January 2026
Happy New year! Welcome to 2026. I hope you all enjoyed the holidays! This is the perfect time of year to take into account all the gardening experiences you’ve had over the last year. And what you are looking forward to in the coming seasons.
A garden diary is the perfect answer if you haven’t done one before. I’ve been doing one for years. I start each day with the date, the low and high temperature for the day, and sunrise and sunset. And I make note of what I’ve done in the garden on that day, recording it the next morning. Sometimes, I just list happenings that are not garden related.
Garden magazines and seed catalogs are arriving now. Think about what you might like to do this spring to enhance your gardening. Is it easier to start it from seed or to buy the plant already started? I usually start all my vegetables from seed. If buying from seed catalogs, send in your seed orders early. They often sell out of popular varieties.
When only a few plants are needed, it’s more practical to buy the plant already started. Draw a preliminary sketch of anything new you might be planning. Be sure to list the plants you want and possible substitutions if you can’t find the exact item. When you are ready to shop, take your list with you. I’ve found I can be easily distracted when I’m at a garden center.
If you are suffering from seasonal affective disorder (SAD) , I find visiting green houses or botanical gardens are great helpers to get through the winter blues. Of course, the best medicine is a vacation in a warm climate.
Don’t forget the birds now. When the ground is covered with snow, they lose the natural source of food. So please keep your feeders full. Suit is especially good for a lot of birds in the winter. A few weeks ago, we saw a robin in our garden. They are not seed eaters. So, if you have any spare fruit, like apples, cranberries, and raisins, etc., put it out in an obvious place. If any of your Christmas arrangements have real red berries in them, put those berried branches out for them also. They will eat crab apples still on many apple trees and holly berries too, especially our native deciduous holly, Ilex Verticillata, commonly known as common Winterberry. All we can do now is relax and embrace the winter. Spring will be here eventually!
