Full moon rising!
Tonight! Seriously, tonight is a full moon. A beautiful summer night with a full moon – what could be better than that?
How about a beautiful summer night with a full moon in the sky and Gatsby Moon® Hydrangea quercifolia in the garden? This is a really distinctive mophead version of oakleaf hydrangea that doesn’t have the lacy flowers we expect of the species.
And the foliage…
Sure, the flowers are fun. But the fall foliage is fabulous, too. Shades of russet and maroon create quite a fall show.
If you’re in USDA 5-9, you can enjoy this plant in full sun or part shade. It will get 6-8′ tall and wide, so be sure you have space for this flashy hydrangea.
SUPERMOON
Look to the skies, and you’ll see the last supermoon of 2022, also known as the Sturgeon Moon. It appeared last night, Aug. 11, at 9:36 p.m. ET. Although the official full moon is Thursday night, the Sturgeon Moon will still appear full tonight as well.
The Sturgeon Moon is the fourth and final supermoon of the year — May, June, and July also had supermoons.
The Sturgeon Moon gets its name from the tradition of Native Americans, who more easily caught sturgeon fish from the Great Lakes during this time of year.
Perseid Meteor Shower Peaks During Full Moon
The Perseid meteor shower officially began in mid-July, but its peak occurs Aug. 11 and 12. The downside of the timing is that the full Sturgeon Moon coincides with the Perseids’ peak, and the moon’s brightness may wash out some of the shooting stars.
Still, you should still be able to spot plenty of meteors darting across the night sky; just try to find a spot far away from city lights and give yourself some time to allow your eyes to adjust to the darkness.
And if cloudy skies get in your way or you’d rather watch from the comfort of your home, you can always watch NASA’s livestream of the event.