Although fall begins in late September, it’s October that really feels like the season is changing, at least here in New England. I start the month with my windows open, enjoying the gentle morning breeze. By the end of the month, I’m usually trying to see how long I can go before I need to turn on the heat. A hot apple cider helps!

Outside, you can’t help but notice the difference. The tree leaves are turning brilliant shades of crimson, orange, chartreuse, and gold. And in the garden, those winter squash and root vegetables are coming in as the tomatoes and eggplants disappear.  

I used to think this was the end of gardening season, and in some ways it is very different than a mid-summer garden. But there are sill vegetables you can plant and there’s plenty to do with all those amazing veggies you’ve already harvested.

In this 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 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 four helpful articles, with videos, from Amanda this month:

• “5 Vegetables to Plant in October”: You might be surprised at how many things you can still get going in the garden. Some of them will even get you set up for an early spring harvest!

• “Planning a Garden with the Best Vegetables for Pickling and Preservation”: The joy of a fresh harvest is immeasurable, but if you plan it right, you could enjoy homegrown veggies all year long.

• “How to Get Seeds from Your Vegetables to Save for Next Year”: Don’t let that favorite heirloom vegetable disappear after this season. Find out how easy it can be to save seeds for next season! (And watch the video to find out which seeds Amanda is saving!)

• “How to Pickle: 3 Ways”: Pickling is way easier than most people realize. Join Amanda to discover three different ways you can pickle your favorite garden produce. 

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

• Crunchy Carrots: The Complete Guide to Growing, Cooking, and Eating Carrots
• Pumpkinpalooza: How to Start Your Own Pumpkin Patch
• Rosemary, the All-Purpose Herb

I’ve read all three gardening guides, and there are so many interesting things about carrots, pumpkins, and rosemary. Consider some of these juicy facts I discovered in these gardening guides. 

Carrots, for example, were first domesticated in Persia around the 10th Century C.E. and today, Americans eat about 10 pounds of carrots every year. Carrots also grow well in containers, believe it or not. You just need a container that’s deep enough for the variety of carrot that you’re planting. 

Pumpkins? There’s so much to say about pumpkins. They are super nutritious and you can eat the seeds and flowers, too. You can enjoy them in savory dishes, like Pumpkin and Bean Soup, or sweet treats, like the Crowd Pleaser Pumpkin Pie. Varieties like Dill’s Atlantic Giant can grow up to 3 feet in diameter and weigh in excess of 900 pounds, while the ornamental Baby Boo pumpkin measures around 3 inches in diameter and weighs about one-quarter of a pound. Cute!

No doubt, the pumpkin is a popular garden resident, although it’s matched in popularity by rosemary. Most rosemary varieties grow between one and three feet tall. With a few exceptions, the plant is relatively pest-and disease-free, making it a great companion in the garden. It’s also a wonderfully fragrant companion in the kitchen, working well in anything from a Garlic-Rosemary Butter to Walnut-Rosemary Crusted Salmon. 

When you read this edition of Food Gardening Magazine, be sure to check out the Gardening Guide Close-Ups that focus on carrots, pumpkins, and rosemary—these in-depth articles give you valuable tips and advice about these three foods, and you’ll have instant access to the premium garddening guides themselves, too. Be first to read these Gardening Guide Close-Ups, to get a head start on these amazing foods:

• “How to Know When Carrots are Ready to Harvest: 5 Signs to Look For”: It can feel a little tricky since the “carrot” part of the vegetable grows underground. But these 5 telltale signs will help you gain the confidence to harvest those carrots at just the right time. Discover the secrets now in this article.
• “What to Do with Pumpkins After the Harvest”: There are so many more possibilities than just pumpkin spice. Get a quick refresher on when to harvest them and then take a gander at 10 ways you can enjoy your freshly harvested pumpkins. Find out more in this article. 
• “How to Dry Fresh Rosemary and Use it in Oils, Teas, and More”: Discover three easy ways to dry fresh rosemary and then find out how you can use it to make refreshing Rosemary Tea, a mouth-watering Garlic-Rosemary Butter, and the best darn Rosemary-infused Olive Oil you’ll ever try. Check out this article for all the details.

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

• Ginger Carrot Soup—Carrots and ginger are like the peanut butter and chocolate of the savory set. They go so deliciously well together. This soup will warm your soul on a cold winter day. Add some roasted winter squash to turn this into a main course. 
• Pumpkin Crème Brûlée—I’m not going to tell you this is the easiest pumpkin recipe in the gardening guide, because it’s not. I will tell you it is worth every single bit of effort. A velvety, creamy custard underneath a light golden-brown crust… deep sigh.
• Rosemary Flatbread—Is there anything better than piping hot bread straight from the oven? As a matter of fact, yes! This Rosemary Flatbread makes a great pizza crust, but personally, I love it served as it is with a little olive oil. 

I hope you enjoy the October issue of Food Gardening Magazine as much as we’ve enjoyed putting it together. And wherever you may garden, whether that’s a city balcony in a cool climate or a raised bed in warmer parts of the world, let’s take a moment to enjoy the fact that there’s still lots of gardening to do and vegetables to enjoy!

Happy gardening—and happy eating!

Kim Mateus
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.