There is something wonderfully charming about old terracotta pots. The mineral stains and verdant green algae creeping along their sides suggest they’ve been in use since Beatrix Potter was writing …
I’m of the mind that there are few landscaping problems that more plants can’t solve. Need privacy, better drainage, weed displacement, or to cover up an ugly view? Well, there’s …
Water and air are essential to all life on earth. The cleaner they are, the healthier and happier we’ll be. That’s something we can all agree on. While we may …
Polytunnel, hoop house, row cover – whatever you want to call it, they’re dead useful in the garden. There are plenty of benefits to be gained by adding a polytunnel …
Are you tired of planning your garden on paper, only to find it’s a bit more difficult to transfer those neat lines and groups of veggies to the soil? This …
There’s something uniquely special about trees. Trees give us cool shade in summertime and spectacular color in fall. They help take the dullness out of the winter landscape and are …
Keeping your house warm without electricity is a toasty topic that people are searching heatedly nowadays, for good reasons too. Winter is the time of year when temperatures dip down …
The act of decorating your home for the holidays, particularly your front door, has been around since time began. Or at least for several hundred years prior to today. If …
The kitchen is a great place to start if you’re looking for ways to cut the amount of waste your household produces. You already know what to do with all …
Caring for a compost pile is much like tending a garden. We feed it, we water it, we give it good airflow. And in return, we get to see the …
Because chickens have a narrow intestinal tract, they like to eat often but in small portions. This means that chickens are almost always hungry and food obsessed. Keep them well-fed …
I’m not typically one to tackle DIY projects. Anything that requires a power tool is largely out of my wheelhouse. That was until I found pictures online of a glass …
Your home life is more wasteful than you realize. The average American household consumes more than 900-kilowatt hours every month. Assuming you’re powering your home with coal or petroleum, this …
While there are entire books dedicated to drying herbs at home, you’ll find all you need to know right here. At the same time, we’ll also walk you through a …
Butterflies are among the most appealing insects found in nature. As indispensable members of the beneficial insect crew, butterflies are essential pollinators that pick up tiny grains of pollen on …
Dirt, grease, and grime are no match for the sudsy cleaning action of soap. But a bar of soap is no one-trick pony – it can do all sorts of …
The rich hue and warm shine of brass has a way of drawing the eye, which means it only takes one or two pieces in a room to pull you …
We’re always on the lookout for interesting and fun gardening projects here at Rural Sprout. And this time, we’ve got a doozy for you. Not only is this project fun, …
I love Christmas to the core. It’s my favorite time of year. And getting the Christmas tree has always been a big deal in our family. The annual argument over …
The basic recipe for making soap has been the same for thousands of years. Combining plant or animal fats with an alkali causes a chemical transformation, a process known as …
It’s nearly that time of year, when colorful lights illuminate windows and trees, while snowflakes come tumbling down from the sky. And as much as people appreciate and do their …
Eons ago, fire was one of humankind’s most life-altering discoveries, so it’s no wonder that even today, we find comfort around the warm glow of a fire. Getting an invitation …
One of the great things about having a garden is that you can find a range of ways to reuse things that might otherwise be thrown away. Glass bottles are …
Plastic grocery bags. We’ve all got them hiding in our home somewhere, stashed somewhere out of sight where they multiply in the dark like rabbits. Perhaps you have one of …