January greetings fellow gardeners and nature enthusiasts.

The doings around here on the knoll are a bit on the limited side. I sit here trying to conjure up some interesting happenings, and not a lot in come to mind these short days of January. I’ve been cooped over the last month recuperating from surgery. Today, the 10th of the month, I gaze outside. There is so much bare ground since the recent “warm-up”. That screams to this gardener “get out there and get busy”. There are downed branches and twigs galore to pick up. Unwanted brush could be cut to ground level. The crabapples are full of sucker sprouts that need to be pruned out. Hold your horses, girl, it’s still a bit early. But, what about the chicken coop that really needs cleaning?…nah, Gene can do that☺.

As you can tell, I already have a high-level case of cabin fever, and it’s driving me crazy. You may be experiencing the same. So how does one cope? This is the time to grab your garden book, dream about what you want to grow in the upcoming season, then whittle it down to what you love, and most importantly, what you have space for. Start now to check out what sunlight is doing as days lengthen. Are trees encroaching more than before and causing too much shade? Perhaps some culling or at least some pruning may be in order. Remember, most plants do best with 7-8 hours of direct sun. Another mistake often made is overcrowding your space. That not only reduces yield but also sets conditions favorable for insect and disease infestation. Good air circulation and adequate sun penetration are your best friends.

Gardeners always get a hankerin’ for starting seeds about this time of year. It’s hard to resist when 2026 seeds from Harts, High Mowing, Renee’s Garden, (plus 3 varieties of pelleted seeds from Johnny’s Selected Seeds) are on full display at Nashua Farmers’. But unless you have a greenhouse or other perfect conditions for sustaining healthy plant growth, hold off a while longer. Remember that most crops do not want to be out in the garden until the end of May. Even cold-weather-loving plants appreciate seeding or transplanting into a warming soil come early to mid-April. Either way, that’s a long time from now. What we are aiming for is a strong, stocky plant to put out, not a lanky, weak one, often the result of seeding too early.

Believe me, I get the same urges, but I curb them and wait until the 1st of March to start the long process of seeding in cell-packs. As an exception, I’ll be ready the tail end of February to seed peas indoors, as they go into the garden right after I plant my onion and shallot starts as close to the 1st April as possible. I will review more about seeding, care, and transplanting in next month’s blog.

Today’s the 13th, and relatively speaking, it is rather balmy. I’m heading out regardless of how the ol’ knee feels. Wheelbarrow and rake in hand, I attack part of my perennial border where everything I cut back late last fall has blown back in. What a mess! Anyway, I packed the wheelbarrow full and managed to dispense the load into my compost pile some 100+ yards away. Well, that’s enough, but it sure felt good to get outside and do something!

*Strawed in garlic with trellis offers some protection from deer*

While I’m out, I take a look around. Deer have been busy chowing down on anything green that may be exposed in the garden. I’ve never had a problem with my variegated yucca until now. It’s evident that some of the newer leaves have been stripped, leaving shreds behind. Well, at least the covered strawberries still look intact, as do the straw-covered rows of garlic (protected, too, by 16’ trellis panels). Gotta have my garlic!

I’m finally learning that it is better not to do any pruning in the fall, because if buds are exposed (such as hydrangea), they become a tasty treat. Look, too, what deer have done to a climbing rose right up against our foundation. I had pruned back some of the old growth late fall to make room for the newer canes. Check out the neat 45-degree angle of the cuts typical of deer. Of course, these are (or rather were) the canes that would have provided abundant bloom come June.

It’s been a good winter for animal tracking due to just enough snow cover. Gene relishes figuring all this out. There’s been quite a scuffle around a nearby shed by the bobcat. Coyote and fox tracks abound. Lots of hawk fly-bys, but so far no threat to the chickens. Judging from the abundance of rabbit pellets all over our still-green lawn, we will be having quite a time come spring. They’re all covered by more of the white stuff today, the 18th.

Switching to store doings-on, coming up quickly is our Wild Bird Seminar on Saturday, January 24th at 10 am. Bring your questions along with fun/unusual sightings, and join us. We also hope you will take time to browse and enjoy our continual new arrivals.

Order forms for bareroot plants are now available- along with chick order forms. We have placed our orders with our suppliers early in hopes of receiving everything we want. Please note that plant orders and chick orders are prepaid and limited to what we have already ordered. To place and prepay your orders, come on down to the store. What’s in store for you?

I think that’s enough rambling on, so…

That’s it for now.

Judy

January Musings 2026

Nashua Farmers’ Exchange