---
time: afternoon
section: at this hour
---

do not plant now. the roots will scorch.
water at the base, not the leaves, or the sun
will burn through the droplets like tiny lenses.
rest if you can. the garden does not need you every hour.
if you must work, work in the shade. clean pots, sort seeds, mend what is broken.
the hottest part of the day is not noon but two hours after. the ground stores heat and gives it back.
watch the clouds in the west. if they are building towers, rain before dark.
a ring around the sun means rain within a day. the old saying: "sun with a circle, rain tomorrow."
when the leaves turn their pale undersides to the wind, a storm is near. the trees feel the humidity before you do.