The Old Farmers Almanac

Jan 22, 2025 | almanac.com | Catherine Boeckmann

How is your garden growing? Do you wish you had more space for plants? Try growing a vertical garden and go upwards! We’ll take a look at some of the best plants to grow vertically and then share four DIY gardening projects to try at home: a garden arch, a pallet garden, a bean teepee, and a living wall. The Benefits of Vertical GardeningGardening in all three dimensions using a fence, trellis, or other structure increases the growing area available to gardeners.

Jan 15, 2025 | almanac.com | Bob Berman

Statistically, the coldest week falls about now— in late January—for most places in Europe and North America. Some of us who live in rural areas heat with wood, which may sound romantic until you’ve done it for a while. You grab icy logs barehanded and lug them to the house, where any remaining wrist hairs are burned off as they’re tossed in the stove. En route, one sometimes peers up at the frosty January sky, its stars seemingly detached from our self-inflicted exercise in hot and cold abuse.

Jan 9, 2025 | almanac.com | Bob Berman

Who hasn’t heard of the Dog Star, Sirius? In February, it’s the brightest star in Earth’s night sky, parading overhead from nightfall until midnight. When viewing Sirius, we’re actually seeing the combined light of two stars. Learn how to find Sirius. Sirius is the alpha dog of the Big Dog constellation (Canis Major) and the brightest star of February.

Jan 8, 2025 | almanac.com | Bob Berman

Subhead This bizarre day is full of amazing sky-related stuff Groundhog Day. Just a bizarre tradition involving a marmot, right? Believe it or not, Groundhog Day is full of amazing sky-related stuff. Even its date relates to the heavens. Bob Berman explains the connection between astronomy and sky-watching. As the tradition goes, a Pennsylvania groundhog ignores crowds of humans closely gathered around him and then, despite having a four-ounce brain, gets involved with meteorology.

Jan 7, 2025 | almanac.com | Bob Berman

In 2025, we will have THREE supermoons in a row! October brings us the year’s first supermoon; then, we will see one in November and December! What is a supermoon, exactly? We agree that it’s a catchy word—and anything encouraging us to explore the night sky is positive—but let’s also get our facts straight. What Is a Supermoon? Generally speaking, a supermoon is a full moon that appears larger than a typical full moon because it is closer to Earth.