In the Garden

Gardening Tips

If Your Fall Bush Beans Drop Their Blossoms Before Any Pods Set in Late-Summer Heat, Here Is Why

Walking out to your bean patch and finding shriveled flowers on the ground instead of tiny pods forming is one of the more frustrating sights…

By Ethan Brooks · Aug 17, 2026

Plant Care

How To Support the California Alligator Lizards That Quietly Eat the Black Widow Spiders Hiding in Your Yard

John Miller CA · Aug 17

Gardening Tips

The Most Underrated North Carolina Native Shrub That Fills the Wooded Edge When Everything Else Fades in Fall

Jasmine Hughes · Aug 17

Texas Gardening

Geckos on Your Central Texas Porch May Hunt Roaches – Here Is How to Support That Without Expecting Too Much

Ella Brown T · Aug 17

From the Garden

Growing notes from every corner of the plot.

Gardening Tips

If Your Zucchini Sets Tiny Fruit That Rots at the Tip in Late-Summer Heat, Here Is Why

Watching a baby zucchini shrivel and brown at the tip before it ever gets going is one of the more frustrating moments in a summer…

By Ethan Brooks · Aug 17

Gardening Tips

If Your Fall Beet Seeds Come Up Thin and Leggy in the Late-Summer Heat, Here Is Why

By Ethan Brooks · Aug 17

Gardening Tips

If Your Fall Spinach Seeds Refuse To Sprout in the Warm Late-Summer Soil, Here Is Why

By Ethan Brooks · Aug 17

Plant Care

What It Really Means When California Quail Suddenly Start Nesting in Your Backyard This Summer

By John Miller CA · Aug 17

Gardening Tips

If Your Potted Tomatoes Stay Small and Weak in the Fading Late-Summer Heat, Here Is Why

By Ethan Brooks · Aug 17

In Bloom

What's thriving right now.

Plant Care

How To Support the California Dragonflies That Quietly Cut Down the Mosquitoes Breeding in Your Yard

By John Miller CA

Gardening Tips

If Your Fall Lettuce Seedlings Bolt and Turn Bitter Before They Ever Head Up in Late-Summer Heat, Here Is Why

By Ethan Brooks

Plant Care

How To Support the California Gopher Snakes That May Help Control Rats and Gophers in Your Yard

By John Miller CA

Gardener's Selection

The guides worth your time — handpicked by our gardeners.

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Gardening Tips

If Your Fall Kale Seedlings Sprout Well but Get Chewed to Lace in Late-Summer Heat, Here Is Why

By Ethan Brooks

Gardening Tips

If Your Fall Tomato Transplants Sit Still and Refuse To Grow in Late-Summer Heat, Here Is Why

By Ethan Brooks

Gardening Tips

What It Really Means When Katydids Start Taking Over Your North Carolina Yard in Late Summer

By Jasmine Hughes

Plant Care

How To Support the California Barn Owls That Quietly Hunt the Rats and Gophers Wrecking Your Yard

By John Miller CA

That Native Passionflower Vine On Your Central Texas Fence Can Feed Gulf Fritillary Caterpillars All Warm Season Long

Plant of the Week

Texas Gardening

That Native Passionflower Vine On Your Central Texas Fence Can Feed Gulf Fritillary Caterpillars All Warm Season Long

A single vine can turn a plain fence into a butterfly nursery, and in Central Texas, one native plant is especially good at that job....

By Ella Brown T · Aug 17, 2026

The Potting Shed

Gardening Tips

If Your Fall Carrot Seeds Sprout Patchy and Weak in Late-Summer Heat, Here Is Why

Gardening Tips

If Your Fall Cucumber Seedlings Yellow and Stall Right After Sprouting in Late-Summer Heat, Here Is Why

Gardening Tips

The Most Underrated North Carolina Native Shrub With Laboratory Evidence Against Some Tick Nymphs Along Your Wooded Backyard Edge

Plant Care

How To Support the California Towhees That May Eat Some Weed Seeds and Arthropods While Foraging in Your Yard

Texas Gardening

Rosemary on the Porch: A Practical Texas Container Plant and What Actually Keeps Roaches and Rats Away

Gardening Tips

If Your Fall Squash Seedlings Sprout Fast but Fizzle Out in the Late-Summer Heat, Here Is Why

Gardening Tips

The One Thing You Must Do To Your Crape Myrtles In North Carolina Before August Is Over

Gardening Tips

If Your Fall Broccoli Seedlings Turn Purple and Stall Out After Transplanting in Late-Summer Heat, Here Is Why

Texas Gardening

Why More Texas Cardinals Are Showing Up in Your Yard Right Now, and What They’re Telling You

Gardening Tips

If Your Pole Beans Grow Tall and Leafy but Barely Flower While the Heat Lingers in Late Summer, Here Is Why

Gardening Tips

The Most Underrated North Carolina Native Tree That Feeds Pollinators All Season While Everyone Overlooks It

Texas Gardening

The Purple Weed You Keep Pulling From Your Central Texas Lawn Is Actually a Native Pollinator Gem

Gardening Tips

If Your Bean Plants Flower Heavily but the Pods Stay Flat and Empty in Late-Summer Heat, Here Is Why

Gardening Tips

If Your Cucumbers Turn Bitter and Sharp-Tasting Right at Harvest in Late-Summer Heat, Here Is Why

Gardening Tips

What It Really Means When Stink Bugs Start Sneaking Into Your North Carolina Home in Late Summer

Field Notes

Texas Gardening

More Bats Over Your Central Texas Yard Means Fewer Mosquitoes, and Here’s How To Draw Them In at Dusk

Walk outside on a Central Texas evening and you might catch the quick, zigzagging silhouette of a bat cutting through...

By Ella Brown T on Aug 17

Gardening Tips

If Your Cucumber Leaves Turn Silvery and Speckled While the Vine Slows in Late-Summer Heat, Here Is Why

Walk out to your cucumber bed on a sweltering August morning and you might notice the leaves looking washed out,...

By Ethan Brooks on Aug 17

Gardening Tips

If Your Tomato Leaves Curl and Turn Yellow While the Fruit Ripens Slowly in Late-Summer Heat, Here Is Why

Standing in front of a tomato plant with curled, yellowing leaves and fruit that refuses to turn red is one...

By Ethan Brooks on Aug 16

Plant Care

What It Really Means When Tiny Jumping Spiders Move Into Your California Garden Beds This Summer

Spot a small, quick spider darting across your tomato leaves or crouching on a sun-warmed garden wall, and your first...

By John Miller CA on Aug 16

Gardening Tips

If Your Potted Peppers Keep Dropping Blossoms and Barely Fruiting in Late-Summer Heat, the Container Is Often Why

Watching your potted pepper shed flower after flower in August heat is one of the more discouraging sights in a...

By Ethan Brooks on Aug 16

Plant Care

The One California Plant That Pulls Dragonflies Into Your Yard and Quietly Thins Out the Mosquitoes

Mosquitoes are a real problem in California yards, and it makes sense to want nature’s help dealing with them. Dragonflies...

By John Miller CA on Aug 16

If Your Fall Bush Beans Drop Their Blossoms Before Any Pods Set in Late-Summer Heat, Here Is Why

How To Support the California Alligator Lizards That Quietly Eat the Black Widow Spiders Hiding in Your Yard

The Most Underrated North Carolina Native Shrub That Fills the Wooded Edge When Everything Else Fades in Fall

Geckos on Your Central Texas Porch May Hunt Roaches – Here Is How to Support That Without Expecting Too Much

From the Garden

If Your Zucchini Sets Tiny Fruit That Rots at the Tip in Late-Summer Heat, Here Is Why

If Your Fall Beet Seeds Come Up Thin and Leggy in the Late-Summer Heat, Here Is Why

If Your Fall Spinach Seeds Refuse To Sprout in the Warm Late-Summer Soil, Here Is Why

What It Really Means When California Quail Suddenly Start Nesting in Your Backyard This Summer

If Your Potted Tomatoes Stay Small and Weak in the Fading Late-Summer Heat, Here Is Why

In Bloom

How To Support the California Dragonflies That Quietly Cut Down the Mosquitoes Breeding in Your Yard

If Your Fall Lettuce Seedlings Bolt and Turn Bitter Before They Ever Head Up in Late-Summer Heat, Here Is Why

How To Support the California Gopher Snakes That May Help Control Rats and Gophers in Your Yard

Gardener's Selection

If Your Fall Kale Seedlings Sprout Well but Get Chewed to Lace in Late-Summer Heat, Here Is Why

If Your Fall Tomato Transplants Sit Still and Refuse To Grow in Late-Summer Heat, Here Is Why

What It Really Means When Katydids Start Taking Over Your North Carolina Yard in Late Summer

How To Support the California Barn Owls That Quietly Hunt the Rats and Gophers Wrecking Your Yard

That Native Passionflower Vine On Your Central Texas Fence Can Feed Gulf Fritillary Caterpillars All Warm Season Long

The Potting Shed

If Your Fall Carrot Seeds Sprout Patchy and Weak in Late-Summer Heat, Here Is Why

If Your Fall Cucumber Seedlings Yellow and Stall Right After Sprouting in Late-Summer Heat, Here Is Why

The Most Underrated North Carolina Native Shrub With Laboratory Evidence Against Some Tick Nymphs Along Your Wooded Backyard Edge

How To Support the California Towhees That May Eat Some Weed Seeds and Arthropods While Foraging in Your Yard

Rosemary on the Porch: A Practical Texas Container Plant and What Actually Keeps Roaches and Rats Away

If Your Fall Squash Seedlings Sprout Fast but Fizzle Out in the Late-Summer Heat, Here Is Why

The One Thing You Must Do To Your Crape Myrtles In North Carolina Before August Is Over

If Your Fall Broccoli Seedlings Turn Purple and Stall Out After Transplanting in Late-Summer Heat, Here Is Why

Why More Texas Cardinals Are Showing Up in Your Yard Right Now, and What They’re Telling You

If Your Pole Beans Grow Tall and Leafy but Barely Flower While the Heat Lingers in Late Summer, Here Is Why

The Most Underrated North Carolina Native Tree That Feeds Pollinators All Season While Everyone Overlooks It

The Purple Weed You Keep Pulling From Your Central Texas Lawn Is Actually a Native Pollinator Gem

If Your Bean Plants Flower Heavily but the Pods Stay Flat and Empty in Late-Summer Heat, Here Is Why

If Your Cucumbers Turn Bitter and Sharp-Tasting Right at Harvest in Late-Summer Heat, Here Is Why

What It Really Means When Stink Bugs Start Sneaking Into Your North Carolina Home in Late Summer

The Garden Almanac

Field Notes

More Bats Over Your Central Texas Yard Means Fewer Mosquitoes, and Here’s How To Draw Them In at Dusk

If Your Cucumber Leaves Turn Silvery and Speckled While the Vine Slows in Late-Summer Heat, Here Is Why

If Your Tomato Leaves Curl and Turn Yellow While the Fruit Ripens Slowly in Late-Summer Heat, Here Is Why

What It Really Means When Tiny Jumping Spiders Move Into Your California Garden Beds This Summer

If Your Potted Peppers Keep Dropping Blossoms and Barely Fruiting in Late-Summer Heat, the Container Is Often Why

The One California Plant That Pulls Dragonflies Into Your Yard and Quietly Thins Out the Mosquitoes