I put my very first tomato seed in a Jiffy peat pot when I was seven years old. My dad helped me pat the soil down, and then carefully pour …

When I first started gardening, nothing intimidated me more than pruning. It felt so confusing and counterintuitive. And I constantly thought to myself, wouldn’t it be nice if there was …

I hold a weird duality in my gardener soul once February rolls around. On the one hand, the tantalizing signs of spring perk up my mood, and I get carried …

Wait, did you say chipping potatoes? I like potato chips! Oh, chitting potatoes! Yeah, let’s talk about that. The lazy gardeners (my people) are wondering whether we really need to …

Peppers are a popular choice for home gardeners to start from seed. Whether you’re a fan of sweet peppers or you love the heat of a good hot pepper, there …

January and February may not necessarily be the months when we enjoy the fruits of our labor, but that doesn’t mean we can’t use them as stepping stones to set …

There’s a lot to be said for growing your own veggies, herbs and flowers from seed. It opens up a world of variety that you just can’t find down at …

I’ll be the first one to admit that it feels a bit premature (bordering on ridiculous) to write about propagating plants in January. As I’m sitting down to write this …

New and seasoned gardeners alike catch the seed-starting bug early each year. Long before it’s time to garden outdoors, you can find us gardening indoors. We’re starting seeds to be …

It’s that weird time of year when gardeners everywhere hear the siren song of seed packets. But it’s a strange call to heed because your particular growing zone dictates which …

As a fellow gardener, I’m sure you know how difficult the month of January is. The holidays are over. Resolutions have been made. (Some already broken.) There’s still plenty of …

Despite writing for our Rural Sprout readers for a few years now and mentioning lilac in no fewer than six articles, it has just dawned on me that I haven’t …

I won’t ask you What are you doing New Year’s Eve? as the song goes. But I am curious if you’re doing anything in the garden the week between Christmas …

Updated: December 16, 2025 – Now with easier instructions and battery-operated flame lights and wreaths! Oh, the weather outside is frightful! Which means it’s the perfect time of year to …

These charmingly rustic pinecone flower Christmas ornaments are the perfect craft for a snowy winter day. (Don’t worry, you can still make them if you don’t have any snow.) These …

You can keep your hot cocoa bombs. Hot apple cider is the way to go. And when you throw in a few spices, some pomegranate juice and honey, well, all …

In temperate climates, native plants take their cues from the changing seasons. Shorter days and cooler nights signal to plants it’s time to finish producing seed. Each plant is capable …

Have you ever had a gardening dream that you just couldn’t let go of? No matter what you planted, you wouldn’t feel that you’d “made it” as a gardener unless …

It happens every year. I get at least one email from a concerned reader asking what this weird walnut-like thing is that they found in their Christmas tree. If you …

There are no raspberries in our new garden! I repeat, there are no raspberries in our new garden! As someone who has spent the past five years consuming raspberries by …

It happens to so many of us each year. You buy a cheery poinsettia in the hopes that it will be a lovely (and easy) addition to your holiday décor. …

If you do a lot of cooking, you likely go through herbs and spices much quicker than most. And if you’re anything like me, I’ll bet you go through garlic …

If “giftable” is a word, then allow me to declare this the most giftable advent calendar of the season. If you like fruit, if you like sweets, but especially if …

As much as I love the feeling of late fall in the garden, and all the scrumptious flavors that come part and parcel with the season, there’s one thing I …