BONNIE’S GARDEN – Why Looking Up Helps Us Appreciate Our Garden

So what do the Perseids meteor shower and growing a tomato have in common? They both require you to be outside, but is there more?

Perhaps they both get us tuned in with what’s going on around us, whether you’re looking up at the heavens or connecting with Mother Nature in your garden.

The Perseids Meteor Shower Story

The Perseids meteor shower occurs every August—peak times between the 9th and 14th, though they can be visible from mid-July to the end of August. This year, the peak time will be this week, August 11th, 12th, and 13th.

The show put on by the Perseids occurs when the earth passes through the trail of debris left by the comet Swift-Tuttle. Swift-Tuttle made its last pass by the earth in 1992 and left a trail of debris orbiting the sun that the earth passes through every summer. This galactic wandering comet will make a return visit past earth in 2126.

Meteoroids, Meteors, and Meteorites – How Do They Differ?

Just so you’ll know when these pieces of debris are in space, they are called meteoroids; when they make it into our atmosphere, they’re called meteors; and when they make it all through our atmosphere, they become meteorites.

How to Enjoy the Big Show

They’ll be most visible between late evening and dawn. When my kids were small, we always took our vacation the second week in August. Every night, we’d eat dinner, then go out to the beach and hang out until late—lying on blankets and marveling at the show overhead.

Without a full moon this year, the viewing should be especially good—if Mother Nature gives us a clear sky. If you can’t see them from where you live—because there are too many lights around, you can watch NASA live-stream them online on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube.

How to Make This Blogpost a Gardening Blogpost

In a normal year, there are about 60 or so “shooting stars” every hour. So, go outside and look up and appreciate the magic of nature. Make a wish and, to make this blog a gardening blog, eat a tomato…

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