The Garden Thread - December, 2025

December 1, 2025 | Diana in WI/Greeneyes in Memoriam

[Diana in Wisconsin]

The MONTHLY Gardening Thread is a gathering of folks that love soil, seeds and plants of all kinds. From complete newbies that are looking to start that first potted plant, to gardeners with some acreage, to Master Gardener level and beyond, we would love to hear from you.

If you have specific question about a plant/problem you are having, please remember to state the Growing Zone where you are located.

This thread is a non-political respite. No matter what, you won’t be flamed, and the only dumb question is the one that isn’t asked.

It is impossible to hijack the Gardening Thread. Planting, Harvest to Table Recipes, Preserving, Good Living - there is no telling where it will go - and that is part of the fun and interest. Jump in and join us! Send a Private Message to Diana in Wisconsin if you'd like to be added to/removed from our New & Improved Ping List.

NOTE: This is a once a MONTH Ping List, but we DO post to the thread all throughout the month. Links to related articles and discussions which might be of interest to Gardeners are welcomed any time.

[Diana in Wisconsin]

Geminid meteor shower peaks tonight, December 13

FYI:

The Geminid meteor shower will peak overnight on December 13 -14, with rates of up to 150 meteors possible in the night sky during the peak.

The peak of the shower will occur at around 03:00 UTC on December 14 (21:00 CST on December 13). The best time to watch the meteors will be from late evening on December 13 to the early dawn hours of December 14.

The meteor shower can be observed live on a YouTube stream by the Virtual Telescope Project, set to begin at 21:00 UTC (15:00 CST) on December 13.

How to look for Geminids

Look for Geminid meteors streaking away from a point of origin close to the bright star Castor in the constellation Gemini, which rises above the eastern horizon a few hours after sunset and remains visible throughout the night.

The observing conditions are favorable this year, with the Moon a waning crescent, about 30% illuminated, rising after 02:00 LT on December 14 in many northern locations.

This provides several hours of moon-free darkness during the period when the radiant is rising, and meteor activity is increasing.

The exact moonrise time varies with longitude, so optimal viewing intervals depend on local conditions. After moonrise, observers can continue viewing by facing westward to minimize lunar glare.

https://watchers.news/2025/12/13/geminid-meteor-shower-peaks-tonight-december-13/

[FrozenAssets]

The sun sets a little after 2 these days. In about a weeek or so we start gaining daylight. The winters are dark but the summers are glorious.

This is nothing special. In early 1989 we had 20 to 30 below for a couple of weeks. Then we had 40 to 50 below for a couple of weeks. Then it got cold. Fairbanks was below -60 for about ten days, North Pole was about -70. Coldfoot and McGrath were -80. Now that is cold.

[FamiliarFace]

It’s been a big couple of weeks, as you can well imagine!

I was on top of laundry, meal planning, kitchen duty, and general tidying while I was away. My biggest accomplishment was to reorganize pots and pans to a more favorable location WITH the permission of the kids.

For a whole week, I pulled cookware out from their spots, and one day I said out loud, “I think there’s a better place for these!” I actually said those words out loud, not just in my head.

After a few days, I had courage, and I talked with the kids about my suggestions. They liked them! So I pulled the contents from one storage place out, and put the other items back in those places. They really like my organizing work.

Mom/Grandma hard at work. ;)

[Qiviut]

Two dozen deviled eggs are done for tomorrow’s big family dinner (about 30 people).

I am trying something different ... putting each half in a paper muffin liner. I have 2 egg carriers with depressions where the eggs go, but when people try to get them out, they slip & slide, sometimes go sideways & the filling falls out - it’s a mess. In the muffin liners, the eggs are easy to grab with fingers & they’re not slippery. If one gets messed up, it won’t slide into other ones & mess them up, too.

It’s going to be so cold tomorrow I don’t have to worry about keeping the eggs cold while we are in church - lunch is at two. Today, I bought myself a black long underwear shirt that I can wear with my 3/4 length sleeve shirts & stay warmer. The shirts are dad’s flannel shirts. I kept 3 I liked & my cousin cut off the cuffs & then hemmed the sleeves for me. I love those shirts & wear them all the time, usually over a T-shirt, but tomorrow will be frigid.

[FamiliarFace]

Your post reminds me of a particularly awesome trip my family took in the summer of 1970. We lived in central Florida at the time. Every summer we tent camped across the country (and Canada!) from my earliest years to my mid teenage years.

Anyway, that year, we towed a boat behind our station wagon, all through the US, to Fairbanks and Anchorage. Six kids ranging in age from 7-19, with two parents in their very early 40’s. I remember one evening when we camped on the edge of a lake, I think in either the Northwest Territory or maybe Alaska someplace. My older brother and I practiced skipping smooth rocks on the lake. It never seemed like time to go to bed. We met a very nice Native American boy who kept company with us, and could shimmy up a tree barefoot faster than a bear. Turns out it was probably around midnight, but because it always looked like dusk, we didn’t retreat to the tent, until our siblings came looking for us.

It was a memorable trip. I have no idea why dad wanted to tow that boat with us all those thousands of miles. I don’t even remember riding in it when we got anywhere. It’s completely crazy, but yeah, we did that.

They say it’s not the good times that bind a family together as much as the adverse events. Well, that was an adverse summer. None of us have ever forgotten that trip. Memorable in so many ways.

I’ll never forget the sun that barely seems to set in the summer. In the winter, does it stay daylight for more than 4 hours? I can’t picture it, and all I can say is that after two days in Oregon the last two + weeks, I went to the drugstore and bought some chewable vitamin D. It helped me get through the time change.

[FamiliarFace]

Stay warm!

I wore thermals under my jeans today. Top notch idea, so stay bundled up, and you’re most of the way there!

Your deviled egg idea is a great one! Have fun!

[MomwithHope]

Great tip on the muffin cups holding the eggs.

[dakine]

Avocado tree is old and just grows new leaves every season. However, the lime and mango both bear fruit within season.

Low 80s and humid here, trade winds have stopped for the next few days. Wife is heading to Michigan this week for a few weeks. I’ll wait until August for my next visit there - golfing stinks in Michigan this time of year.

Merry Christmas!

[Diana in Wisconsin]

Eight Below this morning at 7am. A mere flesh wound! :)

The birds were happy to see me this morning - they were lined up around the block waiting for me to fill their feeders.

Mom: I am being stingy - 1 scoop am and then in the late afternoon for the Cardinals (First In, Last Out!), but I am keeping all suet feeders full and plenty of Finch Food for the little guys. I have Goldfinches and Purple House Finches and the Red Polls have shown up, too. Dark-eyed Junco, two kinds of Nuthatches, Mourning Doves, a few Chickadees but no Partridges in the Pear Tree...yet! ;)

We also have had a cute, young Opossum visiting. I’ve named her ‘Ophelia Opossum’ and have been leaving her sliced apples. If she starts bringing relatives, or if any raccoons show up, all bets are off! ;)

[Diana in Wisconsin]

Great idea! I have one of those Tupperware egg carriers and you’re right - they can easily become a snowballing mess!

For the 27th I am making the Crock Pot Mushrooms with Ranch - as requested by Niece Emma. Everyone in the family loves those; there are never any leftovers. I’ll also take the Cream Cheese cracker dip topped with homemade Red Pepper Jelly. Everyone loves that, too.

I did a Test Run yesterday of the Split Pea Soup in a Jar that I’m gifting the neighbors, along with the Candied Nuts and home-grown Popcorn - ‘Puffy Pop.’ The soup was really good - Beau Approved!

Crock Pot Mushrooms and Ranch

(I x this by 6 or 8 for 50+ people, use TWO crock pots for the cooking, then condense it into one for serving.)

https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/230775/crock-pot-mushrooms/

Split Pea Soup in a Jar

(This actually fits in a PINT jar if you keep tapping the jar to settle the peas - I am also giving a can of chopped ham and I grew the Bay Leaves myself!)

https://misswish.com/split-pea-soup-mix-recipe-in-a-jar

THIRTY more Soup Mix ideas, if Split Pea ain’t your thang:

https://insanelygoodrecipes.com/dry-soup-mix-recipes-in-a-mason-jar/

[Liz]

White-Christmas-Rocky-Road
Festive rocky road, with Christmassy colors and flavor. Can top w/ extra cherries and pistachios. Can add-in dried fruits, biscuits, other nuts, raspberries, Turkish delight~4 1/2 cups for every lb chocolate.

Ing 1 lb white chocolate melts/discs, chips or block chopped 2 tbsp grapeseed oil or other neutral flavored oil Add-ins 2 1/2 cups (tightly packed) marshmallows (regular size), most cut in half 1 cup pistachios , unsalted ,toasted 1 cup glacé cherries 1/2 cup desiccated coconut , unsweetened (or finely shredded, not flakes)

Method Lightly butter 8" square pan then parchment with overhang (to lift out later). Set aside 8 or so nicest glacé cherries. Finely chop 1 tbl pistachios. Micro chocolate and oil in 30 second increments, stirring til melted and smooth. Stir in Add-ins. Pour into pan, spreading evenly. Top with reserved glace cherries and sprinkle with chopped pistachios. Refrigerate firm 3 hours. Lift out, then cut into 5 lines, then into chunks for eating or larger pieces for gifting.

Recipe Notes: can use milk or dark chocolate. Oil makes chocolate bit runnier so it coats better, makes chocolate set a little bit softer; easier to cut without cracking. Pistachios – Toasting brings out flavor and crisps, highly recommended! 8 min at 350 deg, shake tray once. Pistachios add a nice green color but use other nuts. Keep in a cool dry place for at least a couple of weeks, or fridge.

[Liz]

No-Bake Nutella Cheesecake / Serves 12
A triple hit of Nutella: mousse-like cream cheese filling, ganache topping, a drizzle to finish.

Ing Base: 7oz Oreos, 4 tbsp unsalted butter melted. Nutella mousse filling: 3 tsp gelatine powder 1/4 c water 1 lb cream cheese , 1/2 c powdered sugar 1 c Nutella 1 c h/cream. Nutella ganache topping: 1/2 c ea h/cream, Nutella 1/4 c chocolate chips. Toppings: 1/4 cup hazelnuts , lightly toasted then chopped 1/2 c h/cream (for whipping) 3 tbsp Nutella , warmed

Instructions Flip base of 8" springform pan upside down – this makes it easier to remove the finished cheesecake without the lip in the way. Butter pan base, then press on a square sheet of baking paper. Clip the pan sides onto the base, letting the excess paper overhang. Butter and line the pan sides with more baking paper. Oreo biscuit base: Blitz cookies: Blitz broken Oreos with hands to fine crumbs. Add melted butter, then blitz/combine. Transfer crumbs into prepared pan, pressing evenly and firmly on to the base (I use the underside of a straight-sided, flat-bottomed cup measure to do this). Nutella mousse filling: Bloom gelatine: Place water in bowl then sprinkle the gelatine powder across the surface. Stir to partly dissolve. Set aside 5 minutes. It will turn thick; this process is called blooming. Microwave the gelatine for 15 seconds to turn it into liquid, stir, then let it stand for 5 minutes to cool.

Cream cheese and Nutella mixture: Beat cream cheese, Nutella and icing sugar until smooth. Add the cooled gelatine liquid and beat another 30 seconds. Whip cream: In a separate bowl, whip the cream until stiff peaks form. Fold in cream: Add one third of the whipped cream to the Nutella mixture and gently fold until just combined. Fold in another third of the cream the same way. Then fold in the remaining cream. Transfer to cake pan: Pour the mixture into the prepared tin and place back in the fridge for at least 1 hour to set. Decorating

Nutella ganache: Place cream, Nutella and chocolate chips into a heatproof bowl. Microwave in two 30-second bursts, stirring in between, until smooth. Pour ganache onto cheesecake: Allow ganache to cool for 5 minutes, then pour over the set cheesecake base. Tilt pan to spread it over the surface evenly. Refrigerate cheesecake at least 3 hours before sprinkling with hazelnuts (otherwise they sink into the cake!) Decorate: Sprinkle over hazelnuts. Pipe dollops of whipped cream around the edge, then drizzle with warm Nutella. Slice greedy-sized wedges and devour!

Recipe Notes: Use Oreos or plain chocolate biscuits w/ 1 1/2 tbsp butter. Oreo filling is partly what helps bond the crust. Gelatine – McKenzie’s brand, widely available at grocery stores. You must use BLOCK cream cheese which is firmer than the tub which is designed to be spreadable. It’s better to use SOFT icing sugar, but it’s ok to use pure icing sugar. Nutella – I’ve used non-Nutella brand hazelnut spreads successfully in the past. Homemade Nutella would elevate this to epic-like status. However, you’ll need to add an extra 1/2 tsp of gelatine as homemade Nutella is runnier than store bought. Put the hazelnuts in dry pan on med and toast 3 min shaking pan til you smell strong nutty aromas. Remove from pan, cool, then chop finely enough to have some “nut dust.”

[MomwithHope]

Those both sound good. After church I stopped in at the local Walgreens as I saw on their website that they have Panettone. It’s getting harder to find. I actually got several mini loaves this year from Amazon. Today I scored a regular size. What’s the big deal you may ask? Slice it and dip in beaten egg/milk. Makes the best french toast ever.

[Qiviut]

The muffin cups worked out for the deviled eggs. Most folks grabbed the whole thing, but at least one person grabbed the egg itself. With the muffin cups, even if they grab the egg, the egg is not sliding around & their fingers aren’t touching the other eggs.

I love mushrooms - will have to check out that recipe.

I also love split pea soup - unfortunately, my ‘system’ isn’t handling legumes very well at the present time :-( Hopefully, that situation will improve. I have 4 packages of split peas & I would like to use them.

My brother & SIL are coming Christmas Day. They offered to bring lunch but we will have oysters (put my order in Friday) & they both love oysters. At the family dinner this afternoon, I ate oysters, ham, oysters, green beans & oysters. No dessert. Everything else had dairy - mashed potatoes, maccaroni & cheese, cheesecake, banana pudding, eclair cake, etc. A good time was had by all.

By the time we left, the temp had dropped from 30° when I got up this morning to 19°, wind chill of 5° with a strong wind. Major brrrr! I provided the transportation for my cousin who has to use a walker & step carefully. We managed going & coming back with no mishaps or fainting spells so that was a blessing. As slow as she has to be, that meant being in the weather long enough for my hands to feel like blocks of ice - I can’t find my gloves which is really inconvenient in this weather.

The cousin has a cat. He was at the door when we got to her house, begging to come in. She knows it’s too cold for him to stay outside & she let’s him in, but it’s a problematic situation. He comes upstairs & whines to go out - she has to use a walker & a stairlift & it’s a big deal for her to deal with him. So, I have been watching videos for the last hour on how to make a DIY cat shelter. There are lots of ideas for feral cats & one of those could easily go on her front porch & the cat could safely stay outside since they are insulated. Straw makes the best bedding & the cats have a cozy warm nest. Another project for me I guess - I really like that cat & she physically cannot make a shelter for him.