Read by Matilda Longbottom

 Dear Gardeners,

Welcome to the January 2026 issue of Food Gardening Magazine!

Here in the Northeast, January arrives with a sense of spacious calm, as if the garden itself is taking a slow, steady breath before beginning again. Snow softens the edges of dormant beds, branches etch clean lines against a wintry sky, and the whole landscape feels quietly reset. It is a month that whispers of possibility, a gentle reminder that every gardening year begins not with blossoms but with an invitation to imagine what could be.

This year, I have been reflecting on the promises tucked inside a new garden season. January feels like the moment before the first brushstroke on a blank canvas. The soil sleeps, but beneath its surface lies the pure potential of everything to come: the vegetables we have not yet sown, the flowers we have not yet admired, and the lessons we have not yet learned. A new year reminds us that each garden season is a chance to refine, to experiment, and to grow right along with whatever we plant.

I have welcomed these early winter days by thinking less about what I preserved last year and more about what I hope the coming one will hold, from new varieties I want to try to spaces I want to reshape. Even in its quietest hours, the garden nudges me toward optimism. And in the soft glow of January evenings, warm mug in hand, I find myself dreaming of the first thaw, the first turned soil, and the first seeds tucked into the earth. In gardening and in life, the new year’s greatest gift is the sense that everything good is still ahead.

Fresh Takes
January is all about fresh starts and getting ready for the gardening year. No matter your growing zone, there are plenty of opportunities to kick-start your garden, and we have articles about each of the major planting zones to help you see what’s available to you this month:

• Fresh Beginnings: A Lighthearted Look at Eating Better and Growing Healthier
• 7-Day Fresh Meal Plan for Healthy Living: Replace ultra-processed foods with vibrant, nutrient-packed meals
• Planning Your 2026 Garden: From Simple Beginnings to Exotic Adventures
• What to Plant in January in Zones 4–6: While the snow piles up, start seeds for leafy greens and herbs indoors to get a head start on spring
• What to Plant in January in Zones 7–8: Cool-weather crops like spinach and carrots can still thrive outdoors, giving you a chance to keep harvesting
• https://foodgardening.mequoda.com/articles/what-to-plant-in-january-in-zones-9-10/?t=120086 Mild winter weather means you can plant beets, kale, and more for a steady winter harvest

Plant Close-Ups
This month, we’re diving deep into the plants that sustain us through the cold winter months and beyond, from planning ahead for the best salsa to choosing the bean that fits your lifestyle:

• How to Grow an Orange Tree in Your Yard: You don’t have to go to the grove for fresh citrus
• The 5 Best Tomatoes for Salsa: Make the best dish of salsa you’ve ever prepared
• Pole Beans vs. Bush Beans: Which Are Better to Grow?: You only need to worry about whether you have a trellis and which varietals you want to eat
• The Sweetest Winter Squash: From Acorn to Sunshine: Here are our favorites
• All About Avocados: Everything there is to know about this trendy, tasty fruit, from planting to eating

Get Your Free Raised Bed Gardening Planning Kit
There’s something magical about raised bed gardening. Maybe it’s the way those tidy frames make even a chaotic yard look like you have your life together. Or maybe it’s the fact that vegetables grow like they’ve been secretly taking performance-enhancing compost. Raised beds make gardening easier, smarter, and more rewarding. The Raised Bed Food Gardening Planning Kit gives you the blueprint—and the confidence—to make this your most abundant gardening season yet.

Featured Videos
This month, our videos are all about planning ahead for the upcoming year and keeping the compost going throughout the cold months:

• 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
• How to Build a Simple Hydroponic System: Once you know how to build a simple hydroponic system, you can garden in any season
• Composting in the Winter: Yes, you can still start and continue composting in winter, and you don’t need any fancy bins to do it—just follow these guidelines
• How to Create an Edible Perennial Garden: Sit back and watch your garden reemerge all on its own with these edible perennial vegetables and herbs
• 3 Easy Homemade Salad Dressing Recipes: These Honey Lemon & Feta, Roasted Red Pepper and Shallot, and Green Goddess dressing recipes can be made in no time and make any salad taste better

Simple, Seasonal, and Distinctive Crumbles
These five carefully curated crumble recipes demonstrate how this humble dessert can transform from a basic fruit-and-topping combination into an elegant finale for any meal, each offering its own unique interpretation while maintaining the comfort that makes crumbles a timeless favorite:

• Sweet Potato Pecan Crumble: Satisfy your sweet tooth with sweet potatoes whipped with butter and sugar, topped with a pecan crumble
• The Ultimate Berry Crumble: Loaded with fresh blueberries, other berries, and a tasty, crunchy topping—you’ll want seconds
• Rhubarb Comfort Crumble: This crumble is bound to become a comfort food favorite on your family menu
• Perfect Peach Crumble: Capture the essence of sun-ripened peaches crowned with a buttery, cinnamon-kissed crumble topping
• Raspberry Custard Crumble: A tangy-sweet symphony of juicy raspberries nestled in creamy custard

Let the New Year Inspire You
Don’t forget to download your Raised Bed Gardening Planning 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!

Whether you’re sorting seed packets, paging through garden plans, or stepping outside to admire the peaceful hush of a winter morning, this is a time for intention. The garden may lie dormant, but your imagination doesn’t have to. January invites you to dream forward, to picture the beds you’ll reshape, the varieties you’ll try, and the colors you’ll welcome back when the soil softens. It’s a season for warm mugs, hopeful lists, and quiet moments that remind you why you garden in the first place. The year is just beginning, and with it comes the promise of everything your hands will grow.

Happy New Year, and happy planning!
Warm regards,

Christy Page
Editor & Publisher

P.S. What’s your favorite way to plan for the year ahead during the winter months? Do you study in seed catalogs, map out your garden ideas, or just daydream? I’d love to hear how you plan your upcoming garden when everything outside is frozen! Share your winter planning ideas in the comments below!