I t’s such a nice time of the year to be a gardener. Everything is possible. Energy is unlimited. New gardens that live in our brains all make perfect sense, and everything grows just as it should, even if you are pushing it a zone or sticking a full sun plant in partial shade. And what drives all these utopian …
E very once in a while inspiration strikes. That happened Friday night and it came on so strongly (I think you might have been able to see the light bulb over my head) that even though I was snuggled under the blanket, I jumped up from the couch to run from the basement to grab the object of my inspiration. …
I love the Better After blog for inspiration. It amazes me how there are people out there who can see another life for something that I would classify as junk or never see beyond its original purpose. Here’s a garden related before and after that would be so cool for a more modern house. Taking a file cabinet and turning …
I think I predicted this was going to happen. If you recall I was on the search for a “named” white for the trim in our house. I did a bunch of testing and it turned out that Benjamin Moore’s “Cotton Balls” seemed to be very close to our existing trim color, but maybe a touch brighter. The idea was …
F ew places on Earth are more beautiful than New Zealand. Actually, I’ve been lucky enough to do a lot of traveling and so far I’ve not found a place as beautiful as the little land down under. And it’s particularly wonderful if you love gardens. I’ve been enjoying reading the blog of a Kiwi friend of mine who is …
Every Christmas tree is special and every Christmas is memorable for one reason or another. This project combines both of those. And if you have kids, I think it’s especially great. The good news is that it’s not too late to make these tree trunk ornaments, although usually I start the project when we bring the tree home. Start by …
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.
The list of flowers I grow from seed changes from year to year, but there are some that are non-negotiable. I must have them. At the top of the list is Nicotiana alata. Most people are familiar with Nicotiana—common names are flowering tobacco or jasmine tobacco, but this is one of those plants for which […]
One of the lessons I’m learning the more I garden is that a little organization goes a long way. I don’t really want to embrace this concept. There is a part of me that wants to think of gardening as organic, natural and very much at one with the Earth (and the earth). Then there’s […]
Poor Friday Finds … it keeps missing its own deadline. But as with most things, Friday Finds are better late than never. Before I get into it, you should know that as I sat at the kitchen table writing this, one of the flowers (next to the one pictured above) on the amaryllis literally just […]
This is the start of regular feature I’ve been planning to start for about two years now. Plants to Know a quick growing guide for plants that you should, well, know about (clever, right?). In each Plants to Know feature, I’ll share a plant with you, a bit about growing it and the basic facts, […]
The first DIY project of the year is in the books. It wasn’t a big one, but it’s been awhile since we’ve done a project so it’s nice to ease into it. This is one of many small projects within the ongoing and rather slow renovation of the finished half of the basement. (Let’s not […]
Somehow Friday Finds turned into Sunday finds, but better late than never, right? Since we’re halfway through the weekend I can tell you that it’s one of those blissful weekends with nothing specific planned. We’re supposed to warm up tomorrow and hopefully all of you poor folks on the East Coast are not far behind. […]
When I’m brainstorming ideas for almost any renovation or project in or out of the house, I first head to Houzz and Pinterest to collect ideas that I then go back and do some sifting and winnowing to see which ideas really stick. I’m not the only one who uses these tools like that, which […]
Here we are, at the last post of the year (probably). I’m going to guess that you, like me are feeling that familiar tug in two different directions: astonishment that another year has already passed and excitement for a fresh start and look at what the new year will bring. One of my favorite photos […]
Another year has almost whooshed by. I know I’m not the only one who feels like time is passing more quickly than it used to, but I think for gardeners, certain times of the years pass amazingly quickly. It’s always interesting to look back at the successes and failures (and everything in between) of the […]
It appears I took a mini blogging break accidentally recently. It wasn’t my intention, but between an epic deadline at work and the general craziness of the holidays, well, I’ve been a busy bee. As I write this, it is three days to Christmas and my goal for the night is to decorate the mantel. […]
I saw a post last Friday where someone said they were going shopping for last-minute gifts and I guffawed. Amateur! I am a skilled last-minute shopper and I can’t think of a year when I didn’t wrap at least one gift on Christmas day. So I know a little something about last-minute shopping and the […]
My winter containers do so much to brighten things up around here, but with it getting fully dark by about 4:30 p.m. the really brightening happens when the lights come on. I was able to get some photos of what things look like lit up over the weekend. You can see all the containers (in […]
I love doing winter container designs. Sure they have a certain holiday bent to them but they stay up usually until March at my house because it offers some color in a world of gray and white. The best thing about them is that it’s really hard to screw them up too much and literally […]
It’s high time we get to talking about the holidays here, so here’s my annual guide to gifts for gardeners. But let’s call it what it really is, shall we? We all know these are gifts for you. It’s OK, I won’t tell anyone. And if you feel guilty buying something for yourself outright at […]
