The list of flowers I grow from seed changes from year to year, but there are some that are non-negotiable. I must have them. At the top of the list is Nicotiana alata. Most people are familiar with Nicotiana—common names are flowering tobacco or jasmine tobacco, but this is one of those plants for which I always use the botanical ...
One of the lessons I’m learning the more I garden is that a little organization goes a long way. I don’t really want to embrace this concept. There is a part of me that wants to think of gardening as organic, natural and very much at one with the Earth (and the earth). Then there’s the other part of me ...
This is the start of regular feature I’ve been planning to start for about two years now. Plants to Know a quick growing guide for plants that you should, well, know about (clever, right?). In each Plants to Know feature, I’ll share a plant with you, a bit about growing it and the basic facts, including the TIG classfication, my ...
When I’m brainstorming ideas for almost any renovation or project in or out of the house, I first head to Houzz and Pinterest to collect ideas that I then go back and do some sifting and winnowing to see which ideas really stick. I’m not the only one who uses these tools like that, which is why they can be ...
Another year has almost whooshed by. I know I’m not the only one who feels like time is passing more quickly than it used to, but I think for gardeners, certain times of the years pass amazingly quickly. It’s always interesting to look back at the successes and failures (and everything in between) of the past year. Here’s what happened ...
It appears I took a mini blogging break accidentally recently. It wasn’t my intention, but between an epic deadline at work and the general craziness of the holidays, well, I’ve been a busy bee. As I write this, it is three days to Christmas and my goal for the night is to decorate the mantel. Sad. Frankly, if we weren’t ...
I saw a post last Friday where someone said they were going shopping for last-minute gifts and I guffawed. Amateur! I am a skilled last-minute shopper and I can’t think of a year when I didn’t wrap at least one gift on Christmas day. So I know a little something about last-minute shopping and the first thing I know is ...
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.
It’s high time I tell you a little about the containers I planted this year. I like to show you them early in the summer if only to prove that no container looks great when it’s first planted (and some look positively pathetic), unless you start with enormous plants, which few people do. It takes […]
I’ve not been quiet about my relatively recently discovered love for Dutch-made Sneeboer tools. After years of buying less expensive gardening tools at the local hardware store or garden center, I broke down and bought a Sneeboer Ladies Garden Spade (my mom is about 5’5″ and she likes the Border Spade which has the same […]
I thought I better check in here just so you all know I’m still around. I have lots of excuses for my weeklong absence here, but excuses are a bore. I’ll be back soon with lots of gardening, a fantastic giveaway and more. But for now, I just want to take a moment to remember […]
There is so much happening in the garden these day and if I don’t show it to you soon there will be something else entirely happening. I’ve not had time for proper photos, but I did snap a bunch on my phone and I thought phone photos would be better than waiting even longer. I […]
It’s Friday Finds time, something I haven’t had time to do for a couple weeks. I’m a little behind on my blog reading as well with craziness in the garden, at work and in life. All good stuff, just busy. I wouldn’t have it any other way. How about a pretty picture to start? The […]
Oh my, there is so much going on in the garden and I’m not sharing any of it! Bad blogger! Soon, I promise. We had the most amazing weather for Memorial Day weekend and I spent plenty of time in the garden. It was lovely. But, once again, I was so busy gardening that I […]
Gardening is happening, people. That’s the main reason for my absence so far this week. We’ve had amazing weather recently, but no mosquitos, so I’ve been gardening pretty much any time I’m not at work or sleeping and it’s still light out. And I’ve been taking hardly any pictures. That’s the problem when yo
Another mail order nursery review today but before we get to that, I wanted to share a couple photos of the serviceberry tree in bloom. the flowers are really only at peak for a day or two max so I take a photo of it every year. It’s rather amazing to me that this tree […]
The plant deliveries came fast and furious last week, which is somewhat funny since as recently as a month ago I hadn’t anticipated ordering any mail order plants this year. I discovered Arrowhead Alpines from a familiar source: Margaret Roach at A Way to Garden. I swear, reading that blog can get very expensive. I went […]
Everything is running a little late this Friday, so here are some very late-in-the day Friday Finds for you. How to create real alpine plant trough (without killing the plants). Drawing in perspective was always difficult for me. M.C. Escher I am not. But I like this tutorial on how to draw your garden in […]
Thanks for your patience on this. I got behind on all the last minute details and just couldn’t finish this up in time to join the first wave of “big reveals” Thursday morning. If you’re wondering what all this is about, I joined the One Room Challenge, hosted semi-annually by Linda at Calling it Home […]
If you’ve been following the renovation of our downstairs bathroom through the One Room Challenge, you probably came here today expecting to see the final product. And I’m here to tell you that you just have to sit tight. I’ve never been a great “finisher” and that really came out in this project as I […]
My friend Linda over at Each Little World has been doing an excellent series on mail order plant purchases this spring and it inspired me to do the same. My first mail order plants arrived last week Friday from Digging Dog nursery. I don’t think I’ve ordered from them in the past, but they have […]
We spent part of the weekend in Chicago for a function we were attending Saturday night. I can’t seem to sleep well in hotels, no matter how comfortable they may be, so when I woke up at 6 a.m. I figured I would get some coffee, get ready and head over to nearby Millennium Park […]
