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Skip this holiday gift guide

December 14, 2021

No matter how much I’d like to be one of those people who makes notes throughout the year of gift ideas for family and friends, I am but a mere mortal who, in the throes… [Continue Reading]

by Erin @ The Impatient Gardener 
20 Comments
winter window box lit for the holidays
Containers

How to create a winter window box

November 24, 2021

I love creating winter containers. They can be simple or over the top, and free or quite spendy. All of them bring color at a time of year when the world seems to be in… [Continue Reading]

by Erin @ The Impatient Gardener 
11 Comments
Containers, Garden

The winter light display (aka containers at night)

December 12, 2017

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… [Continue Reading]

by Erin @ The Impatient Gardener 
9 Comments
Mix of greens in a window box
Containers, Garden

Container designs for the holidays and beyond

December 8, 2017

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… [Continue Reading]

by Erin @ The Impatient Gardener 
8 Comments
Containers, Garden

5 FREE WINTER CONTAINER DESIGNS

December 16, 2016

There is no Christmas tree in my house. That, of course, was not the plan. The plan was to be ahead of the game this year, but once again it’s the last minute and nothing… [Continue Reading]

by Erin @ The Impatient Gardener 
5 Comments
Containers, DIY, Garden

HOW TO MAKE A HOLIDAY WINDOW BOX

December 13, 2016

I got a lot of questions recently about how I constructed my holiday containers and window box so I thought I’d share a quick tutorial. I can’t say that I invented this method, but I’ve… [Continue Reading]

by Erin @ The Impatient Gardener 
9 Comments
Containers, Garden

A WINTER CONTAINER CHALLENGE

November 29, 2016

One of my favorite projects to do this time of year is decorate outside with winter containers. In the past I’ve used a combination of found and purchased materials. I always cut my own red… [Continue Reading]

by Erin @ The Impatient Gardener 
6 Comments
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About

The Impatient Gardener

Do you love gardening? Me too! I'm Erin and I garden in Southeastern Wisconsin, zone 5. The Impatient Gardener is all about real-life gardening: the good parts, the bad bits and even the funny stuff. It's part information, part inspiration and a little bit commiseration. Thanks for visiting.

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Erin Schanen 🌿 The Impatient Gardener
Get your dahlia engines running. All the dahlia th Get your dahlia engines running. All the dahlia things are happening very soon. I actually started dividing my dahlias last weekend, about two weeks earlier than I usually do because the weather kept me cooped up inside. I’m glad I did it because I had some (not unexpected) losses that I’ll have to adjust some plans for. So stay tuned: we’ll be talking lots about dahlias soon. 😀
Want to give a gift to your future self? This fall Want to give a gift to your future self? This fall plant snowdrops and winter aconites and I guarantee you that it will bring you happiness the next spring. They are tiny blooms of joy.
A favorite groundcover and a favorite reseeder. Fi A favorite groundcover and a favorite reseeder. First off, you should know that I really love groundcovers. I would rather see a plant than bark mulch any time. Ajuga is a favorite because there are several forms (my favorites are ‘Black Scallop’, shown here, and ‘Chocolate Chip’) and because they can handle most conditions from sun to shade. Popping up next to it is Talinum paniculatum ‘Limon’ (Jewels of Opar). It reseeds around the garden and I just move it around where I want the chartreuse, succulent foliage. Tiny flowers in red and pink bobble on with stems, looking a bit like peppercorns. Then they drop their seed and come back the next year.
Make this the year that you grow a plant you know Make this the year that you grow a plant you know very little about. If you love your garden that’s all that matters. BUT I promise you’ll find even more joy it it when you broaden your horizons. I feel like I’m starting to see the same plants in gardens over and over again. By all means appreciate and love those plants, but also add something you have to learn about. There is great reward in getting to know new-to-you plants. 

Here are two good candidates you might consider: Athyrium niponicum (Japanese painted fern) ‘Crested Surf’ and Persicaria (or Bistorta, thanks to the taxonomists) amplexicaulis ‘Golden Arrow’.
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