries Day
MAY 20: World Bee Day
MAY 22: World Biological Diversity Day
MAY 29: Composting Day

THIS DAY in HISTORY

MAY 1, 1933: “CATHOLIC WORKER” NEWSPAPER, FOUNDED BY DOROTHY DAY & PETER MAURIN, IS 1st PUBLISHED ON THIS DAY.
MAY 1, 1969: BOB DYLAN & JOHNNY CASH TAPE THEIR “GRAND OLE OPRY” TV SPECIAL IN NASHVILLE.
MAY 4, 1886: “THE HAYMARKET MASSACRE” OCCURS ON THIS DAY.
MAY 4, 1961: THE 1st “FREEDOM RIDE” LEAVES WASHINGTON, D.C.
MAY 4, 1970: OHIO NATIONAL GUARDSMEN OPEN FIRE ON STUDENT ANTI-WAR DEMONSTRATORS AT “KENT STATE UNIVERSITY”, KILLING 4 & WOUNDING 9.
MAY 5, 1961: ASTRONAUT ALAN SHEPARD EMBARKS ON THE 1st MANNED SPACE FLIGHT.
MAY 11, 1894: “THE PULLMAN STRIKE” SHUTS DOWN MUCH OF THE NATION’S RAILWAY TRAFFIC WEST OF DETROIT.
MAY 12, 1968: DR. RALPH D. ABERNATHY & THE “POOR PEOPLE’S CAMPAIGN” MARCH ON WASHINGTON, D.C., CALLING FOR AN “ECONOMIC BILL OF RIGHTS”. MAY 13, 1607: THE ENGLISH COLONIZE WHAT IS TO BE KNOWN AS JAMESTOWN, VIRGINIA.
MAY 13, 1846 – FEBRUARY 2, 1848: “MEXICAN-AMERICAN WAR” BEGINS ON THIS DAY. MAY 14, 1904: THE 1st “OLYMPIC GAMES” TO BE HELD IN THE U.S. TAKES PLACE IN ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI
MAY 15, 1893: “WESTERN FEDERATION OF MINERS” IS FORMED.
MAY 17, 1954: U.S. SUPREME COURT RULES SEGREGATION OF PUBLIC SCHOOLS UNCONSTITUTIONAL IN “BROWN V. BOARD OF EDUCATION”.
MAY 17, 1957: “THE PRAYER PILGRIMAGE FOR FREEDOM” CIVIL RIGHTS DEMONSTRATION TAKES PLACE IN WASHINGTON, D.C.
MAY 17, 1792: “NEW YORK STOCK EXCHANGE” IS ESTABLISHED.
MAY 17, 1968: CATHOLIC PRIESTS & ANT-WAR ACTIVISTS, KNOWN AS THE “CATONSVILLE NINE” SEIZE & BURN SEVERAL HUNDREDS OF DRAFT FILES FROM MARYLAND DRAFT BOARD, IN PROTEST OF VIETNAM WAR.
MAY 26, 1938: “HOUSE COMMITTEE ON UN-AMERICAN ACTIVITIES” IS FORMED AS A “SPECIAL INVESTIGATING COMMITTEE”.
MAY 27, 1647: THE “WITCH TRIALS” OF MASSACHUSETTS CLAIM IT’S 1ST RECORDED VICTIM BY EXECUTION.
MAY 27, 1933: CONGRESS ENACTS “THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933”
MAY 28, 1830: “THE INDIAN REMOVAL ACT” IS SIGNED BY PRES. ANDREW JACKSON.
MAY 31 – JUNE 1, 1921: THE “TULSA RACE MASSACRE” OCCURS ON THIS DAY, AS A WHITE MOB KILLS AS MANY AS 300 RESIDENCE OF A PROMINENT BLACK COMMUNITY OF GREENWOOD IN TULSA, OKLAHOMA, ALSO KNOWN AS “BLACK WALL STREET”. HOMES & BUSINESSES ARE DESTROYED AND BURNED TO THE GROUND.

FAMOUS BIRTHDAYS

*MARY G. HARRIS JONES ( “MOTHER JONES”) (MAY 1, 1837 – NOVEMBER 30, 1930
—-UNION ORGANIZER, COMMUNITY ORGANIZER, ACTIVIST
*LINK WRAY (MAY 2, 1929 – NOVEMBER 5, 2005)
—-ROCK GUITARIST / SINGER / SONGWRITER
*PETE SEEGER (BORN MAY 3, 1919)
—-FOLK SINGER / SONGWRITER, ACTIVIST
*AUDREY HEPBURN (MAY 4, 1929 – JANUARY 20, 1993)
—-FILM ACTRESS, U.N.I.C.E.F. GOODWILL AMBASSADOR
*ORSON WELLES (MAY 6, 1915 – OCTOBER 10, 1985)
—-ACTOR, DIRECTOR, PRODUCER, WRITER
*BOB SEGER (BORN MAY 6, 1945)
—-ROCK SINGER / SONGWRITER / GUITARIST
*THOM HARTMANN (BORN MAY 7, 1951)
—-RADIO HOST, AUTHOR
*JOHN BROWN (MAY 9, 1800 – DECEMBER 2, 1859)
—-ABOLITIONIST
*DANIEL BERRIGAN (MAY 9, 1921 – APRIL 30, 2016)
—-JESUIT PRIEST, ANTI-WAR ACTIVIST
*SALVADOR DALI (MAY 11, 1904 – JANUARY 23, 1989)
—-SPANISH SURREALIST PAINTER
*FLORENCE NIGHTINGALE (MAY 12, 1820 – AUGUST 13, 1910)
—-FOUNDER OF MODERN NURSING, AUTHOR, ACTIVIST, STATISTICIAN
*GEORGE CARLIN (MAY 12, 1937 – JUNE 22, 2008)
—-COMEDIAN, SOCIAL COMMENTATOR
*DIANE NASH (BORN MAY 15, 1938)
—-CIVIL RIGHTS LEADER
*RITCHIE VALENS (MAY 13, 1941 – FEBRUARY 3, 1959)
—-ROCK ‘n’ ROLL SINGER / SONGWRITER / GUITARIST (“LA BAMBA”)
*UTAH PHILIPS (MAY 15, 1935 – MAY 23, 2008)
—-FOLK SINGER / SONGWRITER, LABOR ORGANIZER
*REV. ROBERT GRAETZ (BORN MAY 16, 1928)
—-CIVIL RIGHTS ACTIVIST, CLERGYMAN
*HENRY FONDA (MAY 16, 1905 – AUGUST 12, 1982)
—-FILM / STAGE ACTOR
*LIBERACE (MAY 16, 1919 – FEBRUARY 4, 1987)
—-PIANIST/SINGER / ENTERTAINER
*FRANK CAPRA (MAY 18, 1897 – SEPTEMBER 3, 1991)
—-DIRECTOR, PRODUCER, WRITER
*MALCOLM X (MAY 19, 1925 – FEBRUARY 21, 1965)
—-CIVIL RIGHTS LEADER, MINISTER
*JIMMY STEWART (MAY 20, 1908 – JULY 2, 1997)
—-FILM / STAGE ACTOR
*REGINA M. ANDERSON (MAY 21, 1901 – FEBRUARY 5, 1993)
—-LIBRARIAN / PLAYWRIGHT of “HARLEM RENAISSANCE”
*FATS WALLER (MAY 21, 1904 – DECEMBER 15, 1943)
—-JAZZ PIANIST / SINGER / SONGWRITER
*SUN RA (MAY 22, 1914 – MAY 30, 1993)
—-JAZZ COMPOSER, BAND LEADER
*SIR ARTHUR CONAN DOYLE (MAY 22, 1859 – JULY 7, 1930)
—-AUTHOR (CREATOR OF “SHERLOCK HOLMES”)
*HARVEY MILK (MAY 22, 1930 – NOVEMBER 27, 1978)
—-POLITICIAN, LGBT ACTIVIST
*BOB DYLAN (BORN MAY 24, 1941)
—-SINGER / SONGWRITER, ARTIST
*RALPH WALDO EMERSON (MAY 25, 1803 – APRIL 27, 1882)
—-AUTHOR, POET
*SALLY RIDE (MAY 26, 1951 – JULY 23, 2012)
—-ASTRONAUT, PHYSICIST (1st WOMAN IN SPACE)
*VINCENT PRICE (MAY 27, 1911 – OCTOBER 25, 1993)
—-FILM / RADIO ACTOR
*SIMON J. ORTIZ (BORN MAY 27, 1941)
—-AUTHOR, POET
*WALT WHITMAN (MAY 31, 1819 – MARCH 26, 1892)
—-AUTHOR, POET

FACTS & TRIVIA for MAY

MAY IS NAMED FOR “MAIA”, THE GREEK GODDESS OF FERTILITY.
THE ROMAN POET OVID, ATTRIBUTES “MAY’S” NAMESAKE FROM THE LATIN “MAIORES”, MEANING “ELDERS”, WHILE JUNE IS FROM “IUIORES”, MEANING “YOUNG PEOPLE”.
IT’S “NATIONAL BIKE MONTH”!
IT’S “OLDER AMERICANS’ MONTH” ( Est. MAY of 1963 by J.F. KENNEDY).

HOME & GARDEN

Pinch back/”dead-head” & clean up spent early blooms (rhoddies, azaleas, etc.) & ANNUALS.
Tend to ROSES. Watch for BLACKSPOT, MILDEW, APHIDS, etc. For perfect, healthy, insect-repelling, more disease resistant ROSES, Plant with chives( onion and/or garlic), giant allium, onions. AND they look great together!
Rake in/“cycle” GRASS clippings back into LAWN. Add excess clippings into COMPOST BINS.
Good time to PRUNE Rhododendrons, Azaleas, Camellia, Pieris Japonica, Winter Daphnes, Weigela.
In the VEGETABLE garden, PLANT (mid-May): tomatoes, squash, peppers, cucumber, pumpkin SOW: corn, beans, potatoes, kale, beets, squash.
Break out the hoses & sprinklers! Establish & begin your WATERING REGIME. *TIP: For stronger, more drought & disease resistant plants & lawn, the GOLDEN RULE of WATERING is to “water more, less often” (every 3 DAYS or as needed), rather than “less, more often”. The first encourages deeper root growth, while the later encourages roots to remain closer to the surface, where more vulnerable.
Start any larger OUTDOOR PROJECTS. *Remember, later Summer months can be especially dry & dusty, should that prove a factor with your type of project (painting, stains, etc.)
Wrap up any big PLANTING INSTALLS (perennials, etc.) early this month.