I got a message from a friend this week saying, “My cucumbers are covered in flowers. I’m so excited! I’ve never grown cucumbers before. I have no idea what to do. What should I do?” My first thought ...

I’ve been making switchel for decades. Quite a few years ago, I introduced this summertime drink to the Rural Sprout community, and our readers loved it. As we head into the dog days of summer, I ...

When the forecast calls for extreme heat, there are some easy and quick ways to stay cool that don't involve the high ...

Imagine the smell of this star jasmine greeting you every time you come home. I am endlessly fascinated by the power that scent can have on our mood. A well-chosen fragrance can help us feel calm, ...

Gardeners know the absolute joy of tasting a homegrown tomato, bitten into, right off the vine. It’s why so many of us turn our noses up at those tasteless things in the grocery store. The sweetness, ...

You could say we have an obsession with compost around here. And why wouldn’t we? It’s the perfect organic soil amendment – nutrient-rich and filled with microbial life – that we can make ourselves, ...

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 a plant for that. So ...

Blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum) is an ancient North American species, wilder than most other plants you can grow in your edible landscape. Having only been in cultivation for about 100 years – a mere ...

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 puts ...

Fruit-bearing trees that are left to grow just as nature intended will become massive over time. Although beautiful, mature fruit trees with large spreading canopies and dense crowns will shade out ...

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 ...

Squash are some of the easiest vegetables to grow in your garden each year. Whether you love the light, tender taste of summer squash like zucchini or you prefer the heartier fare of soups and pies ...