Search
Close this search box.

Letters from the Garden

Other

Dear Canon bigwigs

Dear Canon bigwigs, Since I’m sure you’re readers of The Impatient Gardener, you’ve probably noticed that the photography on the blog as of late has not been, um … award-winning. The main reason for that is that the Canon Rebel XTi that I have occasionally used in the past is borrowed from work and lately it has been needed at …

Read More
Other

A day at the auction

My bidding number. Go figure.  I went to an auction Sunday. For FIVE hours. I had no idea auctions lasted so long (I left before it was over). Normally giving up almost an entire Sunday to stand in an dank old building would be akin to torture but I did it anyway because: 1. Some of the items being auctioned …

Read More
Other

A Friday smile

If this doesn’t put a smile on your face then you need the weekend more than most. I love this and kind of want to do it but I’d be so sad when it got destroyed.

Read More
Other

Across the pond

I don’t usually give you a head’s up when I’m heading out of town, but I have no idea if I’ll be able to post on this particular trip and I didn’t want you all to think I’d up and died or something. That’s a little hint about where I’m going (subtle, right?). I’m off to join Mr. Much More …

Read More
Other

Frustration

You may notice that the comment form has disappeared. I’m so incredibly frustrated with this system (Intense Debate). I lost all my comments when I switched to it and now I tried to do a “required upgrade” and I appear to have lost everything else. Anyway, I apologize for the inconvenience and hopefully the situation will be rectified soon.

Read More
Other

Happiness is …

Remember those corny posters you would buy through the book club at school? (Am I aging myself here?) They were crappy mini posters that came folded so there was always a big crease on them and they featured inspirational sayings and cute pictures of kittens and puppies. I generally hung them next to my Michael Jackson Thriller posters. Don’t judge. …

Read More
Other

On my desk

Brightening up the corner of my desk at work today. I’m so stingy about cutting flowers from my garden but I never regret it when I do. It’s unbelievable to me how much this collection of daffs is making me happy today. 

Read More

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.

Vines can be misunderstood members of the plant world. We want them to grow quickly but not too quickly. We want them to grow in places where nothing else will grow, except there’s usually a really good reason nothing else will grow there. We want them to boldy grow up structures but to respect those […]

Even if I don’t always get to them, I still love a good Friday Finds post. First though, you will look at the very arty photo I took on a walk the other day. I believe I took this approximately five minutes before the dog got giant hogweed sap on his back which has led […]

A few years ago I gave up even pretending that I would remember where I planted something or what I planted in a specific spot if I didn’t use a plant marker. For years before that I insisted I would remember but either age or experience has taught me to give up even dreaming these […]

On Monday I shared with you a few photos of what my garden looked like before I left for 10 days. I mentioned that I did my best to cut as many flowers as I could so the plants would keep producing flowers without needing deadheading while I was gone. By and large that was […]

So I’m alive. I feel like I should probably clarify that since I just totally disappeared on you. Once again I got behind on things before I headed out of town to go sailing and then the posts I had scheduled to go up didn’t and well, I figured you’d all hang in there and […]

I’ve tried a few times today to come up with a Friday Finds post, but it feels a little shallow to share links to a bunch of stuff that doesn’t matter a bunch when a lot of people are sad and hurt and angry. So I leave you this Friday with the cheeriest picture I […]

I have a good reason for coming back to the blog rather slowly after the holiday weekend: I’m down to one eye. Somehow I went on a sailboat race Friday night and before the race was over midday Saturday I had brewed up a cornea ulcer which my very nice eye doctor saw me for […]

I should not be surprised because this happens every year: Blink and it’s Fourth of July. How we got halfway through 2016 and to what we consider the mid-point of summer, I have no idea, but here we are. Summer can slow down already. The floribunda rose I’ve been growing in a pot for a […]

I have never been great at following rules. I’m not saying I’m a great rebel, but there has always been a part of me that wants to do the opposite of what I’m told to do just because. Perhaps this is why I don’t always follow conventional garden wisdom. It certainly sounds better to frame […]

Happy Friday, dear readers! It is a glorious summer day and a great weekend is forecast so let’s not waste any time and get to the good stuff happening on the Internet this week. Summer is here: the roses are starting to bloom! How much do interior designers charge? I’m sure this varies a ton […]

It is stacking up to be one of those summers where it feels like the hose is another bodily appendage. Already we’ve had periods of heavy rain followed but long stretches of windy, hot weather that dries out the ground quickly. It’s been years since we’ve had a summer where I never wanted to see […]