Hello there, Rural Sprout readers,It’s Saturday night, and we just got home from my daughter's and son-in-law’s house. The boys went over this afternoon to help them out for the day, with the never-ending to-do list of new homeowners. I stayed at home and worked in my garden.
 I’ve been working composted manure into all the beds before laying the drip-line for the season. Once that’s finished, I’ve been poking seeds in the soil: radicchio, lettuce, more radishes and turnips, arugula and peas. It’s been cool and breezy, and yesterday we had a good soaking rain to help water in the seeds. The rain also encouraged more of
the garlic and shallots I planted last fall to pop up, which is always so satisfying to see. Sometimes, I think this is my favorite part of gardening. You would think it would be the part where you get to eat what you’ve grown. But I love that time in the spring, when a garden is little more than a promise. Before the bugs show up and those strange spots on your tomato leaves, and before the draught
that lasts half the summer. This moment in time, when what we’re really planting is hope; this is my favorite part of the gardening season. And this evening, as we put soil into the raised bed that the boys helped their sister and brother-in-law put together, I got to share that feeling with my kids. Oh, I doubt the two teenage boys felt it, but looking at that dark, rich earth in the
newly assembled bed in their back yard, I’m pretty sure the adult kids can feel it. I hope you feel it, too, when you’re out there in the garden this spring, friends; growing hope.Â
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Get your dahlias ready for a summer filled with big, bold blooms with this quick springtime care checklist.
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When the magnolias are in bloom, it's time to head to the kitchen for some tasty, gingery, magnolia petal snacks.
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Home gardeners meet the Kalette. This hybrid from the UK mixes the crunch of kale with the flavor of Brussels sprouts in a colorful cluster.
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Bleeding hearts are some of the most magical plants in the spring garden. To ensure a plethora of pink and white flowers do this.
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With a name like butterfly bush, it's easy to see why Buddleja is such a popular landscaping plant. After all, who wouldn't enjoy more of these beautiful insects in their backyard? And with the push
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This piece was updated on 8/28/2023 to include photos of the harvested garlic from the cloves planted in the spring. It's not too late. You can plant garlic in the spring. In the book of
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When flowers begin to come up from the ground it can only mean one thing, that spring is finally on the way. Time to put the cold and snow of winter behind us, well, almost.
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Lettuce grows easily almost anywhere, making it the perfect crop for cool weather. When you plant your own lettuce, it provides lots of leafy green salads for harvesting.
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As the garden slowly wakes up after a long winter slumber, the excitement for a whole new gardening season is palpable. The sights and sounds and smells of spring are all around us, and oh
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Nothing beats the flavor of cooking with fresh herbs, but what are the best culinary herbs to grow in your herb garden? We reveal the best.
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Nasturtiums deserve a place in every garden. Beautiful while in flower and useful when harvested, here's how and why you should grow nasturtiums.
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Oh man, I don't know about you, but I can't wait to bite into that first cool, crisp slice of cucumber from the garden this year. But before we can do that, we need to
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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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