Read by Matilda Longbottom

Marvelous May! I know it’s only mid-Spring, but my garden couldn’t be happier right now. My perennials are all coming back strong, and this might be the busiest bee season I’ve had in a while – they’re all over the lavender! The oregano is doing so well that I already had to trim it back to keep it from overtaking the sage. If this keeps up, this could be one of my best gardening years ever.

There are still a few things I need to get into the garden. I have a few varieties of lettuce, along with carrots, radishes, and beets that I hope to plant in the next few days. And it’s just about time to move my tomato seedlings out to the garden.

What about you? What are you planting this month? If you aren’t sure, this issue of Food Gardening Magazine begins with a list of 10 herbs and vegetables you can plant this month. You’ll find several root vegetables, including the fast-growing radish, easy-growing chives, ever-popular basil, and, of course, runner beans. You’ll find a few that are great for succession planting, as well as two vegetables that you can still plant if you didn’t already get to them last month.

As always, there are some exciting garden-fresh recipes here, too. I hope this issue of Food Gardening Magazine inspires you as much as it has inspired me. Here’s a look at what’s on the menu.

Food Gardening with Amanda articles—Food Gardening Network’s Senior Editor and Producer Amanda MacArthur is one fabulous food gardener! She’s always cooking, planting, or experimenting in the garden. Better yet, most of her content includes companion videos to show you, not just tell you, exactly what to do. Check out these helpful articles from Amanda this month:

• 10 Herbs & Vegetable Seeds to Plant in May: From beets to beans, May is a month of gardening abundance. Join Amanda and discover 10 herbs and vegetables you can reliably start outdoors as seeds this month.
• “How to Plant a Bare Root Apple Tree”: In this article (and video!), Amanda explains how different it is to plant a bare root apple tree from planting a two-gallon bucket sapling apple tree. Discover all the bare-root-plant details that Amanda curated from weeks of research and interviews with an arborist and botanical garden experts. And don’t miss the full instructions about the process for planting your own bare root apple tree—from digging and planting to staking and pruning.
• How to Start Gardening with Grow Bags for Vegetables and Fruits: Grow bags are a win-win for most gardeners. They offer the flexibility of container gardening combined with the benefits of raised bed gardening. There are just a few things to keep your eye on.
• Home-Grown Comfort Food Recipes: From a hearty Warm Cinnamon Pumpkin Millet Porridge for breakfast to an aromatic Homemade Broth and a Garden Vegetable Soup, and from a dinner of vibrant Stuffed Bell Peppers to an intoxicating dessert of Slow-Cooked Applesauce, these recipes are filling, fantastic, and, best of all, easy!
• From Peasant to Power in the Garden: This article comes from our sister publication, GreenPrints Magazine, and is about our long history as gardeners – starting as peasants!
• Barbecue Food Garden Planning Kit: This meticulously curated kit features a diverse selection of nine plants, including tomatoes, vegetables, and herbs specifically chosen to thrive in a barbecue garden setting. Whether you’re a seasoned gardener or just beginning your green-thumb journey, this kit provides everything you need to cultivate an inspiring array of flavors throughout the summer months.
• Cultivating Comfort in Your Garden: Let’s embark on an adventure through the top comfort food vegetables that you can cultivate in your garden, bringing a symphony of flavors and colors to your plate.

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 strawberries, summer squash, and asparagus. As a premium member of Food Gardening Network, you get full access to the magazine and these gardening guides:

Strawberries: What’s better on a sunny spring day than ripe, juicy strawberries? Not much that I can think of! Discover new varieties and learn how to grow and care for these fabulous fruits in Sweet! The All-Strawberry Guide.

Summer Squash: Squash comes in a great variety of colors, patterns, and shapes, from white to deep green and yellow or even orange, solid to striped, flattened to tubular with crooked necks. And just a couple of plants will easily feed a family of four or even six—any more than that, and you’ll become that legendary gardener who’s forced to give away extra zucchini to strangers on the street! Find out more about this early summer favorite in Happiness is Summer Squash: All You Need to Know about Growing Summer Squash.

Asparagus: Did you know that asparagus is a perennial plant that is related to the lily? And that female asparagus plants produce red berries that are toxic to humans? Or how about that asparagus has long been considered an aphrodisiac? Read all about the history and background of asparagus, and discover all you need to grow this spring delight in Asparagus—King of the Garden.

In this edition of Food Gardening Magazine, you’ll find Gardening Guide Close-Ups that focus on strawberries, summer squash, and asparagus 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:

• How to Grow Strawberries from Seed or Bare Roots: Fresh strawberries are one of the true delights of late spring and early summer. But should you start yours from seed, or is it better to begin with bare roots? Find out how you can start growing scrumptious strawberries at home, from seeds to bare roots.
  
• 10 Summer Squash Companion Plants You Want in Your Garden: Companion plants are essentially the neighbor who picks up your packages and feeds your cats while you’re out of town, then invites you over for a summer barbecue. And just like we need these neighbors, our summer squash needs neighbors, too. Whether it’s adding nutrients to the soil, attracting pollinators, or protecting from harmful pests, these squash companions are a must.
• The Best Type of Asparagus to Grow: Green, Purple, or White?: Do you know the differences between these three colors of asparagus? Green might be the most common and most popular, but which type is the best for home food gardeners? And which are the most popular varieties of each color? Get all the answers now in this article.

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

• Strawberry Spinach Salad—This salad will have everyone asking you for the recipe. Take it to a potluck dinner and reap the compliments! It’s also a great way to get kids to eat spinach. Make a small one as a side salad with dinner—or make a large portion for dinner or lunch. Very easy and very tasty!
• Summer Squash Bread: Make some room, banana bread! This summer squash bread is moist and delicious and works well lightly toasted for breakfast or with a cup of afternoon tea.

We’re also happy to announce there’s a new tab on our site for Gardening Kits! This is where Gold Members will find:

• Printable Garden Planning Calendar Kits
• Printable Garden Planning Kits
• Printable Recipe Card Kits

Check them out now, and download your favorites!

I hope you enjoy the May 2024 issue of Food Gardening Magazine as much as we’ve enjoyed growing it. We’re so happy to have you here! Now let’s get into 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.