Hiya, Rural Sprout readers, Last night, I took one of “those” showers. The kind you take at the very end of your day. When you’ve been working outside from morning until the sun goes down. In the dirt. The water in the shower was brown. There were clumps of dirt in my hair. And at least one bug. Maybe I should alert the local water authority. Or a plumber. Regardless, it was a great day. The boys and I have been busting our butts out in the garden all weekend and getting a lot of work done. Today, I’ll likely lay down cardboard and wood chips in the flower bed on the side of the house by the
driveway. This spring, we dug up some seriously overgrown viburnum that had taken over that bed. They didn’t really bloom, and I found them boring and aggressive, so out they came. (They also scraped against the shutters in the winter winds in a creepy way.) I say out they came as though it was an easy process. It took several weekends, a 20-lb
digging bar and lots of swearing. But now it’s a blank canvas.That bed only gets sun in the late afternoon and only for a few hours, so it’s going to be planted with shady perennials. It’s also where I keep my bird feeders, so my spoiled rotten cats can watch the birds from the dining room window. (They let me
watch, too, but only if I pet them and don’t block their view.) I’m thinking lots of ferns, hostas, coral bells and a bird bath in the midst of it all. Anyway, I spent most of Saturday hot and sweaty. Actually, no, I spent all of Saturday hot and sweaty. But it wasn’t all dirt and grime. When it comes to
summer, there seems to be this notion that if you aren’t off on some grand vacation or doing outdoor warm weather activities like cycling, kayaking or working hard around your yard and garden, that somehow, you’re not doing summer right. It’s as if the only way you’re allowed to enjoy summer is if you’re being active. I’m a huge fan of naps. Especially naps that occur mid-sentence while reading a book. Summer naps on a blanket or in the hammock in the backyard are at the top of my list of favorite naps. So, I took a few of those yesterday as well. Maybe I’ll ignore
that empty flower bed and spend the whole day reading and napping. Hmm, I might need more popsicles. While whipping my new garden setup into shape is all well and good, so is doing absolutely nothing on a beautiful summer day. I hope you make time this summer to do absolutely nothing. Then brag about it when someone asks, “So, have you got anything
planned this summer?” We had a busy week at Rural Sprout with lots of new articles. For your Sunday perusal...
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A propane weed torch is an inexpensive and effective tool for dealing with weeds. Here's everything…
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Did you know there are things you can do as a gardener that will improve the flavor of the tomatoes…
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In a classic tale of taking over someone else's choices when you buy a place, when we moved into our…
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Summer is prime time for fertilizer mistakes. You can easily prevent a gardening disaster by avoiding…
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Decorative gravel is a great option for pathways and flower beds. Keeping it weed free is easy when…
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Stay cool when the temperature climbs with twelve delicious homemade popsicle recipes you can make at…
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Ah yes, summer is finally here. And with it comes popsicles, sunscreen lotion, and the annual…
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When the mercury climbs, your chickens have to endure the heat, too. And extreme temperatures can…
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There are folks who feed the birds, and then there are folks who feed hummingbirds. I know quite a…
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A recent survey suggested that beets are the second most hated vegetable in the United States - being…
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Did you miss a newsletter or want to read a few for inspiration? Find past newsletters here. Don't forget to check out our Facebook page for daily updates. That's all for this week, Rural Sprout Readers. |
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