A couple weeks ago, I shared some new annuals for 2016, and today I’m sharing new shrubs that look interesting. Some affiliate links have been used. 1. Petite Pillar Dwarf Boxwood: Plant producers are smart to be working on new boxwood introductions because I still think it’s the single hottest shrub of the moment. This one grows in a naturally ...
I love asking gardeners what their favorite plant is. It’s an unfair question, I know, and on any given day my answer could be any number of things, but I think it’s an interesting exercise. I reached out to some garden blogging friends to see what their favorite perennial is and here’s what they said. ...
I am a sucker for new plants. I’m also a sucker for old, tried-and-true varieties, but there is something fun about checking out all the latest and greatest that will be hitting garden centers this year. I’m doing a little series on some of the new plants I’m most excited about this year and I’m kicking it off with annuals. ...
Much of the past decade of gardening at my house has been an alternating pattern of creating new gardens and improving existing gardens. A couple years ago I realized that I probably have as much garden square footage as I can handle (and frankly probably too much) at this point in my life, so my focus has shifted to refining ...
It’s no secret that I love clematis. I absolutely cannot get enough of them. Last time I counted I think I had 22 different varieties growing in the garden. A few of them are not doing well, so that number may go down, but it’s far more likely that by next summer the number will go up. Having maxed out ...
It’s a rare Saturday blog post! I figured I owed you a little something with my sporadic posting over the past few weeks. The garden is finally coming alive, and although there isn’t a lot of things flowering just yet, it is a lovely combination of greens and almost everything is still looking fresh and new. I’ll show you more ...
I’m nearing the tail end of the major work in the garden, which now consists of pulling out weeds by the handful and mulching. I’m certain I’ve weeded at least 10 wheelbarrows full and the mulch situation is completely out of control. I’m fussy about mulch. My favorite is a very fine pine bark with pieces a half-inch or less ...
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.
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 […]
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 […]
Poor Friday Finds … it keeps missing its own deadline. But as with most things, Friday Finds are better late than never. Before I get into it, you should know that as I sat at the kitchen table writing this, one of the flowers (next to the one pictured above) on the amaryllis literally just […]
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, […]
The first DIY project of the year is in the books. It wasn’t a big one, but it’s been awhile since we’ve done a project so it’s nice to ease into it. This is one of many small projects within the ongoing and rather slow renovation of the finished half of the basement. (Let’s not […]
Somehow Friday Finds turned into Sunday finds, but better late than never, right? Since we’re halfway through the weekend I can tell you that it’s one of those blissful weekends with nothing specific planned. We’re supposed to warm up tomorrow and hopefully all of you poor folks on the East Coast are not far behind. […]
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 […]
Here we are, at the last post of the year (probably). I’m going to guess that you, like me are feeling that familiar tug in two different directions: astonishment that another year has already passed and excitement for a fresh start and look at what the new year will bring. One of my favorite photos […]
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 […]
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. […]
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 […]
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 get some photos of what things look like lit up over the weekend. You can see all the containers (in […]
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 and white. The best thing about them is that it’s really hard to screw them up too much and literally […]
It’s high time we get to talking about the holidays here, so here’s my annual guide to gifts for gardeners. But let’s call it what it really is, shall we? We all know these are gifts for you. It’s OK, I won’t tell anyone. And if you feel guilty buying something for yourself outright at […]
