PA’S MOST MISERABLE DAY OF THE YEAR: Ezvid Wiki, a video wiki, software and media company, polled 3,000 people to find out which month of the year we consider the gloomiest.

The good people of Pennsylvania overwhelmingly voted for January as the worst month of the year in the misery index.

Some Pennsylvanians may start off January on an optimistic note — viewing the year ahead as one full of promise. Yet as it progresses and the novelty of Christmas gifts wear off, and new year resolutions are quietly dropped, a more bleak outlook may emerge.

Ezvid Wiki then analyzed 36 years of past weather data in order to identify the statistically coldest and wettest day in January, which in The Keystone State falls on Jan. 16, making it Pennsylvania’s most miserable day of the year!

For more information, visit https://wiki.ezvid.com/.

Different states will experience their most miserable days on separate dates, based on the various climates across the country. East Coast states like New York will have to hold out significantly longer for the inevitably gloomy day to arrive, as they voted February as the most miserable month.

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SEEDS FOR VEGETABLES: The arrival of the new year’s seed catalogues is one of the most exciting and anticipated times of the year for gardeners. Penn State Extension explains that the non-profit organization, All-American Selections (AAS), coordinates vegetable trials across the United States and selects its annual winners from those trials. For more information, visit https://all-americaselections.org/

The AAS winners are grouped into three categories: annuals, perennials, and edibles/vegetables.

The three edibles/vegetables winners for 2021 are: Shallot, ‘Echalion Creme Brulee’ (BGS-270) F1; Pepper, ‘Pot-a-peno’ F1; and, Squash, ‘Goldilocks’ F1. ‘Echalion Creme Brulee’ is the first-ever shallot to win. AAS winners may be identified in seed company catalogs.

You can search for plants for your USDA Plant Hardiness Zone.