T hat sounds awful doesn’t it? I mean, any kind of littering is bad, right? It is, but there is one kind of littering I don’t mind as much: throwing glass bottles in the water. I’ve never actually seen anyone do this (thank goodness) but obviously at some point, people did all the time. Because all those bottles tossed overboard …
W ow, what a weekend! I think much of the country experienced beautiful weather this weekend and up here in Wisconsin, the situation was no different. Saturday was hovering near 70 degrees and even though and invitation to go golfing with my girlfriends was tempting, I knew this was going to be one of our last opportunities of the year …
Well, as I alluded to earlier, my obsessions have strayed a bit from gardening for the time being. Part of that is because of my seasonal case of self-diagnosed Attention-Deficit Disorder, and part of it is because, well, there’s not much gardening to be done right about now. For me, the inside and outside of my house are so intertwined …
I’m not turning “The Impatient Gardener” into “The Clueless Home Decorator,” I swear (well, I’m trying really hard not to). But I have found a totally cool Web site that I thought some of you might be interested in knowing about. It’s called Houzz, and it’s like someone took all the cool design photos from all the great home decorating …
This post is not about gardening. It’s about almost everything else. Mostly it’s just me fessing up to my weaknesses. I, apparently, am a very predictable and cyclical person. Every year, right after the Christmas decorations go away, I start thinking about gardening (oh wait, I said that this wasn’t going to be about gardening). It starts with catalogs. Then …
This will be brief, but I just wanted to apologize for my extended absence … that is, if anyone is still reading this! Summer sort of took hold and then next thing you know, it’s bulb-planting season. I promise to catch you up on what’s been happening in the garden, but in the meantime, I have very exciting news. The …
If anyone out there is still following this blog, first of all, I’m very sorry for the lack of posts lately. Second of all, I’m back! I have a lot of posts stored up in my brain so you’ll be getting some new stuff to read soon. I have some interesting updates on the status of the vegetable garden (I …
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.
I don’t do a lot of partnerships with companies, but I’ve recently entered into one. Because this is a departure for the blog, I thought the best way to deal with it is to tell you what it is, what it isn’t and what it means for The Impatient Gardener. Over the last seven years, […]
Not too long ago I offered absolution of garden shopping sins and many of you took me up on that offer (don’t worry, I’m an ordained minister of the Internet Church of the Garden so I’m entirely qualified to offer such absolution). I felt so much better about it that I ordered 40 willow rods […]
Now THAT was a weekend. Temperatures here nudged up to 40 this weekend, birds were singing, the sun had warmth and I got a few more garden chores taken care of. I got the last Limelight hydrangea pruned and it feels good to have that job finished. I also covered up the raised vegetable beds […]
Things are looking up, folks. Meteorological spring started this week (although it’s clear that Mother Nature laughs in the face of so-called meteorological spring), the clocks go forward tomorrow night (yawn), the sun has actual warmth and I’m taking a fun little trip next week that I’m very much looking forward to telling you ab
It might have been 15 degrees last weekend but I was bound and determined to garden, and garden I did. I actually had a very legitimate reason to garden: hydrangea pruning time. I love hydrangeas and have a lot of them, but the only kind I’ve added in the last seven years or so are […]
There was a time when Renee Shepherd’s business was mostly about flowers. But these days she’s thinking about rutabaga and celeriac more than zinnias and cosmos. Shepherd has been in the seed business for more than 25 years and has owned Renee’s Garden since 1998, so it’s safe to say that she has a good […]
Like much of the country we have been in a deep freeze this week. This kind of weather is such a challenge this time of year because by mid-February we fool ourselves into thinking that spring is right around the corner. I’m going to a gardening seminar this weekend so I’ll get my dose of […]
I have a few horticultural experiments going on in my house right now. This is unusual for me because I rarely have the patience for such things, but this time of year calls for finding new things to amuse ones self. All of the cuttings are currently residing in one pot, but if they root […]
I had two thoughts when I first saw Rochelle Greayer’s book Cultivating Garden Style: that this book was completely different from every other gardening book I’ve seen, and that it must have been an incredible task to pull it together. Maybe it’s more helpful to tell you what Cultivating Garden Style is not. It’s not [&helli
Yesterday Matt Mattus outlined his theory that there is a dahlia shortage on his blog Growing with Plants. (Sidenote: There are a very small number of gardening blogs that I consider to be the cream of the crop, and Matt’s is one. Check it out if you’re looking for serious advice on how to grow […]
It is mind boggling to me that last year was the first in my life that I have started seeds indoors to give the garden a jump start. I’ve done a lot of growing from seeds planted directly in the garden, but I last year was the first year that I’ve started things inside. I […]
Well, in case you didn’t figure out it after the absence following my last post, I did make it to Florida, although by the time you read this I’ll be on my way home. It was a short trip but at this time of year, any bit of sunshine and warmth is welcome. Speaking of […]
Remember back in fall when I shared my idea to line the apron of the driveway with containerized trees? I wouldn’t say that the reaction from readers was enthusiastic. I completely understand why. It’s not entirely congruous with the rest of the yard and several people had warranted concerns about the care that containerized trees […]
Rarely do I have occasion to see my neighbors’ yards in daylight these days. On weekdays most dog walks happen at dusk or later and on weekends we head to the beach whenever possible. So it was a most pleasant surprise when I spotted something surprising in a neighbor’s yard when stiff winter winds forced […]
