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Plant of the Week

Spearmint oil cut brown marmorated stink bug trap catches in one study, but mint is not a proven garden fix

Brown marmorated stink bugs start looking for cozy winter shelter as fall arrives, and your house can look like a great spot. A popular claim...

By Ethan Brooks · Oct 14, 2026

Field Notes

The Dry Summer May Have Stressed Some St. Augustine Lawns, and October Is a Time to Assess and Care for Turf

How To Support Lizard Habitat in Your California Yard During Late-Season Heat

Florida’s Biggest Garden Trend This Year Is Feeding Pollinators, and These 7 Natives Do It Best

California Western Fence Lizards Patrol Your Garden Beds for Beetles, but Tidy Fall Cleanup Leaves Them Homeless

From the Garden

Geranium cuttings can be rooted in water on your windowsill when cold threatens

Is That Recurring Central Texas Lawn Weed Nutsedge? Why It Keeps Returning and What Fall Can Really Do

Which Hard Green Tomatoes Left After Frost Are Worth Trying to Ripen Indoors

Rooting Rosemary in Water and Thyme in Sand: What Southern Gardeners Should Know

Why Skinks Keep Turning Up Under Your California Woodpile This Fall

In Bloom

The Odd-Looking Native Texas Shrub That Keeps Bees and Butterflies Swarming Your Yard This Fall

How to Harvest Fall Swiss Chard and What Affects Whether It Lasts Into Winter

The One Fall Task Your Texas Crape Myrtles Need Before Winter Sets In

Gardener's Selection

Potted Common Figs in Winter: Cool Dormant Storage Is the Safer Bet, Not the Only Way

Beets With Big Leaves and Tiny Roots: Excess Nitrogen Is One Possible Cause, and Here Is a Plan for Next Year’s Bed

A Gopher Tortoise Digging a Burrow in Your Florida Yard Is Actually Good News

The Native Texas Grass to Consider Instead of Pampas for Fence-Line Plumes

Spearmint oil cut brown marmorated stink bug trap catches in one study, but mint is not a proven garden fix

The Potting Shed

Rosemary Cuttings Snipped Before the First Frost Root on a Sunny Windowsill and Give You New Plants by Spring

Why an Opossum Keeps Visiting Your California Garden After Dark and What May Be Attracting It

Overwintering Peppers Indoors May Give You a Head Start on Next Summer’s Harvest, and Here’s How to Do It

The California Shrubs That Screen Your Neighbor’s Windows Fast Without Roots Invading Your Pool or Foundation

Your Hostas Look Tired and Tattered Right Now, but These Fall Moves Bring Them Back Bigger Next Spring

Fig Cuttings From Dormant Wood Can Root, Giving You New Trees to Grow On

Clematis Pruning by Group: What to Do This Fall and When to Cut Back

Mulching Fall Garlic and Onions in the South: Match Protection to Your Crop and Local Winters

The Fig Tree Mistakes Central Texas Gardeners Keep Making Every Fall Without Realizing It

What Yellow Fig Leaves Are Telling You Before Winter

These 11 Tropical Plants Make Your Florida Home Look Like It Cost Twice as Much

What It Really Means When a Texas Spiny Lizard Keeps Sunning on Your Central Texas Fence This Fall

Florida Muhly Grass Can Turn Your Yard Pink This Fall

Limp Christmas Cactus in October? Check the Soil Moisture First, Then the Roots if Needed

Torpedograss Looks Gone After You Pull It, but Its Rhizomes Are Taking Over Your Florida Bed

The Garden Almanac

Field Notes

What It Really Means When a Striped Skunk Digs Up Your California Lawn, and the Grubs It May Be Eating

Florida HOAs Stopped Fighting Native Plant Yards This Year, and the Real Reason Is Money

Why Florida Neighborhoods Keep Planting the Same Few Shade Trees to Cool Their Homes

Can Your California Neighbor Actually Make You Trim a Tree That Blocks Their View or Solar Panels?

Your Garden Isn’t Done Yet: These 5 Flowers Go in the Ground This October for a Spectacular Spring Show

Could Your Texas Yard Be Less Welcoming to Roadrunners?