Happy Sunday, Rural Sprout Readers!
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How was your week? Whatâs popping up in the garden? Are you sick of zucchini yet?Â
I tried a different variety of zucchini this year, Costata Romanesco. Itâs beautiful, and while I love it, itâs struggling. I gave it a pep talk the other day that sort of went like this, âYouâre a zucchini! Youâre supposed to outgrow everything else until Iâm hiding your fruit in my neighborsâ mailboxes. Perk up, get producing; Iâve got zucchini relish to make.âÂ
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It responded with a hearty, âMeh, I tried.â
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To be fair, we have been inundated with some pretty crazy storms for the past few weeks. There has been a lot of rain, and even using grow bags, things are pretty damp. Most of my garden is in âOkay, you can stop nowâ mode, but, of course, every time I look out my window, the tomatoes look like they need to be watered. âNo, really, weâre totally dying over here. Seriously.âÂ
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I think container gardening means having a watering can permanently attached to your hand in the summer.Â
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But oh, those two tiny zucchinis were so tasty. I sliced them up and sautĂ©ed them in butter with a handful of my grape tomatoes, which are starting to ripen. And I topped it all off with fresh basil. Itâs that time of year when I can take my basket out to the rooftop garden and come in with enough produce to throw some kale in my morning smoothie and have veggies for lunch and dinner.Â
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I know whatâs coming, thoughâthe motherload.
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You know what Iâm talking about. Itâs that moment when you walk out to the garden and realize that everything is producing and itâs go-time! Time to can, pickle and freeze everything.
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Hey, check in with those neighbors we gave pickles and jam to, did we ever get our jars back? Did we get enough new lids this year? We need to eat more carrots to make room in the freezer for this yearâs carrots.Â
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But itâs not here just yet, so Iâm enjoying the quiet before the storm. How about you?Â
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I want to remind all of you, donât forget to send us photos of your garden to be featured in our newsletter. We love seeing everyoneâs beautiful gardens.Â
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Check out Ellen Vâs clever use of old bathtubs used as raised beds. I love this idea!
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Just like last week, weâve got a ton of great new pieces up on the website. Iâll share a few favorites, but be sure to head over to Rural Sprout to see all of the interesting new articles we have for you.
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15 Unusual Ways to Use Fresh Basil for When Youâve Had Enough Pesto
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Is your basil going bonkers? Are you sick of making yet another batch of pesto? Iâve got you covered with 15 different ways to use fresh basil that you probably havenât tried before.Â
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How To Grow Lavender From Seed Or Cuttings: The Total Guide
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Lydia walks us through successfully growing lavender from seeds or cuttings and the proper care of this fragrant Mediterranean plant. (Which is good because I keep killing mine.)
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Make a Bottle of All-Purpose Natural Citrus Peel Cleaner
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If youâre looking to replace toxic cleaners with a more natural option, Cheryl has a fantastic citrus cleaner thatâs easy to make with only two ingredients. Check it out!
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The Ultimate Green Bean Growing Guide â from Planting to Harvesting
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Green beans! Itâs the ultimate growing guide for these crunchy garden standbys. Cheryl rounded up everything you need to know to grow beans.Â
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4 Easy Ways to Attract Toads and Frogs to Your Garden
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Hire these friendly amphibians to be part of your all-natural pest control crew. Meredith has four easy steps to help you attract more toads and frogs to your garden.Â
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That's all for this week, Rural Sprout Readers.
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