National Squirrel Appreciation Day is January 21, created to encourage learning about squirrels and their role in nature… even if they’ve personally declared war on our pots. 😅 So today, we’re doing this the container gardener way: * Appreciate their athleticism and determination… * while also politely declining their help with our soil, bulbs, and seedlings. 𝐖𝐡𝐲 𝐬𝐪𝐮𝐢𝐫𝐫𝐞𝐥𝐬 𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐠𝐞𝐭 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐫 𝐠𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐬 (𝐢𝐭’𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥… 𝐦𝐨𝐬𝐭𝐥𝐲) Containers are basically a squirrel playground because: * loose potting mix = perfect digging material * fresh soil smells interesting * bulbs and seeds = snack treasure hunt * mulch looks like a place to bury “future snacks” 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐫 𝐆𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐫’𝐬 “𝐇𝐮𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐞 𝐃𝐞𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐭” 𝐏𝐥𝐚𝐲𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤 If you only do one thing, do a physical barrier. It’s the most reliable and the least “constant reapplying stuff.” Extension resources generally group deterrents into barriers, scare tactics, and repellents. Of these, barriers tend to be the most dependable for small areas like containers. 𝟏) 𝐌𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐨𝐭 “𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐠𝐠𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞” 𝐁𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐨𝐩𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬: * Chicken wire / hardware cloth cut to fit the top of the pot (leave space for the plant stem) * Decorative rocks or heavier mulch layers to reduce digging 𝐏𝐆𝐒 𝐭𝐢𝐩: For seed-started pots, cover just until plants are established, then remove or widen the opening. 𝟐) 𝐌𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐚 “𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐡 𝐢𝐭” * Move pots temporarily to break the squirrel habit (they’re persistent once they pick a spot) * Hang baskets / raise containers where possible (harder access) 𝟑) 𝐀𝐝𝐝 𝐚 “𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐥𝐞 𝐟𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐨𝐫” (𝐞𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐨𝐮𝐭𝐝𝐨𝐨𝐫𝐬) * Motion-activated sprinklers/lights can safely scare off nuisance wildlife 𝟒) 𝐑𝐞𝐩𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬 (𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐩𝐟𝐮𝐥… 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲’𝐫𝐞 𝐡𝐢𝐠𝐡-𝐦𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 * Commercial repellents can work, but they typically need reapplication (especially after rain) * DIY “spicy” sprays are commonly suggested, but always test a small spot first and reapply regularly. (And keep anything spicy away from eyes/pets/kids.) 𝐀𝐩𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐦𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 (𝐲𝐞𝐬, 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲) Squirrels are clever, busy, and excellent at surviving winter, which is honestly… relatable. So we can appreciate the species while still setting firm boundaries with Steve who keeps digging up the lettuce pot.

Not all wins are dramatic. In winter especially, plant health shows up in small, quiet ways. And if you know what to look for, you’ll start seeing progress everywhere. 🌱 𝐓𝐢𝐧𝐲 𝐖𝐢𝐧 #𝟏: 𝐀 𝐍𝐞𝐰 𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐟 𝐁𝐮𝐝 It might be small. Barely noticeable. But if you see a tiny bud forming? That means the plant is gearing up, not giving up. 🌿 𝐓𝐢𝐧𝐲 𝐖𝐢𝐧 #𝟐: 𝐅𝐢𝐫𝐦, 𝐔𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐒𝐭𝐞𝐦s Even if leaves aren’t growing fast, strong stems mean roots are stable and hydrated properly. Floppy stems signal trouble. Firm ones signal balance. 🪴 𝐓𝐢𝐧𝐲 𝐖𝐢𝐧 #𝟑: 𝐄𝐯𝐞𝐧 𝐒𝐨𝐢𝐥 𝐃𝐫𝐲𝐢𝐧𝐠 If soil dries gradually and evenly without staying soggy or bone dry, you’ve nailed watering rhythm. That’s a big deal in winter. 🌼 𝐓𝐢𝐧𝐲 𝐖𝐢𝐧 #𝟒: 𝐍𝐨 𝐏𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐒𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝 Maybe you spotted something earlier this week. If it hasn’t spread? That’s a win. Catching issues early is growth,even if the plant didn’t grow. 🌱 𝐓𝐢𝐧𝐲 𝐖𝐢𝐧 #𝟓: 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐟 𝐂𝐨𝐥𝐨𝐫 No sudden yellowing. No mysterious browning. Stable color = stable plant. And stable plants grow when conditions improve. 💚 𝐅𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐓𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭: 𝐒𝐦𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐠𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐈𝐬 𝐒𝐭𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐠𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬 Winter rewards patience. The plants that look quiet right now are often building strength you can’t see yet. Notice the small wins. They add up to strong spring growth 🌱 Share one tiny win you’ve noticed this week, even if it feels small. A bud? Better soil rhythm? No pests? Let’s celebrate the quiet victories 👏🌿

National Seed Swap Day is celebrated on the last Saturday in January which is January 31, 2026. 𝐼𝑡’𝑠 𝑏𝑎𝑠𝑖𝑐𝑎𝑙𝑙𝑦 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑔𝑎𝑟𝑑𝑒𝑛𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑤𝑜𝑟𝑙𝑑’𝑠 𝑤𝑎𝑦 𝑜𝑓 𝑠𝑎𝑦𝑖𝑛𝑔: 𝑠𝑝𝑟𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑖𝑠 𝑐𝑜𝑚𝑖𝑛𝑔… 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑖𝑡’𝑠 𝑡𝑖𝑚𝑒 𝑡𝑜 𝑠𝑡𝑎𝑟𝑡 𝑑𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑚𝑖𝑛𝑔 (𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑝𝑙𝑎𝑛𝑛𝑖𝑛𝑔). And for us container gardeners? Seed swaps are 𝑝𝑒𝑟𝑓𝑒𝑐𝑡 because we can try new varieties without buying 27 packets for 6 pots. 😄 𝐖𝐡𝐲 𝐬𝐞𝐞𝐝 𝐬𝐰𝐚𝐩𝐬 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐝 𝐨𝐟 𝐦𝐚𝐠𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥 A seed swap isn’t just about “free seeds” (though yes please). It’s also about: * discovering varieties you’ve never seen in stores * sharing what actually did well in real gardens (not just catalog photos) * swapping growing tips along with the seeds * keeping interesting heirlooms and regional favorites circulating 𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐨 𝐚 𝐬𝐞𝐞𝐝 𝐬𝐰𝐚𝐩 (𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧 𝐚 𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐲 𝐨𝐧𝐞) If you’re participating in any kind of swap be it local, library, online, or “PGS-style”—here’s what makes it easy and fair: ✅ 𝐁𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐬𝐦𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐩𝐚𝐜𝐤𝐞𝐭𝐬 (𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐨𝐥𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐬𝐡) Think “sample sizes”: * 10–20 seeds for small seeds (lettuce, basil, flowers) * 5–10 seeds for larger seeds (beans, cucumbers, sunflowers) ✅ 𝐋𝐚𝐛𝐞𝐥 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐟𝐮𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞 '𝐲𝐨𝐮' 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐮𝐜𝐜𝐞𝐞𝐝 At minimum, include: * plant name + variety * year packed (freshness matters) * any notes: “great in containers,” “partial shade,” “fast grower,” etc. 𝐁𝐨𝐧𝐮𝐬 𝐩𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐬: “days to harvest” or “determinate tomato” if you know it. 𝐒𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐭 “𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐫 𝐠𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐫” 𝐬𝐰𝐚𝐩 𝐩𝐢𝐜𝐤𝐬 If you’re limited on space, these are great swap targets: * 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐟𝐲 𝐠𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐧𝐬 (lettuce mixes, spinach, arugula) * 𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐛𝐬 (basil varieties, dill, cilantro, lemon balm) * 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐜𝐭/𝐝𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐟 𝐯𝐞𝐠𝐠𝐢𝐞𝐬 (patio tomatoes, bush beans, mini peppers) * 𝐩𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐨𝐫 𝐟𝐥𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐬 (calendula, nasturtium, zinnia—container-friendly joy) * 𝐦𝐢𝐜𝐫𝐨𝐠𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐧𝐬 (radish, broccoli, mustard) 𝐀 𝐪𝐮𝐢𝐜𝐤 𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐞: 𝐛𝐞 𝐚 𝐠𝐨𝐨𝐝 𝐬𝐞𝐞𝐝-𝐬𝐰𝐚𝐩 𝐜𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐳𝐞𝐧 🙌 A lot of seed swaps encourage people to avoid invasive plants and to share responsibly. Local swaps (and conservation groups) often emphasize noninvasive choices and good labeling so folks don’t accidentally spread problems. If you’re unsure about a seed, label it as a “mystery” and skip swapping it (or ask first).

Quick poll, PGS… 🙋‍♀️ Who talks to their plants when they water? 🙋‍♀️ Who apologizes when they forget? 🙋‍♀️ Who gives pep talks to seedlings? Exactly. ALL OF US 😆 That’s why this shirt hits home. It’s funny. It’s true. And it’s so us. 🌱 "I Would Rather Talk To My Plants... They Listen" ⏳ Reminder: This tee is only open for 7 days total and the clock is ticking. 👉 Grab yours here before the window closes: "I Would Rather Talk To My Plants...They Listen" Already ordered? 📸 Post below and let us celebrate you!

PGS friends… it’s time to talk to our plants 😄 And this time, they’re actually listening. Our newest community-designed T-shirt is officially LIVE: 👉 “I Would Rather Talk To My Plants… They Listen.” This one came straight from you because let’s be honest… Plants never interrupt. They don’t judge. And they always understand. 🌱 ⏰ 𝐈𝐌𝐏𝐎𝐑𝐓𝐀𝐍𝐓: 𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐫𝐭 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐦𝐨𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐢𝐬 𝐨𝐧𝐥𝐲 𝐚𝐯𝐚𝐢𝐥𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝟕 𝐃𝐀𝐘𝐒. 👉 Grab yours here: I Would Rather Talk To My Plants... They Listen 💬 After you order: Drop a comment or post in the group and tell us • What color you chose • Where you’ll wear it (garden, errands, plant shopping 😏) Let’s flood the feed with plant-talking pride!]