Pearls of Country Wisdom: Hints from a Small Town on Keeping Garden and Home

FROM THE PUBLISHER

Combining old-fashioned common sense and modern-day ingenuity, Pearls of Country Wisdom offers hundreds of ways for anyone to enjoy a simpler, more natural lifestyle. In 1995, Deborah Tukua and her family left their suburban home in Jacksonville, Florida, for life on a farm in rural Tennessee. When they arrived, Tukua turned to her neighbors in nearby towns for any pearls of country wisdom they might be willing to share. Instantly, good advice gushed forth from every imaginable source, including farmers, midwives, herbalists, shopkeepers, and more.

This unique and indispensable book represents the distillation of a community's tried-and-true techniques for everything from caring for linen to keeping harmful bugs out of the garden. Here are tips for every corner of the home from bath to tool-shed, kitchen to barn. For example: Need secret storage space? Who'd think to look inside the bottom step of a staircase? Keep brown sugar soft. Refrigerate in a glass jar or plastic bag with a piece of bread or apple. Egg whites applied to a burn give quick relief. Dampen the rim of a bowl or jar and the plastic wrap will cling better. To purify water, add a few drops of bleach to a gallon jug.

Every tip is practical, easy, and affordable. Best of all, many of them have been handed down through the generations, and all of them have been implemented again and again in many a country home. Pearls of Country Wisdom is perfect for the novice and seasoned homesteader, as well as anyone looking to bring a bit of the country life into a city or suburban home.

SYNOPSIS

Here are over 700 time-and money-saving tips and recipes for house, health, garden, and farm.

Combining old-fashioned common sense and modern-day ingenuity, this indispensable handbook offers hundreds of ways for anyone to enjoy a simpler, more natural lifestyle. As an experienced homesteader, Deborah Tukua has spent several years collecting nuggets of information from friends and neighbors who share her way of life in rural Tennessee. Pearls of Country Wisdom represents the distillation of a community's tried and true techniques for country living, some of which have been handed down for generations. Here are tips for every corner of the homestead from bath to tool-shed, kitchen to barnyard. For example:

Need secret storage space? Who'd think to look inside the bottom step of a staircase? Keep brown sugar soft. Refrigerate in a glass jar or plastic bag with a piece of bread or apple. Plant basil next to your tomato plants to keep harmful insects at bay. Vary how you fold your linens to avoid excess wear on the folds. Egg whites applied to a burn give quick relief.