The Garden Thread - January, 2026

January 1, 2026 | 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.

[Qiviut]

It’s a shame you’re allergic to watermelon - not something I was aware that people were allergic to until you mentioned it. :-(

Yesterday was the best day I’ve had since Thanksgiving, thank God .... it appears I’m on the ‘right track’! :-)

[FamiliarFace]

It’s a funny allergy, not the typical kind. It’s an allergy to all melons, cantaloupe and honeydew also. What is does is create an itching inside my sinuses, and it used to be only in the summer when grasses were blooming. Now it’s year round. So I don’t break out in hives, but I itch inside my ears, nose, throat, and sinuses. It’s miserable. I have tried having drinks with artificial watermelon flavor, and that messes me up also.

I wish I could have them, but it’s just not worth it anymore. It does make me sad sometimes. I really loved all of the melons. Watermelon rind pickles were a special treat.

I’m glad you’re beginning to have to some better days. :)

[Qiviut]

I did see where if you’re allergic to watermelon, it carries over to other melons (bummer!).

There were 2 opportunities to eat at parties last week. At my brother’s retirement party, there were some obvious choices that I knew would be ok (shrimp, beef/pepper skewers, meatballs). It was dinner time so I did do some eating. At the birthday party Saturday, I didn’t eat a thing ... ham/cheese sandwiches & potato salad (mom said she thought it had sour cream in it). There was a veggie plate with dip (probably ranch - can’t do it!) and a fruit tray. I was so busy talking with friends, some I haven’t seen since 2016, that it wasn’t worth doing plain veggies and fruit. We left around 7 and got home at 8:30 so I just ate a late dinner.

Being ‘strict’ with excluding certain foods is paying off. A book I’ve ordered on my situation should arrive today so I’ll have more info on what I can do to improve even more.

[Qiviut]

I ordered the Pansies book by Brenda Estrada that you posted earlier & it arrived today. Mom saw it & said Pansies were her mom’s favorite flower :-) It’s a nice book - beautiful pictures.

[Diana in Wisconsin]

I gave it to a friend for Christmas - she’s my ‘Pansy Queen’ and grows out all of the old-fashioned ruffly varieties.

Pansies, Violas and the Johnny Jump-Ups are the most CHEERFUL spring flowers. I have an old white metal colander that I like to fill with Pansies in the spring. So stinkin’ CUTE! :)

[MomwithHope]

.

[Liz]

ITALIAN CHICKEN / recipe serves 2 / increase ing for company
Quick and easy w/ roasted potatoes, buttered green beans. A nice company dish.

Ing 2 boneless breasts 1 tbs dry Italian seasoning pinch s/p 1 tbs dried chp onions 1/2 tbs basil

Method Rinse breasts w/ cold water, set in b/dish. Slit center. Lightly stuff w/ onions, sprinkle rest onions over. Sprinkle w/ Italian seasonings, dry basil, s/p, fill slits. Drizzle vinegar over/around breasts; foil dish. At 13-15 min cooktime, uncover, add shredded Mozzarella. Bake 400 deg 16-22 min; internal reaches 165 deg. Might need extra cooktime to brown cheese. Garnish and serve.

[Diana in Wisconsin]

*Saturday Morning Ping*

*Cuteness Overload Warning*

8 degrees at Reveille this morning. Zone 5a, SW Wisconsin. Heading for a high of 18, then we fall off a temperature cliff. -1 by Monday morning. We did get some snow, about a 3" cover - light and fluffy. Loving that. It covers up the Winter Yuck! Got a Spring Fix at Menard's yesterday - 15% off sale and I loaded up my bag/cart with garden supplies and seeds for SPRING. Yay! Today I tackle the grow rack and get that organized and tuned up for seed starting in the future. A perfect Winter Day activity. Have a Great Day, Everyone!

[quantim]

Ugh, that cold front is on its way across Lake Michigan and we are in the lake effect area in SW MI, up to 10” and is a hit or miss.

The good news is that all the wood stove ashes seem to work better than any fertilizer, especially on raised beds!

[left that other site]

YIKES!

Stay Warm, My FRiend!

((((HUGS))))

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

ML/LTOS

[Qiviut]

Light snow this morning, maybe a 1/4 inch, but it will be gone by noon. We get colder weather next week with highs in the 20’s & 30’s, lows in the teens, single digit Tuesday night.

No gardening activities today, but will be putting on a whole chicken to simmer for a pot of Chicken & Vegetable soup. There’s a college basketball game at noon (family’s favorite team) & 2 NFL games this afternoon/evening. Sports on TV, for me, is conducive to crocheting & I’m about 1/3 through a large project so I’ll be working away and staying warm. It’s a ‘classic’ winter weekend :-)

[PGalt]

Good morning, good food, good FRiends. BUMP!

[FamiliarFace]

Good morning! Had a dusting of snow again overnight. The temps are heading down to the point where I don’t like to spend much time outside. I did my meal planning and grocery shopping yesterday so I don’t have to run errands again until Tuesday or Wednesday. Yay!

Will work on tidying up the place, and maybe doing a deep clean on *something* around here. I haven’t decided what I’m in the mood to take on.

Football will be on in the late afternoon and evening for the next 3 days. Should be fun!

Have a blessed day/weekend, FRiends!

[metmom]

Two months until spring.

My mom always told me that the worst of the bad weather is usually past by St Pattie’s Day. She was right.

Another couple weeks and I’ll be starting my onions. After checking maturity dates, etc, I want to also start some cabbage, turnips, snow peas, and carrots.

I started my own gardening document on my computer. I pick up tidbits of info on growing different things from different sources and am compiling what I need to know for this area.

[metmom]

With those symptoms and them getting worse, it’s not worth the risk of eating them any more.

[metmom]

Or maybe it’s Patty’s. Not sure of the spelling for that.

[FamiliarFace]

Yeah, whenever I get the urge to take a taste, reality sets in and I back off. It is hard to have a food allergy when it was something you really enjoyed. The alternative though, is horrible, so it’s best to just not have it around. I do try to buy some in the summer for hubby. At least I can smell a nice watermelon and not get sick! ;)

[Albion Wilde]

After I shovel the snow off the steps, the sidewalks, the parking spaces and the car,

[metmom]

I feel for you.

I’ve been dealing with many food sensitivities for many years. It’s not easy.

[Blurb2350]

A significant proportion of the ingredients in supplements are imported from China and, like anything from China, many of them are of dubious quality. Some are downright deadly, e.g., the heavy metal applesauce and melamine dogfood. Supplements are all the rage nowadays, and the FDA and big pharma would love to ban them entirely. The China problem is a perfect excuse.