Hello, Rural Sprout readers, How was your week? Did you get out in the garden? Here in Pennsylvania, we had a little preview of summer with temperatures in the 80s but without the humidity
that usually goes along with it. It was lovely! I slept with the windows open and the cool evening breeze moving through the house. You know, those pre-summer days when the nights are still chilly. As we like to say in my family, “It’s good sleeping weather.”At least, that is, until I woke up with sinuses so stuffed up I was considering calling Roto-Rooter for help. Yes, it’s that time of year. Every single tree is flowering. The entire world around me has turned green, and not just from new leaves. My car is covered in a dusty layer of green. My porch is covered in a dusty layer of green. I took a friend into the woods to hunt for morels, and when we came back out, my boots were covered in a fine layer of green. And after sleeping with the windows open all week, my bedroom is covered in a layer of green. The pollen counts are off the charts right now. So, to all of our readers who suffer from seasonal allergies, you have my sympathy. It’s brutal out there. I
raise my box of tissues to you, friend. I need your help clearing up a little garden mystery.I had grand plans of tackling the overgrown flowerbeds I inherited with my new place. But the weather had other ideas. It’s been raining all weekend. I decided I could at least tackle the huge burdock that had popped up next to the stone patio, even with the rain. In doing so, I found I have a shrub growing off my back patio that I've never seen before. I’m hoping one of you might be able to help me figure out what it is. After chopping off the burdock leaves, much to my astonishment, I found four tiny fruits growing under this shrub. I was amazed that something was already producing this early in the season. The fruit is small and fuzzy and wiggly. It’s also very cute.
I’ve never seen a shrub like this before. Any ideas, folks? I hope it's not an invasive species. I'll have fuzzy little fruits everywhere!
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Oh man, I don't know about you, but I can't wait to bite into that first cool, crisp slice of…
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Did spring get away from you? Don't worry, there's still time to get a spring garden in the ground…
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Fermenting chicken feed for your flock can result in healthier, happier hens, shorter molting times,…
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Growing up with a nature-focused grandmother meant I could have the entire garden in her pantry and…
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Around this time of year, I start pacing. I walk to the window and peer out at the garden. Then I…
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Filling your garden with an abundance of gorgeous flowers can be as simple as scattering seeds on the…
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If you want to get your garden started on the right foot this year, it helps to be prepared. Yet,…
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