Good morning, Rural Sprout readers, It’s time for my annual fall break. Each year, once the garden starts to wind down and our readers’ attentions start to turn toward less soil-based endeavors, I pack my bags and head off somewhere for a week. Usually, it’s camping and poking about in
the woods for mushrooms. Unfortunately, we’ve had very little rain in the past two months, so no mushies any time soon. My kids laugh at me. When I drag them along on a foray, I can tell as soon as we get out of the car if we’re going to find mushrooms or not. I can smell them. I can smell when the ground is too dry. If they are out there, hiding among the leaves, the
earth has a damp smell, with a barely perceptible fungal-tinge under it. “You’re nuts, Mom. How do you do that?”When I was a child, I spent many of my weekends at my dad’s off-the-grid homestead on my own. I enjoyed the company of the two girls my age that lived next door, too, but I also loved being alone. I would pack an apple, a peanut butter and honey
sandwich and a book and head down to the creek, or further up into the woods. Â I would spend hours on my hands and knees in the creek, lifting stones to see what was living under them or watching water bugs skate along the surface of the water. I would lie on a branch of one particular apple tree that grew out across the creek
and read for hours on end. I would walk as quietly as possible into the deeper parts of the woods in search of deer, rabbits or whatever critter I could come upon without spooking them. The woods were a second home. So, yes, dear children of mine, I can smell the mushrooms before I see them.This year, I am heading to the ocean, instead. No camping this time. With every passing year, that ground gets a little harder to sleep on. I thought it would do me good to stand next to the ocean and have the wind blow the dickens out of me. As my
great-grandmother would say, “Get out and get the stink blown off.” Hopefully, I’ll come home to a garden full of ripened tomatoes, finally ready to be picked. In either case, I’ll see you next week, friends.Â
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If you want as many delicious, ripe tomatoes as possible, then grab your garden snips, September is the best time to top tomatoes.
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There's no denying that chrysanthemums are the flower of fall. But they don't have to stand alone, these annuals were meant to go with mums.
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As a recovering pessimist, I have become quite adept at not making a big deal out of gardening mistakes. Sometimes, my plan(t)s don't work out because the elements conspire against us: too much rain, a
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If you plan on grabbing a few mums this fall, you'll want to get the most bang for your buck. Keep your mums blooming with the no-fuss tips.
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These houseplants are known for their ability to put out new growth at impressive speed. Green up your space fast!
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Spider plants are one of the most popular houseplants and one of the easiest to propagate - both with or without baby spider plants.
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As summer fades and autumn takes center stage, big changes start happening in the world of our feathered friends. Some species prepare for migration and take flight, while others get ready for colder weather. Both
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There are things we learn growing up, not because someone took the time to teach them to us, but because "that's just the way we always did it." It's how things were done at home,
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I love volunteer plants. You know, the ones where you plant it once, and it self-seeds every year after that. I can't tell you how nice it is not to have to start chamomile from
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Let's be honest, tomatoes are kind of a pain. We put in months of work for a few short weeks of fruit, only to start over again each spring. But what if I told you
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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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