Contact
STOP! BEFORE YOU TOUCH THE GARDEN, DO THIS
Before you add anything to your soil or plant anything in your garden this year, answer one question: When was the last time you had a soil analysis done? Five years ago? Ten? Never? Soil analysis tests are an investment—usually $10 to $15—but I can almost guarantee that you will recoup that money several times over by not adding things ...
THE ONE VEGETABLE YOU MUST GROW THIS YEAR
I know that a lot of gardeners don’t necessarily care to get into vegetable gardening. I know that because until about seven years ago, I was one of them. And while I think that vegetable gardening can be one of the most satisfying things a human being can do, I also get that it’s not for everyone so I won’t ...
SOMETHING YOU SHOULD KNOW
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, I’ve been approached by a ...
GARDENERS, KNOW THY ENEMY (aka THE GARDENING SIN CONFESSIONAL IS OPEN)
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 the other day, and I ...
Don’t look now but gardening season is almost here
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 and the compost pile with ...
FRIDAY FINDS: IT’S ALMOST SPRING
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 about. Oh, and “Gardeners’ World” starts ...
GET OUT IN THE GARDEN AND GET PRUNING
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 either so-called smooth hydrangeas (Hydrangea ...
A SEED EXPERT SPEAKS
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 idea about what is going ...
FRIDAY FINDS: Bees, bulbs and books
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 spring in that way, I ...
EXPERIMENTS IN HORTICULTURE (WINTER BOREDOM EDITION)
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 successfully I’ll pot them on ...
BOOK REVIEW: FIND YOUR GARDEN STYLE
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 a book that will tell ...
CONFESS YOUR PLANT-SHOPPING SINS NOW FOR SPRING ABSOLUTION
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 plants). He based this on ...
A GRAND SEED-STARTING SCHEME
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 can’t tell you how much ...
FRIDAY FINDS
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 warmth, the USDA has changed ...
A SNOWY WRINKLE TO A DRIVEWAY IDEA
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 would require, to say nothing ...
A MOST LOVELY GARDEN SURPRISE
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 us to walk on the ...
Letters from the Garden
Letters from the Garden
