In the Garden

Got a lawn full of fallen leaves? Mowing them into the grass feeds it better than raking

Got a lawn full of fallen leaves? Mowing them into the grass feeds it better than raking

Those fallen leaves blanketing your yard do not have to end up at the curb. With a mower and a little timing, many homeowners can…

By Ethan Brooks · Oct 30, 2026

Pansies or Violas: The One That Actually Blooms Through a North Carolina Cold Snap

Jasmine Hughes · Oct 30

Texas Gardening

Gulf Muhly Brings Pink Clouds to Central Texas Yards in Fall, and Here’s How to Plant One

Ella Brown T · Oct 30

Brown, Crispy Hydrangea Leaves This Fall: What They Mean and When Watering Helps

Ethan Brooks · Oct 30

From the Garden

Growing notes from every corner of the plot.

Your fall tomato seedlings for next spring? No: your leftover potting mix grows fungus gnats indoors unless you bake it first

Your fall tomato seedlings for next spring? No: your leftover potting mix grows fungus gnats indoors unless you bake it first

Tiny black flies hovering over a tray of tomato seedlings can ruin a gardener’s mood fast. Old potting mix gets blamed a lot, but the…

By Ethan Brooks · Oct 30

Harvest Fall Collards from the Bottom Up to Keep the Leaves Coming

By Ethan Brooks · Oct 30

Florida Gardening

Coral Honeysuckle on a Florida Trellis Can Offer Nectar That May Attract Hummingbirds

By Aria Moore F · Oct 30

Florida Gardening

Leave Your Florida Crape Myrtle Alone This November, With One Disease Exception

By Aria Moore F · Oct 29

Leggy, Yellowing Potted Geraniums Indoors: When Pruning May Help Them Branch and When Light or Watering Matters More

By Ethan Brooks · Oct 29

In Bloom

What's thriving right now.

Is Your Florida Yard Overrun With Rats? Plant These Natives That Bring Barn Owls In to Hunt

Florida Gardening

Is Your Florida Yard Overrun With Rats? Plant These Natives That Bring Barn Owls In to Hunt

By Aria Moore F

The One Fall Task Your California Guava Tree Needs Before the First Cold Nights Hit

The One Fall Task Your California Guava Tree Needs Before the First Cold Nights Hit

By John Miller CA

Mexican Petunia Is Spreading Through Your Florida Beds? Remove It and Keep Checking

Florida Gardening

Mexican Petunia Is Spreading Through Your Florida Beds? Remove It and Keep Checking

By Aria Moore F

Gardener's Selection

The guides worth your time — handpicked by our gardeners.

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Are Fresh Ground Squirrel Burrows in Your California Yard a Sign of Fall Digging? What We Know

Are Fresh Ground Squirrel Burrows in Your California Yard a Sign of Fall Digging? What We Know

By John Miller CA

Your Florida Live Oak Is Raining Acorns This Fall, and There’s a Real Reason Behind It

Florida Gardening

Your Florida Live Oak Is Raining Acorns This Fall, and There’s a Real Reason Behind It

By Aria Moore F

Hosta leaves left to rot over winter hide the slugs that shred them next spring, so clear them now

Hosta leaves left to rot over winter hide the slugs that shred them next spring, so clear them now

By Ethan Brooks

Why Sphinx Moths May Show Up in Your North Carolina Garden Around Dusk

Why Sphinx Moths May Show Up in Your North Carolina Garden Around Dusk

By Jasmine Hughes

The Simple Signs Your California Fuyu Persimmons Are Sweet Enough to Pick Before Birds Get Them

Plant of the Week

The Simple Signs Your California Fuyu Persimmons Are Sweet Enough to Pick Before Birds Get Them

Those orange Fuyus hanging on your tree look tempting, and the birds think so too. Picking too early or waiting too long can cost you...

By John Miller CA · Oct 29, 2026

The Potting Shed

Crape Myrtle Roots, Texas Lawns, and Foundations: What to Know

Texas Gardening

Crape Myrtle Roots, Texas Lawns, and Foundations: What to Know

Brussels sprouts that stayed loose and leafy all fall tighten up fast once you top the stalks

Mulch Piled Against Fruit Tree Trunks Can Give Voles Cover and Put Bark at Risk

Managing a Wooded Backyard Edge for Ticks and Choosing Native Plants for the Site

Managing a Wooded Backyard Edge for Ticks and Choosing Native Plants for the Site

How To Shield Your California Citrus Trees Before the First Cold Snap Damages the Fruit

Texas Gardening

Live Oak for Texas Yards: Drought-Tolerant Shade That Needs Care to Get Established

Geranium cuttings may root on a bright windowsill and give you plants for spring, with timing based on your climate

Geranium cuttings may root on a bright windowsill and give you plants for spring, with timing based on your climate

Brown Spider Plant Tips? Watering Is One Thing to Check

What It Really Means When Luna Moths Keep Gathering Under Your North Carolina Porch Light

These Texas Nurseries Are Worth a Late-Fall Drive for Tulip Bulbs and Blooming Mums

Texas Gardening

These Texas Nurseries Are Worth a Late-Fall Drive for Tulip Bulbs and Blooming Mums

Removing suspect tomato debris this fall can reduce one source of early blight next season

What It Really Means When a Screech Owl Starts Calling From Your North Carolina Yard Every Night This Fall

Cardinal Pairs in Florida Yards in Winter: What a Yard Can Offer and What It Cannot Control

Florida Gardening

Cardinal Pairs in Florida Yards in Winter: What a Yard Can Offer and What It Cannot Control

Texas Gardening

The Simple Fall Habits That Stop Armadillos From Digging Up Your Central Texas Lawn Every Night

Your fall cauliflower heads turn yellow and fuzzy when the sun hits them, so tie the leaves up now

Field Notes

Fall radishes all leaves and no bulbs? Excess nitrogen is one possible cause

Fall radishes all leaves and no bulbs? Excess nitrogen is one possible cause

You sowed radish seeds in fall, watched a thick carpet of green leaves rise, and then pulled up skinny roots...

By Ethan Brooks on Oct 29

Is California Lilac the Lantana Alternative Some Yards Need? What Bees and Site Conditions Say

Is California Lilac the Lantana Alternative Some Yards Need? What Bees and Site Conditions Say

Lantana is a front-yard favorite, but California gardeners keep asking what else could fill that sunny spot. One shrub that...

By John Miller CA on Oct 29

Why your fall kale leaves are covered in tiny holes and green caterpillars, and how to stop them

Why your fall kale leaves are covered in tiny holes and green caterpillars, and how to stop them

Your kale looked perfect last week, and now the leaves look like lace. Green caterpillars are hiding on the undersides,...

By Ethan Brooks on Oct 29

What It Really Means When Earthworms Cover Your California Driveway and Patio After a Heavy Rain

What It Really Means When Earthworms Cover Your California Driveway and Patio After a Heavy Rain

You step outside after a big winter storm and the driveway looks like it is wriggling. Dozens of earthworms are...

By John Miller CA on Oct 29

How to Save Tomato Seeds From Your Best Plant: What Fermenting Does and Doesn’t Do

How to Save Tomato Seeds From Your Best Plant: What Fermenting Does and Doesn’t Do

You found one tomato plant this summer that beat all the others, and now you want that same fruit next...

By Ethan Brooks on Oct 29

Snakes slip into your yard this fall under leaf piles and woodpiles, so clear these hiding spots first

Snakes slip into your yard this fall under leaf piles and woodpiles, so clear these hiding spots first

Cooler fall nights send snakes looking for cozy, sheltered spots, and your yard may offer plenty of them. Leaf piles,...

By Ethan Brooks on Oct 29