When it comes to a bountiful garden harvest, one doesn’t often stop to think, “the smaller, the better.” Yet, it depends on what you’re harvesting. Everybody loves an enormous pumpkin, …
Jerusalem artichokes (Helianthus tuberosus) aren’t native to Jerusalem, nor the Middle East, as their name suggests. They have been cultivated as native plants in North America and Canada for hundreds …
All gardeners make mistakes. It could be sowing all your seeds at once – who has time to spread out planting while at the same time remembering where the seeds …
As it often happens, this article was inspired by a leisurely puttering session in my garden. I was collecting seeds, as you do in late summer, and wondering how many …
I hate to say it, but the end of summer is drawing near. Yup, we all blinked, and here it is. The shadows are growing longer each afternoon, and we’ve …
You know you can stop digging your garden anytime, right? It’s not a must to create a lush, backyard garden full of nutritious edible vegetables, herbs, flowers and fruits. Gone …
Beets are a cool season crop to love or loathe. While some of us adore the earthy flavor, especially in pickled beets, others claim the roots taste like dirt – …
As gardeners, it’s often necessary to wear different hats for all the various jobs that tending a garden entails. Depending on the day (and time of year), we’re site planners, …
I love summer squash, don’t you? I don’t think I’ve ever had a garden that didn’t have a zucchini plant in it. And why not? Zucchini and summer squash are …
The other day, my sweetie came out to the garden to find me buried head first in our Amish Paste tomatoes, hacking away and cursing. He had to duck as …
When it comes to summertime fruit, our favorite is blueberries. They’re infinitely snackable. A bowl left unattended on the counter, destined for jam or homemade blueberry syrup, will likely disappear …
So, you’ve finally taken some gardening advice from Rural Sprout and are putting that spade or rototiller down for a nap. Now what? Your questioning and calculating mind may be …
Raspberries (Rubus spp.) are sun-loving, thorny, rambling plants in the Rose family. It’s absolutely worth a few prickles for the heavenly taste of the sweet, delicate berries, straight off the …
Biting into a perfect, tree-ripened peach could be the culinary highlight of your summer. That is, if you know the best varieties to plant: three to four years in advance. …
Growing some shape or size of pumpkin is easy enough. Getting them to grow huge is another weight category entirely. So, what does it take to grow a large pumpkin? …
If you’re a longtime tomato grower, you’ve probably harvested your fair share of wonky fruit over the years. Rarely do we enjoy a bumper crop of perfectly shaped tomatoes with …
Tomatoes are dangerous. It seems that no other fruit in the home garden causes such fevered coddling, fussing, pride and competitiveness among gardeners. These bright red fruits can bring out …
Few things bring more joy in a late-season garden than harvesting a bounty of bright-hued peppers. This gem of a garden plant is considered low maintenance—there’s rarely much you need …
When I first got a look at these things, my initial thought was, “What in the world are they?” They’re shipped flat, so what you receive isn’t pot-shaped. And it’s …
It’s hard to pass by those mounds of freshly picked strawberries at the market, for their aroma is incredibly enticing. Can you smell when you close your eyes? The same …
Radishes are one of the easiest crops to grow. But if you’re only eating the root, then you are missing a trick! Whether you have a large garden or only …
Can you imagine life without potatoes? No hash browns or fries, nor a baked spud or a bowl of garlic mashed potatoes in sight. Not even a potato wedge with …
It’s time to get those seedlings planted in the garden. Whether you’ve spent the past few months growing them yourself or picked up some starter packs at the local nursery, …
Do you even know the number of meals and preserves you can get out of a bumper crop of beets? Or are you curious to find out? Before getting your …