If you have a gardener on your holiday gift list you are a lucky person indeed. Not only do you probably share an interest, you also have an excellent starting point to give them a gift they will absolutely love. And then there’s the benefit of being able to do a little shopping for yourself […] The post Gifts for gardeners: Something for everyone appeared first on The Impatient Gardener ..read more

The USDA just updated the plant hardiness zone map for the first time since 2012 and there’s a very good chance you may find yourself in a different zone than you thought you were gardening in. So there’s only one thing to do: Panic. I’m kidding, of course, but I wouldn’t blame you if you […] The post Understanding your new plant hardiness zone appeared first on The Impatient Gardener ..read more

I’ve recommended some garden gear every single year since I discovered it. These are items that I think are so good, I assume they’ll be on my recommendation list forever. I can’t promise that something won’t come along that I think is better, but most of the items on this list have been by my […] The post Gifts for gardeners: The very best tools appeared first on The Impatient Gardener ..read more

For no good reason at all, there is still an annual debate about when you should clean up your garden. Well debate no more, because as far as I’m concerned, the answer is that you should do what’s best for you. But there are some compelling reasons to sit tight until spring to clean up […] The post 4 reasons to hold off on fall garden cleanup appeared first on The Impatient Gardener ..read more

This post is done in partnership with Ball Horticultural, which not only produces amazing plants, but also throws a mean party. Thank you so much to Ball for a fabulous night. If you ever wondered how many container combinations could be made with a dozen or so plant options, I can offer an answer: Way […] The post Party with your plants: Ball Horticultural style appeared first on The Impatient Gardener ..read more

There is a tendency to think of plants as delicate things that require coddling, but some demand the opposite treatment. That’s how I found myself in a full-on assault a couple weeks ago as I engaged in the abuse of Brazilian fern tree seeds. The three-quarter-inch long, flat seeds were hard as a rock and […] The post Seed abuse in the name of cool plants appeared first on The Impatient Gardener ..read more

Gardeners are always looking for the best way to stack the deck in their favor and have the best success growing a plant. But sometimes, there are many ways  grow a plant well. Rather than cause confusion, this should ease gardeners’ minds, because the more ways there are to grow something, the more difficult it […] The post Three ways to grow annual poppies appeared first on The Impatient Gardener ..read more

I’m thinking about starting my holiday shopping soon. It appears that I’ve been having a bit too much fun planning for next gardening season and forgot about things like Christmas shopping. If you’re like me and you have, well, all your shopping to do I can at least help out with any gardeners on your […] The post Practical gifts for real gardeners appeared first on The Impatient Gardener ..read more

I have a long list of gifts that make excellent gifts for gardeners, but I have a short list of things that are poor gifts for gardeners. At the top of that list are hand pruners. My rule for hand pruner gifting: If you don’t know the recipient well enough that you’d be comfortable buying […] The post Don’t give hand pruners as a gift. Here’s why. appeared first on The Impatient Gardener ..read more

Nothing stops me in my tracks more than when I’m looking at a garden jam-packed with color and texture and come across a spot of bare soil. It puts a screeching halt to well-planned flow.  Gaps in the garden happen because the plant that was supposed to be growing there didn’t, or perhaps because other […] The post Fill garden gaps for pennies appeared first on The Impatient Gardener ..read more