F irst, some exciting news. I’ve been selected to be part of Proven Winners’ writers’ distribution. This means that I’ll get some new varieties of plants to trial prior to their release (so I will get a sneak peek at the 2011 introductions). I’ll also be going to Proven Winners Outdoor Living Extravaganza March 6 in Chicago, which I’m very …
Maya over at Completely Coastal has some cool giveaways going on so go check them out!
L indsey over at the Better After blog featured my freecycle buffet-turned-bookcase today. I’m flattered, since the Better After blog is one of my go-to places for inspiration. Some of the things people come up with is amazing. There are so many creative people in this world. In case you’re a fan of before and afters, I thought I’d give …
I t’s funny how my opinion of blogging has changed in the last year or so. I used to think that blogging was the ultimate in self-indulgence. I guess I assumed that most people were using blogs as an online journal. I couldn’t have been more wrong. Blogging has opened up a forum for creative people who I would never …
I t’s my birthday today. I tell you that not because I’m fishing for birthday wishes but because I was given an awfully nice gift this morning: blueprints for our potential house renovation. I’ve been waiting for these for awhile … about seven years, give or take, since I knew from the moment I walked into our house that it …
O r is it the other way around? I’m in the midst of a bit of an experiment with paint right now. I’m painting my NEW BANQUETTE!!!!!!! (Can you tell I’m a little excited?) A great craftsman took my rambling notes and turned what was in my head into reality … and then he installed it in my kitchen! He …
T he winner of my 100th post giveaway is the super talented and multi-blogging Maya from Completely Coastal and A Beach Lover’s Place. Maya opted for the subscription to House Beautiful magazine so three years of great design inspiration are headed her way! Thanks for participating, everyone!
The Impatient Gardener blog was started in 2009 and its library of posts includes practical how-tos, plant guides, favorite garden gear, successes and failures and much more. If you’re looking for something specific, the search function at the top of the page can help.
At this time of year a lot of people who like to pretend to be experts armed with crystal balls predict trends with a concerning degree of confidence. Pantone’s Color of the Year is selected in a process the company says is “the culmination of macro-level color trend forecasting and research.” I think that means […]
Thanks to Park Seed for partnering with me on this post. As always, all words, thoughts and vegetable opinions are my own. There are gardeners who have spreadsheets and schedules that tell them exactly what seeds they should be starting when. Those same gardeners undoubtedly started seeds for fall sowing under lights probably a few […]
Thank you to Wave Petunias for partnering with me on this post. I’m often asked a question that is perplexing to me: “Do you grow annuals or perennials?” I don’t fault the people asking the question as I think there are some people who grow one or the other, and perhaps that was more typical […]
If you have a gardener on your holiday gift list you are a lucky person indeed. Not only do you probably share an interest, you also have an excellent starting point to give them a gift they will absolutely love. And then there’s the benefit of being able to do a little shopping for yourself […]
For no good reason at all, there is still an annual debate about when you should clean up your garden. Well debate no more, because as far as I’m concerned, the answer is that you should do what’s best for you. But there are some compelling reasons to sit tight until spring to clean up […]
This post is done in partnership with Ball Horticultural, which not only produces amazing plants, but also throws a mean party. Thank you so much to Ball for a fabulous night. If you ever wondered how many container combinations could be made with a dozen or so plant options, I can offer an answer: Way […]
There is a tendency to think of plants as delicate things that require coddling, but some demand the opposite treatment. That’s how I found myself in a full-on assault a couple weeks ago as I engaged in the abuse of Brazilian fern tree seeds. The three-quarter-inch long, flat seeds were hard as a rock and […]
Thank you to Park Seed for partnering with me on this post. As always, all words and thoughts are my own. You might be asking yourself what begonias and peppers have in common that they’d end up in the same article. A lot actually, at least when it comes to starting them from seed, which […]
There are two types of plant shoppers: the kind who spots the variety they are looking for and they grab the first one they see and the kind who will look through a minimum of a dozen plants before choosing the one. It’s pretty clear what category I fall into. I have never purchased the […]
I’m thinking about starting my holiday shopping soon. It appears that I’ve been having a bit too much fun planning for next gardening season and forgot about things like Christmas shopping. If you’re like me and you have, well, all your shopping to do I can at least help out with any gardeners on your […]
I have a long list of gifts that make excellent gifts for gardeners, but I have a short list of things that are poor gifts for gardeners. At the top of that list are hand pruners. My rule for hand pruner gifting: If you don’t know the recipient well enough that you’d be comfortable buying […]
Thanks to Park Seed for partnering with me on this post. As always, all words, thoughts and vegetable opinions are my own. There are gardeners who have spreadsheets and schedules that tell them exactly what seeds they should be starting when. Those same gardeners undoubtedly started seeds for fall sowing under lights probably a few […]
I’m not much for nighttime gardening, preferring to spend such hours sitting on the deck watching the fireflies, but last week you would have found me in the vegetable garden peering under leaves with a blacklight. I was on the hunt for an enemy I’ve not done battle with before: tomato hornworm. Just a few […]
Thank you to Wave Petunias for partnering with me on this post. I’m often asked a question that is perplexing to me: “Do you grow annuals or perennials?” I don’t fault the people asking the question as I think there are some people who grow one or the other, and perhaps that was more typical […]
