It's worth a peep👌

All the best to the incoming winner💚🥬🌶🥑

Fresh lettuce in December? Absolutely. Indoor lettuce pots are one of the easiest ways to enjoy crisp, homegrown greens even when the outside world is cold, dark, and decidedly not “garden-friendly.” The trick is keeping your lettuce pot happy through the whole month, not just the first week. With the right setup and a few simple habits, you can harvest tender leaves over and over, all winter long. Here’s how to turn your indoor lettuce pot into a thriving, leafy, all-month-long salad machine. 🌤️𝟏. 𝐆𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐈𝐭 𝐄𝐧𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡 𝐋𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 (𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐈𝐬 𝐖𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐌𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐈𝐧𝐝𝐨𝐨𝐫 𝐋𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐮𝐜𝐞 𝐅𝐚𝐢𝐥𝐬) Lettuce is more light-hungry than people expect it to be, especially in December. 𝐁𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐩𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬: * A bright south-facing window * A grow light placed 6–10 inches above the leaves * Under-cabinet LED lighting on a kitchen counter Lettuce gets leggy FAST when light is too weak. Weak light = stretched stems, floppy leaves, bitter flavor. 𝐀𝐢𝐦 𝐟𝐨𝐫: ✔ 10–12 hours of bright light daily ✔ Even coverage across the whole pot If you notice your lettuce leaning, getting pale, or reaching, add a small grow light. It makes a huge difference. 🌱 𝟐. 𝐏𝐢𝐜𝐤 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐑𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐕𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐞𝐬 (𝐋𝐨𝐨𝐬𝐞-𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐟 𝐢𝐬 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐅𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐝) For ongoing December harvests, choose cut-and-come-again types: ⭐ 𝐁𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐈𝐧𝐝𝐨𝐨𝐫 𝐕𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐞𝐬: * Black-Seeded Simpson * Salad Bowl (green or red) * Oak Leaf * Red Sails * Buttercrunch (semi-loose head, very tender) * Mizuna * Baby romaine blends * Mesclun mixes These keep producing for weeks when harvested correctly. 💧 𝟑. 𝐖𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠: 𝐍𝐨𝐭 𝐓𝐨𝐨 𝐌𝐮𝐜𝐡, 𝐍𝐨𝐭 𝐓𝐨𝐨 𝐋𝐢𝐭𝐭𝐥𝐞 Lettuce loves moisture, but not soggy soil. 𝐖𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐧: * The top 1 inch feels dry * Leaves start to slightly soften * The pot feels lighter 𝐀𝐯𝐨𝐢𝐝: ✘ Watering on a strict schedule ✘ Letting water sit in the saucer ✘ Letting the soil fully dry out Winter air is dry, but winter growth is slow — adjust watering to match. 🌬️ 𝟒. 𝐊𝐞𝐞𝐩 𝐈𝐭 𝐂𝐨𝐨𝐥 (𝐋𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐮𝐜𝐞 𝐇𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐬 𝐇𝐞𝐚𝐭!) If your home runs warm during the holidays, move the pot to a cooler area. 𝐈𝐝𝐞𝐚𝐥 𝐭𝐞𝐦𝐩𝐬: 𝟔𝟎–𝟕𝟎°𝐅 = cooler is better

There’s something timeless about a Mason jar. Maybe it’s the way it catches the light on a sunny windowsill or how it always seems to have another use waiting to be discovered. For gardeners, these humble jars are more than kitchen tools, they’re part of the rhythm of growing, preserving, and celebrating the harvest. So when 𝐍𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐌𝐚𝐬𝐨𝐧 𝐉𝐚𝐫 𝐃𝐚𝐲 arrives on 𝐍𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫 𝟑𝟎, it’s the perfect excuse to get creative and give these classic glass containers a little extra love. 🌿 𝐀 𝐆𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐫’𝐬 𝐁𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐅𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐝 The Mason jar has been around since the 1800s, helping generations store their garden bounty safely through the seasons. But for today’s container gardeners, they’re not just for canning anymore. They’re beautiful, practical, and endlessly reusable. You’ll find them in every corner of a gardener’s life: * Holding seeds saved from last season’s tomatoes. * Storing dried herbs from an indoor harvest. * Acting as vases for cut flowers and sprigs of mint. * Serving as rustic décor for garden tables and shelves. There’s something grounding about reusing what you already have — it’s simple sustainability at its finest. 🌎 🪴 𝟓 𝐆𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐞𝐧-𝐈𝐧𝐬𝐩𝐢𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐖𝐚𝐲𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐔𝐬𝐞 𝐌𝐚𝐬𝐨𝐧 𝐉𝐚𝐫𝐬 𝟏. 𝐒𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐒𝐞𝐞𝐝𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐍𝐞𝐱𝐭 𝐒𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐨𝐧 🌱 Once your plants finish producing, collect seeds, label them, and keep them safe in small Mason jars. Tuck in a packet of silica gel or dry rice to absorb moisture. You’ll thank yourself come spring planting time! 𝟐. 𝐂𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐚𝐧 𝐈𝐧𝐝𝐨𝐨𝐫 𝐇𝐞𝐫𝐛 𝐉𝐚𝐫 𝐆𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐞𝐧 🌿 No outdoor space? No problem! Mason jars make perfect mini-planters for herbs like basil, parsley, thyme, and mint. Add a small layer of pebbles at the bottom for drainage, fill with potting mix, and place near a sunny window. 𝟑. 𝐌𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐇𝐞𝐫𝐛-𝐈𝐧𝐟𝐮𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐎𝐢𝐥𝐬 𝐨𝐫 𝐕𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐠𝐚𝐫𝐬 🍋 Combine olive oil or vinegar with sprigs of rosemary, thyme, or basil from your containers. Let it steep for a week, then strain into a clean jar for a homemade gift or kitchen essential. 𝟒. 𝐏𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐞 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐇𝐚𝐫𝐯𝐞𝐬𝐭 🥒 Of course, Mason jars are at their best when they’re filled with garden abundance — pickles, jams, salsas, and sauces. Even small harvests from patio pots can become flavorful treasures for winter meals.

Your container garden has worked hard all season and now it’s time to reap the rewards! As Thanksgiving approaches, there’s no better feeling than walking outside, snipping a few herbs, or pulling a handful of fresh veggies from your pots to use in your holiday dishes. Whether your garden is on the porch, patio, or balcony, there’s still plenty to gather before winter settles in. 🌿 𝐅𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐡 𝐇𝐞𝐫𝐛𝐬 𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐁𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐅𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐋𝐢𝐟𝐞 🌿 𝐒𝐚𝐠𝐞 The star of the stuffing! Sage’s soft, silvery leaves add earthy flavor to turkey, potatoes, and roasted veggies. Clip the top few leaves and leave the rest. It’ll keep producing indoors if you bring it in before frost. 🌿 𝐓𝐡𝐲𝐦𝐞 A Thanksgiving workhorse that pairs beautifully with nearly everything from turkey, gravy, carrots, or even homemade bread. Snip whole sprigs, dry a few for later, and let the plant rest between harvests. 🌿 𝐑𝐨𝐬𝐞𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐲 This hardy herb thrives in cool weather and fills the air with its piney scent. Use fresh sprigs to flavor roasted meats or to garnish your table décor. It transitions easily indoors if you want to keep it going through winter. 🌿 𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐬𝐥𝐞𝐲 Often overlooked as “just a garnish,” parsley adds bright, fresh flavor to stuffing, soups, and sauces. Harvest the outer stems first and let new growth continue in the center. 🥕 𝐕𝐞𝐠𝐠𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐀𝐫𝐞 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐲 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐓𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 🥬 𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐟𝐲 𝐆𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐧𝐬 (𝐒𝐩𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐜𝐡, 𝐀𝐫𝐮𝐠𝐮𝐥𝐚, 𝐌𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐝 𝐆𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐧𝐬) These quick-growing greens love cool weather. Harvest outer leaves as needed for salads or sautés. The more you pick, the more they grow! 🥕𝐂𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐨𝐭𝐬 If you planted shorter or “mini” varieties in containers, now’s the time to pull them up! Cool soil makes them sweeter — perfect for roasting with a drizzle of honey. 🌶️ 𝐏𝐞𝐩𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐬 Even if your pepper plants are slowing down, you can still pick the last few ripe ones. Dice them into stuffing or slice for a colorful side dish. 🌿 𝐆𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐎𝐧𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 They add fresh, mild flavor to mashed potatoes or soups. Snip what you need — the bulbs will regrow for a second harvest if the weather stays mild.