No, I’m not talking about the popular Earth, Wind & Fire song—although, now I can’t get that song out of my head! And don’t get me started with Neil Diamond’s September Morn either! Both of these are catchy September tunes for me.

I’m talking about remembering every September how things change so much—from the weather with the dropping temperatures and Mother Nature’s bracing for the coming winter … to kids back at school, birds heading south for the winter, and my garden going through its normal seasonal transformation.

My outside basil isn’t done yet for the season, and my rosemary plant continues to thrive and produce hearty flavor for many dishes. But the sun is getting lower in the sky—and the days are getting noticeably shorter.

Yes, I know that summer is ending—especially when I start enjoying some fall favorites such as pumpkin with the Pumpkin Muffins with Cream Cheese Surprise recipe you’ll find in our featured Pumpkin gardening guide. More about that gardening guide in a minute.

Welcome to the September 2020 issue of Food Gardening Magazine! Take time to read the entire issue, because you’re certain to find tidbits that you didn’t know. For example, I didn’t know that peaches are native to China and that cultivating them began more than 8,000 years ago!

Or did you know that parsley has a 2,000-year history and that, according to legend, parsley grew where the blood of the Greek hero Archemorus was spilled after he was eaten by serpents?

Or how about that pumpkin flowers are edible, that pumpkins are 90% water yet still nutritious, or that the largest pumpkin—according to the Guinness Book of World Records—was 20 feet across and weighed almost two tons?

This issue of Food Gardening Magazine is filled with fun facts about food and lots of information about the history and background of our featured foods—peaches, parsley, and pumpkins.

And then there are the recipes in this month’s issue—here are three of my favorites that are unique, tasty, and easy to make:

• Golden Peach Salsa—Give your traditional salsa a peachy kick! And you can store this peach salsa in sealed jars for a long time, so you can enjoy it all year long. Check out this recipe now!
• Parsley Chimichurri—Do you have bunches of parsley to use up? Chimichurri is tangy and flavorful and an oh-so-green sauce that is perfect for drizzling on all sorts of things—or for using as a zesty sauce to go with a grilled steak. Don’t miss this recipe now.
• Pumpkin Muffins with Cream Cheese Surprise—An annual favorite, the secret to these muffins is that the “frosting” is on the inside, making them delightfully surprising when you bite into one—and easier to store and transport (no messy icing on top). Make this recipe a favorite in your house!

In this September 2020 edition of Food Gardening Magazine, you’ll discover lots of valuable and helpful content and advice, with some of my favorites including:

• “Gardening with Amanda” articles—Amanda McArthur is one fabulous food gardener! She takes gardening seriously, makes it fun, and delivers some great content—including companion videos to show you, not just tell you, exactly what to do. Check out these three helpful articles, with videos, from Amanda this month:
  • “5 Vegetables to Plant in September”: Do you think September always means winding down your food gardening efforts? Think again! With this article, Amanda walks you through five favorite vegetables that are just right for September planting—because they thrive in cooler temperatures or are perfect for planting now to build healthy root systems during the winter months. Check this article out, so you can keep your gardening skills going this month.
  • “RECIPE—Pumpkin Grilled Cheese with Caramelized Onions and Bacon”: Holy squash! Pumpkin is, after all, a squash. And did you know that you can slice it, grill it, cover it with caramelized onions and smoky bacon and Gruyère cheese, and—bingo—instant comfort food! You must try this recipe—it’s easy and might be the tastiest grilled-cheese sandwich you’ll ever eat!
  • “How to Harvest Fresh Herbs in the Fall to Use All Winter”: With the coming cooler weather, Amanda shows you how to switch gears to herb-harvesting mode right now, with some creative ways to keep home-grown herbs handy for your use throughout the winter. Get all the details from Amanda, including garden clean-up tips and three crafty ways to preserve your herbs for winter use!
• Special Gardening Guides—get full reviews and summaries of three premium gardening guides, complete with links to the full gardening guides that include plant-specific history and background; seed, seedling, and soil advice; tips on fertilizing, weeding, and watering; best ways to avoid plant diseases and pests; even how to treat affected plants; plant profiles that highlight some popular varieties; quick-and-easy recipes that are tasty and worthy of your table; nutrition, health, and home remedies; more food gardening resources to help your efforts; and glossary items to explain technical or unknown terms and concepts:
  • Perfect Peaches—Peaches are so sweet, they’re used as a synonym for a person who is delightful! With this gardening guide, you’ll have everything you need to know about growing and enjoying this delicious fruit. Discover the history of this summer treat, along with everything you need to know to grow your own crop: planting, caring for the trees over the long term, and harvesting. Plus, you’ll get delicious recipes—some expected, some not!—and information on the healthful properties of this sweet fruit, both inside and out. Get it all in this gardening guide right now!
  • How to Grow Parsley—Parsley is an essential herb in every kitchen—and not just as a garnish! Find out about the history and background of parsley, along with everything you need to know about growing, harvesting, cooking, and enjoying this ubiquitous herb! And try out all of the easy-to-make and tasty recipes—you’re bound to find new favorites that will help you mix it up when it comes to using up your bounty of parsley—read about it in this gardening guide now!
  • Pumpkinpalooza—Nothing says Fall quite like a pumpkin. From spooky jack-o’-lanterns to festive fall displays to scrumptious pies to scale-tipping giants, there’s a pumpkin to satisfy almost any gardener’s desire. Whether your goal is to decorate, cook, can, bake, or cultivate a blue-ribbon giant, we’ve got you covered. Learn about preparing the ideal soil, your planting options (including the Three Sisters), pest control, irrigation options, and how to know when your pumpkins are ready to harvest. Oh, and we have lots of recipes. We’ll tell you about the pumpkin’s long history and about the evolution of the pumpkin pie—all in this gardening guide now!

So, remember, September is a time of change—for life and for your garden. Read this issue of Food Gardening Magazine to learn about everything that matters for your garden at this time of year!

Happy gardening—and happy eating!

Bill Dugan
Editor and Publisher

P.S. Please enjoy this issue of Food Gardening Magazine, and let me know what you think about it by commenting below with your feedback!