The clocks are officially turned back, the days are growing shorter, and fall is slowly transitioning to winter. My garden is mostly done at this point, but luckily I have a stash of winter squashes, rutabagas, onions, carrots, and other root vegetables. And the indoor garden is taking off!

Well, okay. It’s not a huge indoor garden. And, of course, I’m not expecting pounds and pounds of basil like I might in July. But still, it’s such a lovely thing to have some green in your home in the midst of winter. I’m also plant sitting a Meyer lemon tree for a friend who’s out of town for a few months for work. It’s a small thing, perhaps, but there’s something about a citrus tree in your home that evokes warmth and peacefulness. Kind of similar to how a few candles can make a space feel cozy and inviting.

Speaking of cozy and inviting, I’m super excited about the upcoming holidays. All of us here at Food Gardening Magazine love gardening, but we also love cooking. You’ll find plenty of both in this issue. I’m very much looking forward to having friends over for the eight-course garden-to-table holiday menu that’s in this issue. And our Senior Editor and Producer, Amanda MacArthur, is sharing some of her herb and spice mixes that she uses at home and gives as gifts.

And for those of you who, like us, just can’t seem to forget about gardening even in winter, we’re taking a look at some indoor gardening ideas. So go ahead and explore the December edition of Food Gardening Magazine!

Food Gardening with Amanda articles—Food Gardening Network’s Senior Editor and Producer Amanda MacArthur 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 helpful articles from Amanda this month:

• How to Keep Gardening in December: Why wait until spring to exercise your gardening muscles? Amanda is sharing five gardening activities you can do right now in the comfort of your home, no matter how cold it is outdoors. Take the plunge into hydroponic gardening, or start planning your outdoor garden for when spring rolls around. 
• Heirloom Gardening Gifts: Whether you’re buying for yourself, or for a favorite gardener in your life, there’s something extra special about an heirloom-worthy gardening tool. These tools may be new or antique, and you may find them brand new, or in the wild at an estate sale or flea market. What they all have in common, however, is that they are built to last. Some are handmade, while others are factory-forged. But either way, you’ll find these tools are sturdy and durable, with quality manufacturing at the fore.
• 12 Edible Gift Ideas From Your Garden: Herb blends, jelly and jam, salad dressing, tea, and hot sauce are just the beginning! Your garden is a gift waiting to happen. Is there a better gift than homemade pickles? 
• 8 Recipes for a Garden-To-Table Holiday Dinner: This year for Food Gardening Magazine, we made a number of recipes straight from the garden. In this article, Amanda put together a whole holiday meal plan that incorporates those recipes and a few new ones that you can prepare with ease for your next holiday meal or Sunday supper with family.
• The Trowel That Keeps on Giving: This article comes from our sister publication, GreenPrints Magazine. In this story, writer Julie Foley reminds us of the beauty and stories behind garden tools as they are passed down through the years.
• 15 Homemade Spice Mixes for Gifts: Who doesn’t love a gift of homemade goodness? Amanda goes all in on this one and shares 15 of her favorite homemade spice mixes, along with herb blends and herb and spice blends. Get spicy with a Cajun Spice Blend, celebrate the season with your very own Pumpkin Pie Spice mix, travel the world from the comfort of your kitchen with Greek Seasoning, and so much more. And yes, these are “gifts,” but no one said you have to give them away!

And this issue of Food Gardening Magazine includes details on three featured foods this month—concurrently with publishing this issue of our magazine, we’re also publishing and updating three gardening guides on sage, lemons, and oranges. As a premium member of Food Gardening Network, you get full access to the magazine and these gardening guides:

Sage: This ancient herb is easy to grow and maintain in almost any climate or indoors. This perennial plant has culinary and medicinal uses, and it makes a great garden companion, attracting beneficial insects and warding off many pests, including deer. To learn more, check out The Ultimate Sage Guide.

Lemons: A little bit sweet. A good bit sour. Always packed with flavor. The tart lemon lends itself to a wide variety of food and drink, but did you know lemon is also good for cleaning copper pots, polishing furniture, and has medicinal uses? Learn more in the Tart & Tangy Lemon Guide!

Oranges: You don’t have to live in a subtropical climate to grow your own orange tree—container-grown trees can produce excellent fruit! Prepare to pick your ideal orange tree—for snacks, for juice, for homemade marmalade, and more! Learn how to get started growing your own orange trees in our Juicy Oranges Gardening Guide!

Here are some interesting tidbits about the foods you’ll find in these gardening guides to get you thinking about what you might want to plant in your garden.

• The Egyptians associated sage with fertility and the French used it to make tea. In the Middle Ages, monks included sage among 16 herbs they grew for healing, and used it as a pharmaceutical. The Chinese also appreciated sage’s medicinal attributes, using it for everything from colds and joint pain to typhoid fever.
• While lemon trees are often considered a sub-tropical tree, smaller varieties can grow indoors in containers. An evergreen tree with bright yellow fruits can certainly make a place feel warm in the middle of winter!
• Did you know that oranges originated in Southeast Asia, then spread to the Mediterranean, and eventually made their way to the Americas. And did you know that a specific variety of orange is responsible for the taste and fragrance of Earl Grey tea?

In this edition of Food Gardening Magazine, you’ll find Gardening Guide Close-Ups that focus on sage, lemons, and oranges to help get you started with these three foods and our gardening guides. These articles give you valuable tips and advice about these three foods, and you’ll have instant access to the premium gardening guides themselves, too. Be first to read these Gardening Guide Close-Ups and get a head start on how to grow and use these foods:

• 10 Sage Companion Plants: Discover 10 excellent garden neighbors for sage. You may already know about some, like rosemary and oregano. But did you know sage can repel some of the pests that like to feed on kohlrabi and collard greens? Or that carrots and sage both help each other in the garden? Number 10 on the list is a match made in heaven, both in the garden and in the kitchen. 
• How Big Do Lemon Trees Get?: How big do lemon trees get? You might be asking this if you’re thinking about growing lemon trees. The “average” height of a mature lemon tree is around 20 feet tall. But some can reach up to 30 feet, while container lemon trees may top out around 5 feet. Find out which variety is right for you and how to manage its growth.
• How to Grow an Orange Tree in Your Yard: In this article we’ll show you how to grow orange trees at home under the conditions they’re meant for, in USDA hardiness zones 8 through 11. We’ll answer questions about growing in flood zones and more.

And then there are the recipes you’ll find in the three gardening guides! Here are some of my favorites that are tasty, unique, and easy to make:

• Butternut Squash, Sage, and Goat Cheese Lasagna: Aside from the tartness of goat cheese, this recipe calls for freshly grated parmesan, Pecorino Romano, and mozzarella. This combination of creamy and salty flavors bring together the sweet, nutty taste of butternut squash, the mild starchiness of lasagna noodles, and the smoothness of marinara sauce.
• Lemon Meringue Bars: This recipe really is as easy as 1, 2, 3: Start the crust, bake a little; add the filling, bake a little; top with meringue, bake a little more. When your baking pan comes out of the oven for the last time, you’ll have an impressive dessert that will have guests asking for seconds.
• Baked Orange Chicken Breast: A simple yet elegant meal you can put together in under an hour and can serve with your favorite vegetables on the side. But don’t wait for company to come over; this is an easy weeknight meal you can make for yourself!

I hope you enjoy the December 2023 issue of Food Gardening Magazine as much as we’ve enjoyed putting it together. We’re so happy to have you here! Now let’s head out to the garden!

Happy harvesting—and happy eating!

Christy Page
Editor & 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! Your input is valuable to us and can help us make improvements.