Read by Matilda Longbottom

 

 

Dear Gardeners,

Welcome to the March 2026 issue of Food Gardening Magazine!

Here in the Northeast, March truly comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb. The early weeks bring snow squalls, biting winds, and stubborn ice that clings to winter’s grip. But gradually, something shifts. The light lingers. Birds return to their morning chorus. Almost overnight, crocuses push through thawing soil, quietly announcing that spring is on its way.

For gardeners, March is anticipation turning into action. Even if the beds are still muddy—or frozen—we’re already deep into the season in our minds. Seed trays fill the windowsills. Garden journals reopen. We sketch new layouts, rotate crops, and picture where tomatoes, beans, and lettuces will thrive. On milder afternoons, we clear debris, check on perennials, and gently begin preparing the soil.

I feel the shift, too. Plans become planted seeds under grow lights. Raised bed sketches turn into tape measures stretched across melting snow. Boots wait by the door. Tools reappear from storage. There’s still a chill in the air, but beneath it runs momentum.

The landscape may look hesitant, but the garden is waking—and so is the gardener. March reminds us that growth begins with small, steady steps, each one carrying us closer to the abundance ahead.

Fresh Takes
No matter your growing zone, March offers exciting opportunities to advance your gardening year, and we have articles about each of the major planting zones to help you see what’s available to you this month:

• Growing Meatloaf: Dad’s garden-grown veggie meatloaf with Italian red gravy
• Beans, Glorious Beans: Five varieties that turn veggie meatloaf into a garden-grown superstar
• Herbs That Make the Loaf: Five fresh picks to turn any veggie meatloaf into a garden-to-table masterpiece
• What to Plant in March in Zones 4–6: Your complete guide to early spring planting and seed starting in cooler climate zones.
• What to Plant in March in Zones 7–8: Your complete guide to early spring planting in these temperate zones, where the growing season starts early and possibilities abound.
• What to Plant in March in Zones 9–10: Your complete guide to spring planting in warm climate zones, where the growing season is in full swing while other regions are just waking up.

Plant Close-Ups
This month, we’re diving deep into the plants that start us off in the spring—from companion plants for beets and cucumbers to pruning your blueberry bushes to get the most fruit possible:

• Beet Companion Plants: What to Grow with Beets: Beets make great garden neighbors. Here are 7 beet companion plants that belong nearby.
• How to Prune Blueberry Bushes: Before you even think of planting, learn how to prune blueberry bushes the right way so you get the most fruit!
• Best Tips for Handling Onions: How to handle, store, and prepare onions
• 9 Cucumber Companion Plants You Want In Your Garden (+ 1 to Avoid): You love cucumbers. So do pests. That’s why these cucumber companion plants belong in your garden.
• The 10 Sweetest Tomatoes to Plant: What are the sweetest tomatoes to plant? There’s only one way to find out.

Get Your 2026 Spring Garden Planning Calendar Kit
Our 2026 Spring Garden Planning Calendar Kit provides zone-specific guidance covering the key spring gardening window from March through June. Each section breaks down what to plant, when to start seeds, and how to stay on track as conditions shift. There’s also room to record your own notes—first harvest dates, favorite varieties, or weather surprises—so each season becomes easier to plan than the last.

Featured Videos
This month, our videos focus on DIY garden tools, garden planning apps, organic DIY seed tape, and planting a food garden for your palate:

• How to Propagate a Blueberry Bush from Cuttings: A Step-by-Step Guide: Learn how to turn one blueberry bush into 10 by propagating blueberry bushes from cuttings.
• 10 Easy DIY Garden Tools You Can Make: With these DIY garden tools, you’ll be washing your harvest outside, turning oranges into starters, and recycling household items into gardening gold.
• Garden Planning Tools & Apps for the Savvy Gardener: An in-depth review of the best garden planning tools and apps available out there
• How to Make Organic DIY Seed Tape for Perfectly Spaced Vegetables: How to get perfect rows of carrots, lettuce, beans and more with DIY seed tape that you can prepare ahead and plant when the time comes.
• How to Plant a Food Garden According to Your Palate: Discover how to plant a food garden that will serve up five delicious garden-to-table snacks, soups, sauces, and sides.

Easy, Healthy Quinoa Recipes
We’ve put together a collection of easy quinoa recipes is that each one can be prepped ahead, making them perfect for busy weeknight dinners or impressive weekend entertaining:

• The Confetti Quinoa Salad That Will Make You Believe in Magic: This vibrant, protein-packed Quinoa Salad is an explosion of flavors that proves healthy food can be the star of any show
• Quinoa Meets Nori: A Veggie Sushi Adventure: Don’t be afraid to make sushi. These Quinoa Veggie Sushi Rolls are easy and delicious. The only thing you need to add is soy sauce.
• These Zucchini Boats Are Quinoa Take Over Your Dinner Table: These Stuffed Zucchini Boats are a garden-fresh take on stuffed vegetables that combines nutty quinoa, salty feta, and fresh herbs into something truly extraordinary
• Quinoa Believe It’s Not Chicken Parm!: This Chicken Parmesan Quinoa Bake is a cozy one-dish wonder that transforms classic Italian comfort food into a protein-packed sensation that’ll have everyone asking for seconds
• Ring My Bell (Peppers): This Quinoa Casserole is Hot, Hot, Hot!: This Quinoa Casserole is a spice-lover’s dream that turns five different peppers and protein-packed quinoa into pure Mexican-inspired magic

Let Garden Planning Inspire You
Don’t forget to download your 2026 Spring Garden Planning Calendar Kit. Gold Members can also explore our Gardening Kits tab for additional resources:

• Garden Calendars
• Garden Plans
• Recipe Cards
• Greeting Cards
• ArtPrints

Check them out now and download your favorites!

And so we move forward with patience and purpose, embracing the mud, the chill, and the promise tucked inside every seed. March doesn’t hand us the garden all at once—it invites us to participate in its becoming. With each tray we sow and each bed we ready, we’re not just preparing the soil; we’re renewing our own sense of hope. The season is stirring, and we are stirring with it, ready to welcome the fullness of spring when it finally unfolds.

Warm regards,

Christy Page
Editor & Publisher

P.S. How do you get into the spirit of the gardening season? Do you dig in the dirt as soon as it starts to soften, or do you want until it is time to plant? I’d love to hear how you get ready for the gardening season! Share your garden planting ideas in the comments below!