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Plant of the Week

Mint by the Porch: A Fragrant Gardening Choice, Not a Proven Spider Repellent

Mint smells wonderful by a front door, and plenty of gardeners wonder if it also keeps spiders away. The research does not back that up,...

By John Miller CA · Oct 16, 2026

Field Notes

Northern Cardinals Live in Florida Year-Round, and the Right Yard Habitat May Support Visits

Why Your Central Texas Lawn May Still Crunch Underfoot Even After Fall Rain

A White Ibis Probing Your Florida Lawn Is Searching for Prey, Not Testing Your Soil

Could a Western Tanager Visit Your California Yard This Fall?

From the Garden

Why You May See Cottontails at Dusk in a Central Texas Garden

Why a Hawk Swoops Into Your California Bird Feeder, and What It Tells You About Your Yard

Why an Owl Keeps Showing Up in Your Central Texas Yard Once the Nights Turn Cool

Chamberbitter Can Hide Fruits Under Its Leaves and Scatter Seeds in Your Florida Lawn

A Tiny Ruby-Crowned Kinglet May Be Flitting Through Your Central Texas Shrubs This Fall and Winter

In Bloom

The California Native Plants That Crowd Out Your Weeds and Leave Rats Nowhere to Hide

Why a Fall Barn Owl Box in Your California Yard Gives Owls a Place to Nest

What Texas Gardeners Can Do This Fall to Support Painted Buntings in Spring

Gardener's Selection

Apartment Balcony in Florida? These 9 Vegetables Keep Producing in Pots All Winter

The One Fall Task Your Texas Roses Need Before the First Freeze Hits

Fall Prep for Florida Plumerias: Cold-Weather Care Based on Your Local Forecast

Those Small Holes Popping Up Overnight in Your Florida Lawn Each Point to a Specific Culprit

Mint by the Porch: A Fragrant Gardening Choice, Not a Proven Spider Repellent

The Potting Shed

Suspected Cane Toad on Your Central or South Florida Patio After Dark? What to Do If Your Dog Mouths It

Wild Coffee: A Florida Native Shrub for Shady Yards That Can Offer Food and Nectar to Birds and Butterflies

How to Protect Your California Plumeria Through Winter and Support Future Flowering

The Fall Lawn Mistakes Texas Homeowners Keep Making No Matter What They Read Online

Why California Rosemary Turns Woody, and How Regular Light Trimming and Local Timing Keep It Leafy

What a Snake Near Your Garden Shed May Really Mean in California

Why Might a Lizard Bask on a Sunny Fence or Rock in Your Central Texas Yard?

The California Plants That Keep Voles From Tunneling Through Your Beds Once Winter Rains Arrive

7 Florida Plants for Fall Porch Pots That Bring Hummingbirds Right to Your Chair

What Your California Avocado and Citrus Trees Need Before the First Frost Night to Keep Their Leaves and Fruit

Red-Streaked Leafhopper in Texas: A Small Grass Insect Worth Checking For

Mealy Blue Sage: A Texas Native to Consider Beside a Struggling Agapanthus

The Fire-Resistant Native Tree Texas Homeowners Are Quietly Planting Near the House Instead of Ornamentals

What to Do When a Scorpion Turns Up in Your Central Texas Bed Sheets or Shoes This Fall

7 Florida Native Plants That Bring Indigo Buntings and Goldfinches to Your Yard This Winter

The Garden Almanac

Field Notes

Where to Look for Palmetto Bugs in a Florida Yard and How to Keep Them Out

Satsumas in North Florida: Early Easy-Peel Citrus That May Be Ready Before Thanksgiving

The Familiar Garden Plants More California Counties Are Quietly Banning From Your Yard

Your Florida Desert Rose Asks for Very Little, but Skipping This One Thing Keeps It From Blooming

Why a Coyote Might Cross Your California Yard at Dusk, and the Yard Resources That Could Make It More Appealing

Chamberbitter or Long-Stalked Phyllanthus? How to Identify and Control This Mimosa-Like Florida Lawn Weed