Gopher Tortoises Moving Into Florida Yards Eat These 7 Native Plants, So Plant Them Near the Burrow

A gopher tortoise crossing your lawn may be shopping for dinner among the weeds. Florida native plants can provide natural forage while adding flowers, ground…

By Aria Moore F · Nov 15, 2026

Gopher Tortoises Moving Into Florida Yards Eat These 7 Native Plants, So Plant Them Near the Burrow

Why Florida Fall Tomatoes Drop Blossoms: Night Temperatures, Nitrogen, and Other Causes to Check

Feeding These 8 Backyard Visitors Gets Florida Homeowners Fined, Even With Good Intentions

Bushtits Swarming Your California Shrubs in Noisy Little Flocks Are Picking Off the Scale Insects You Keep Spraying

From the Garden

Tiny holes in your fall collard leaves in Texas and Florida beds mean cabbage loopers are feeding at night, and BT stops them fast

Leave Some Oak Leaves for Overwintering Caterpillars and Beetles, but Only in Suitable, Fire-Safe Parts of Your California Yard

Cracked Tomatoes in Texas and Florida Gardens: How Dry-to-Wet Moisture Swings Split the Skins

Yellow lower leaves on your fall Texas or Florida mustard greens mean the bed ran out of nitrogen, and a fish emulsion feeding greens them back up

How Deep to Plant Strawberry Transplants in Texas and Florida Beds: Roots Covered, Crown Showing

In Bloom

Skip Creeping Jenny Around Your North Carolina Pond Edge and Plant This Native Spreader Instead

Found a Southern Alligator Lizard Under Your California Garden Board? Why Leaving It Alone Is Fine, and How to Check for Mollusk Damage

Radishes in your Texas or Florida fall bed split and turn spongy when you leave them a week too long

Gardener's Selection

Rat Snakes Wintering in Your Central Texas Woodpile Keep Rats Out of Your Garage

7 Native North Carolina Bloomers That Shrug Off Brutal Mailbox Heat Better Than Petunias Ever Do

Evergreen Huckleberry for Partly Shaded California Corners: Where It Fits and How to Plant It

A Possum Raiding Your Central Texas Compost This Winter Is Eating the Ticks You’d Otherwise Find

Why Do Fall Snow Peas Wilt on Sunny Afternoons in Texas and Florida Beds? Root Rot Is One Possible Cause to Check

The Potting Shed

That Tiny Orange-Spotted Lizard Under Your Florida Mulch Could Be a Skink, and It May Eat Some Garden Pests

Could a California Sycamore Planted Before Winter Rains Give You Shade by Next Summer?

Your Phalaenopsis orchid’s roots offer a clue about thirst this winter, if you know what to check

Lush beet tops but tiny roots in Texas and Florida fall beds? Crowding may be the cause, and thinning gives plants room

When to Prune Woody North Carolina Lantana: A Spring Cut Option for Hardy Perennial Plants

How to Prune Salvias in California: Match the Cut to the Plant and Your Frost Risk

Your Central Texas Cilantro Bolts Every Spring Because You Planted It Too Late, and Mid-November Fixes That

Why fall snap pea leaves may turn powdery white, and how better airflow can reduce mildew risk

The North Carolina Perennials That Quietly Spread on Their Own and Fill Your Bare Beds for Free

Mexican White Oak: A Fast-Growing Texas Shade Tree to Weigh Before You Plant in Central Texas

Yellow Lower Leaves and Stalled Growth in Texas and Florida Sugar Snap Peas: Is Soggy Soil a Risk?

How to Care for Potted Rosemary Indoors Through a North Carolina Winter

The Overlooked Texas Plant by Your Front Door That Stops Roaches Before They Get Inside

Amaryllis bulbs you pot up this week bloom right on time for Christmas if the pot stays snug and the neck stays dry

Why your fall arugula in Texas and Florida beds tastes hot and peppery, and the shade trick that sweetens it

The Garden Almanac

Field Notes

Bitten by a Black Widow While Clearing Your North Carolina Garden Shed? The First Minutes Matter

This Central Texas Botanical Garden Is Actually at Its Best When Winter Hits

Garden peas in your Texas or Florida winter bed flower beautifully but excess nitrogen can contribute to poor pod production

7 Florida Natives That Bring Red and Orange Blooms to Your Shady Beds This Winter

That Black Racer Zipping Across Your Florida Yard May Be a Native Predator Eyeing Rodents

Garlic in Texas and Florida Beds: Why Bulbs Sometimes Stay Single and Where Chilling Fits