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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.

Friday FindsGarden

Weekend Finds

Bulb planting continues for me. I’ve been a bit pokey about it this year, just because the lack of a mid-fall warmup has me running a bit frantic in the garden. There’s lots of cleanup to be done, and some jobs, like digging dahlias seem to be taking longer than I planned. I have about 150 more bulbs—daffodils and alliums—left …

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Acer japonicum 'Acontifolium' fall color
Garden

A changing, and challenged, landscape

We’ve been enjoying a particularly beautiful fall here. Beautiful not in terms of weather, as gray days have far outnumbered those crisp, sunny fall days with royal blue skies, but the trees have put an amazing show. Last year, a late-summer drought stressed trees, plants and gardeners alike, dropping leaves to the ground before most had a chance to develop …

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how to build a fire pit
DIY

From empty yard to s’mores in an afternoon

This post is a paid partnership with Lowe’s Home Improvement, but all words, opinions and the recipe for the perfect s’more for non-marshmallow lovers are my own. If Mother Nature is feeling generous we’ll enjoy a long autumn with a few excellent Indian summer days mixed in for good measure. I know I spend a fair amount of time griping …

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verbena bonariensis withstands frost in fall.
GardenPlants

The autumn garden: Beautifully alive and definitely dead

We’ve had several frosts now (Indian Summer, where are you?) so the garden is a mishmosh of dead and alive right now. Some things are looking great and so much else is looking terrible. I’ve been trying to take some mental notes for the future. I went heavier on the annuals this year than I would have liked, in part …

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how to store your garden tools for winter.
DIYGarden

The perfect way to store your tools (and an OK way that works too)

We interrupt your frantic season-end gardening for a quick message. This post is sponsored by 3-IN-ONE®  Multi-Purpose Oil and Lava® Soap, but all words and opinions are entirely my own. This post may also include affiliate links. Thanks for supporting the brands that support this blog. There is a “right” way to store your garden tools over winter: clean, sharp …

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Late season vegetable harvest
EdiblesGardenPlants

The first frost, the last harvest and a big project nearly complete

Well that was abrupt. Without a lot of lead-up, we had hard frost. And just like that, the growing part of the gardening season is over. I didn’t take the threat of a freeze too seriously because we usually escape the first few frosts that affect even areas just an eighth of a mile away. The moderating effect of Lake …

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Caring for ficus plants
CottageGardenPlants

The great houseplant migration

The monarchs are making their way south, and the hummingbirds are all but gone. The geese overhead seem to be pointing south and all this migration can only mean one thing: It’s time for the annual houseplant migration. I like to think of myself as a good gardener, but I am a lousy caretaker of houseplants. If it weren’t for …

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Cafe lights offer warmth to outdoor seating areas.
CottageDIY

Fall cleanup with a healthy dose of cozy

Put the wheelbarrow down! I know you’re busy working in the garden, but I have to tell you that this post is a partnership with Lowe’s Home Improvement. Thanks for checking it out and thank you for supporting the brands that partner with The Impatient Gardener.  Life is just periods of blissful unawareness followed by fits of cleaning. That’s my …

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