Read by Matilda Longbottom

In December, the garden finally drifts into its deep Winter sleep. The soil rests beneath a soft blanket of frost, branches stand bare against the pale sky, and even the most determined weeds seem to surrender to the season’s quiet hush. With the garden tucked in until Spring, there’s a rare stillness—a pause that invites us indoors to gather close with family and friends. It’s a time to trade trowels for mugs of cocoa, to share laughter and stories by the glow of twinkling lights, and to celebrate the warmth of connection while the world outside slumbers in peaceful repose.

We are embracing this quiet time at GreenPrints with our December issue. But just because we’re settling in with our cocoa doesn’t mean we’ve completely left gardening behind. Don Nicholas celebrates the holidays and houseplants in Home for the Holidays (with Houseplants!), sharing the top holiday houseplants gracing American homes this season—there are a couple I’d love to see on my mantel! In Windowsill Gardening for Kids, Amanda MacArthur helps us conquer the Winter dilemma of how to keep kids busy indoors when darkness falls so early. I may not have little ones at home anymore, but these ideas will certainly keep me occupied on those long Winter evenings.

Pat Stone captures the spirit of the season in The Patron Saints of Christmas—and of Gardening. Read his story to learn all about the patron saint of gardening. I may need to call on him the next time my plants refuse to fall in line. In Highland Fling, Diana Wells asks the eternal question: “Hybrids or heirlooms—what’s a gardener to choose?” As we begin to dream and plan our gardens for next year, that question feels especially timely. Will you choose one—or, like many of us, decide on a mix of both?

Oregano’s Surprising Health by Bill Dugan highlights the many benefits of this time-tested healing herb, offering ways to easily add it to your daily diet. From your heart to your head, your entire body can benefit from oregano’s amazing properties. We’re also adding some spice to our lives with The Spices That Make the Holidays. When you think about how these spices come from all over the world, you realize that “each holiday recipe carries a whole world within it.”

In Guess Who’s Coming to Christmas Dinner? Karla Jones Seidita shares a sweet and funny story about deer who didn’t respect their boundaries. Not only did they feast on her homemade wreath, but they also stole her roses! I count myself lucky that, so far, the deer have left mine alone. Dana Zullo reflects on farm life in Roots in the Snow, writing so beautifully: “The farm taught me that life is in the tending—in the patience of planting a seed and waiting.” As I reflect on what I’ve learned this year, gardening has certainly cemented many of those lessons.

Our Garden to Table Recipe Collection this month focuses on holiday cookies. We have five desserts to tempt your taste buds—and they’re not all bad for you, honest! They’re the perfect treats to share with family and friends this holiday season. We’re also featuring our heartwarming StoryBook, Bedtime Tales. Let these stories transport you to a world where anything is possible, where the ordinary becomes extraordinary, and where every bedtime ends with the promise of a magical and enchanting dream.

As the year draws to a close and the garden continues its long Winter rest, we, too, can take comfort in slowing down. The holidays remind us that growth isn’t only found in soil and sunlight—it’s also in shared meals, heartfelt conversations, and quiet moments of gratitude. Soon enough, the earth will stir again and new shoots will rise. But for now, let’s cherish this season of rest and reflection, knowing that both our gardens and we will awaken renewed when the light returns.

Christy Page
Editor & Publisher
GreenPrints

P.S. And please email me with your feedback about GreenPrints and all the new food-gardening content that’s part of your membership: christy@mequoda.com. I look forward to hearing from you. Or share your comments below, so all our readers can benefit from your feedback.