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OUTDOORS

GARDENING

FRUIT RECIPES

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Summer is the perfect time to enjoy the bounty of fresh fruit, from peaches to blueberries. Here are some favorite recipes from our Recipe Archives.

Peaches and Berries Fresh peaches, strawberries, and blackberries make this a fruit lover’s favorite ending to a summer meal.

Raspberry-Lemon Pudding Cake Use fresh raspberries and freshly squeezed lemon juice for this beautiful cake.

Blueberry Slump You need 4 cups of fresh blueberries for this easy-to-make dessert.

Strawberry Chiffon Pie Serve this delicious pie cold from the refrigerator or freezer on a hot summer’s day.

Fruit Salad Make this beautiful summer salad with fresh fruits of the season.

The long, hot month of July gives us not one but three days of independence to celebrate: Canada Day (July 1), Independence Day (July 4), and Bastille Day (July 14).

Canada’s birth in 1867 was the result of years of hard work by the Fathers of Confederation. In the United States, July 4 marks the day in 1776 that the Continental Congress approved the Declaration of Independence, after three days of spirited debate. On July 14, 1789, civilians in Paris seized the fortress prison known as the Bastille. The British ambassador there summed up the significance of this event in a letter to his king: “Thus, my lord, the greatest Revolution that we know anything of has been effected.”

Sincerely, The Old Farmer’s Almanac

P.S. Please visit our blogs about everything Almanac. Comment on random reflections, advice, and ideas from the editors of The Old Farmer’s Almanac.

Dog Days Begin (July 3)

The Dog Days (a period of 40 days beginning July 3 and ending August 11) are named for the Dog Star, Sirius, which is visible with the rising Sun at this time of year. Ancients associated this sky picture with the hot days that coincided with it. Sirius is the brightest star in the constellation Canis Major (Greater Dog).

Celebrate the beginning of Dog Days by sending a special E-card to friends and family.

Sky Watch (July 4)

After sunset, look for star Regulus, Mars, and Saturn in a short straight line, with Saturn highest and Mars in the middle. Also today, Earth reaches aphelion, its farthest position from the Sun in 2008. For more July sky events, go to our astronomy page.

GOING FISHING?

Fishermen swear by the Best Fishing Days page in The Old Farmer’s Almanac. This calendar is also available online.

If a dragonfly lands on your cork, quit fishing, for you will catch nothing.

Use salt pork for bait to catch sunfish or perch.

When the wind is in the south, It blows the bait in the fishes’ mouth.

For more advice about fishing, camping, and weather watching, visit our Advice section.

Watering Tip for Hot Days

Create mini-reservoirs for tomatoes, peppers, or squash from empty plastic milk jugs or soda bottles. With a sharp knife, cut several small, X-shape holes in the bottom, bury about half of the jug or bottle in soil between two plants, and refill as needed. The water will seep slowly and deeply down to where the plants’ roots can use it most.

Enjoy the Fruits

Don’t water your melons close to the base of the stems. Doing so can cause rot. Build up a little earth around the stems to keep water away.

Once melon vines have set three or four fruit, remove any new blossoms. The remaining fruit will benefit from this, and you will still have plenty.

Don’t tug too hard on your raspberries when picking. A ripe raspberry will leave the vine willingly.

It’s essential to mulch shallow blueberry roots to keep them moist. Wood chips are the longest-lasting and cheapest mulch.

Pick peaches two to four days before they are fully ripe. The fruit will continue to ripen normally, and the taste will be unaffected.

For more gardening tips, go to our Gardening Pages.

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