Hiya, Rural Sprout readers, Boy, you could tell that this was the first nice weekend after our last predicted frost date here in my neck of the woods. Everyone was out working in their yards and gardens this weekend. I had the distinct pleasure of helping my daughter and
son-in-law finish planting their very first garden yesterday.  They're starting with a small raised bed and several 5-gallon buckets with potatoes and summer squash in them. I noticed we have an influx of new readers this month, and it’s been a while since I’ve introduced myself. My name is Tracey, and I live right smack in the middle of Pennsylvania (the geographical center of the state is about a mile from my house).  I grew
up with two parents who gardened: my mother, who was no great shakes at it, but put in a valiant effort, and my dad, who was an off-grid homesteader for many years and jumped on the organic gardening bandwagon before it was the buzzword it is today. My dad had me sowing my first seeds when I was seven, which means come July, I will have been gardening for forty years. Regardless of how long you’ve been gardening, here at Rural Sprout, we like to keep things pretty down to earth. I believe that anyone can successfully grow a garden with the right information and encouragement. Even the most experienced gardeners are
still learning.  Humans have been poking seeds in the ground and growing their own food for over 10,000 years, and we still haven’t got it all figured out. Me too. I’m always curious about new garden trends and hacks and whether or not they actually work. I love learning about plants and all the interesting things they have going on both above and below the soil. But I’m human, too. I make mistakes just
like everyone else. So, while my garden may look like this:  I’ve also got a mess of tomato seedlings to plant that look like this.   These were supposed to be monster tomato seedlings using my tomato seedling growing method. My spring got rather busy, and the date to pot up my smaller seedlings into the deep tree rooting pots came and went. They were left to fend
for themselves in my grow tent in the basement.  I may have buggered up my tomato seedlings, but I’ve been doing this long enough to know that if I bury their leggy stems quite deeply, in about two weeks, those tomato seedlings will look great and need pinching back already.  So, to all my
friends, new and old, you’re not alone in your gardening whoopsie-daisies. There’s a real live gardener on the other side of this email who is probably out in the garden right now, admiring her perfect rows of lettuce and onions before untangling leggy tomato seedlings and swearing a bit. I’m rooting for you this growing season.Â
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For these flowering shrubs, late spring is the right window to prune them in order to avoid interfering with bud formation for next year.
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If you pay attention to these three little talked about rules concerning pepper plants it will change your pepper-growing game completely.
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The mistakes we make in the spring can follow us all season long, leading to wasted time, fewer vegetables and even a few dead plants.
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It's late spring! Let's tackle some small jobs now that will save future you time and frustration come July.
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There are folks who feed the birds, and then there are folks who feed hummingbirds. I know quite a few people who have hummingbird feeders but not seed feeders. That's because hummingbirds are in a
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Who doesn't love hydrangeas? With their giant mopheads of icy blue, soft mauve or creamy white flowers, it's no wonder they're one of the most popular flowering shrubs out there. So, when summer rolls around,
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When it comes to herbs, most of us immediately think of thyme, rosemary or parsley. But when asked about herbal tea, generally, the first one to come to mind is chamomile. Its bright apple scent
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One of my plant-buying pet peeves is when plants come with labels that do more harm than good. Most of the time, it's just confusing or incomplete information. (Such as the blanket labeling of "ornamental
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A garden that can hold up to 50 plants is sitting inside this box. Before we jump in, I want to disclose that Rural Sprout is a Garden Tower Project affiliate. Should you purchase one
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(By the way, I still have my Garden Tower 2, it survived a tornado last spring, and I still use it every summer.) Â
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You've built your raised bed, but now what do you fill it with? Topsoil? Compost? Something else? We have the answers.
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Grow loofah gourds and turn them into sponges. It's so easy and you'll be able to grow more natural sponges than you'll ever need.
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How deep should I plant my bean seeds? How far apart do peas need to be? Our plant spacing guide has the info you need to plan your garden.
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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. I'll see you on Wednesday, Rural Sprout Readers. |
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