In the Garden

Strawberry plants you tuck under straw before the first hard freeze come back with bigger berries in spring

Strawberry plants you tuck under straw before the first hard freeze come back with bigger berries in spring

Cold snaps can sneak up on a strawberry bed, and many Southern gardeners wonder if a blanket of straw is the answer. Straw can help…

By Ethan Brooks · Nov 6, 2026

Identify Your North Carolina Spirea Before Pruning: Why Timing Matters More Than a November Cut

Jasmine Hughes · Nov 6

Texas Gardening

These Native Shrubs Hold Your Sloping Texas Yard in Place Better Than a Retaining Wall

Ella Brown T · Nov 6

Soggy Potting Mix Can Put Your Winter Fig Tree’s Roots at Risk

Ethan Brooks · Nov 6

From the Garden

Growing notes from every corner of the plot.

Feeding North Carolina Collards by Soil Test and Harvesting in Cool Weather

Feeding North Carolina Collards by Soil Test and Harvesting in Cool Weather

Collards are a classic winter crop in North Carolina, and plenty of gardeners hunt for a secret fertilizer that makes them sweeter. The real story…

By Jasmine Hughes · Nov 6

Texas Gardening

Copperheads and Coral Snakes in Central Texas Leaf Litter: What Gardeners Should Know Before Cleanup

By Ella Brown T · Nov 6

Check Drainage Before You Plant Asparagus: Wet Soil Raises Crown Disease Risk

By Ethan Brooks · Nov 6

Whether Your Lantana Comes Back Next Spring Depends on Where in North Carolina You Garden

By Jasmine Hughes · Nov 6

Texas Gardening

Black-Capped Vireos Breed in Texas Hill Country Shrubland, and Careful Habitat Care Can Help

By Ella Brown T · Nov 6

In Bloom

What's thriving right now.

Garlic tops yellow or limp this fall? Check soil moisture and the plant base for rot risk

Garlic tops yellow or limp this fall? Check soil moisture and the plant base for rot risk

By Ethan Brooks

Garlic Cloves Planted Too Shallow May Heave Out During Freeze-Thaw Cycles

Garlic Cloves Planted Too Shallow May Heave Out During Freeze-Thaw Cycles

By Ethan Brooks

Plant these 12 crops beside your tomatoes next spring and you’ll be staring at empty vines all summer

Plant these 12 crops beside your tomatoes next spring and you’ll be staring at empty vines all summer

By Ethan Brooks

Gardener's Selection

The guides worth your time — handpicked by our gardeners.

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This One Winter Step Keeps Your Florida Palms Greener Than Any Amount of Frond Trimming

Florida Gardening

This One Winter Step Keeps Your Florida Palms Greener Than Any Amount of Frond Trimming

By Aria Moore F

The Soft Morning Call of a Mourning Dove in Your Florida Yard Usually Means Something Specific

Florida Gardening

The Soft Morning Call of a Mourning Dove in Your Florida Yard Usually Means Something Specific

By Aria Moore F

These 9 smells keep mice out of your house and garden shed once the cold nights arrive

These 9 smells keep mice out of your house and garden shed once the cold nights arrive

By Ethan Brooks

Sandhill Cranes in Your Florida Yard: Fall Migration and Winter Arrival Explained

Florida Gardening

Sandhill Cranes in Your Florida Yard: Fall Migration and Winter Arrival Explained

By Aria Moore F

Leave the Praying Mantis Egg Cases on Your California Shrubs, Because Spring Hatchlings Eat Your Aphids

Plant of the Week

Leave the Praying Mantis Egg Cases on Your California Shrubs, Because Spring Hatchlings Eat Your Aphids

Maybe you have spotted a hard, foamy lump stuck to a twig while pruning your shrubs. It could be a praying mantis egg case, and...

By John Miller CA · Nov 5, 2026

The Potting Shed

Tail-Bobbing Bird on Your Florida Fence: A Possible Winter Visitor

Florida Gardening

Tail-Bobbing Bird on Your Florida Fence: A Possible Winter Visitor

Bats Under California Eaves May Help Control Garden Insects, but Here Is What to Know

Florida Gardening

Harvest Your Florida Roselle Calyxes This Way Now, and Regular Picking May Extend the Season Before Cold Arrives

Mature compost may improve your lawn soil over time, but it is no quick fix

Mature compost may improve your lawn soil over time, but it is no quick fix

Plants You Put In Once This Fall and Never Replant in Your North Carolina Garden Again

These California Native Groundcovers Thrive Under Your Oak Trees Without a Drop of Summer Water

What Does a Red-Tailed Hawk Sighting Tell Central Texas Homeowners About Rodents?

Texas Gardening

What Does a Red-Tailed Hawk Sighting Tell Central Texas Homeowners About Rodents?

Why Potted Figs on the Patio Face Higher Winter Root Risk and Hidden Cold Damage

Could Cutworms Be Behind Your Vanishing Spinach and Lettuce Seedlings?

How to Care for North Carolina Pansies During a Warm November Spell

How to Care for North Carolina Pansies During a Warm November Spell

Why California Quail May Become More Noticeable in Backyard Gardens as Winter Coveys Form

Texas Gardening

The Fall Container Plants That Make Your Texas Porch Look Fresh Again After Summer Burned It Out

Pale yellow blotches on fall spinach may point to downy mildew, and thinning crowded rows can help leaves dry

Pale yellow blotches on fall spinach may point to downy mildew, and thinning crowded rows can help leaves dry

Overwintering potted pepper plants indoors may preserve them and give a possible head start next summer

The Fall Soup Herb North Carolina Gardeners Keep Growing All Winter Because Pests Hate It

Field Notes

The Golden-Cheeked Warbler Nests Only in Central Texas, and Some Birds Return as Spring Approaches

Texas Gardening

The Golden-Cheeked Warbler Nests Only in Central Texas, and Some Birds Return as Spring Approaches

A tiny songbird with a bright yellow face spends its summers in Central Texas woodlands and nowhere else in the...

By Ella Brown T on Nov 5

Is your Christmas cactus dropping buds after a move? Steady light and temperature may help reduce the loss

Is your Christmas cactus dropping buds after a move? Steady light and temperature may help reduce the loss

Few things sting like watching tiny pink buds litter the floor right when your Christmas cactus was about to bloom....

By Ethan Brooks on Nov 5

Foraging Fire Ant Workers and Box Turtles: What North Carolina Yards Should Know

Foraging Fire Ant Workers and Box Turtles: What North Carolina Yards Should Know

Fire ants are known for their painful stings, but their effects on small wildlife get less attention. Worker ants roam...

By Jasmine Hughes on Nov 5

Why Fire Ant Mounds Become Noticeable After Rain in Florida Yards While a Neighbor’s Lawn Looks Clear

Florida Gardening

Why Fire Ant Mounds Become Noticeable After Rain in Florida Yards While a Neighbor’s Lawn Looks Clear

You walk out after a rainy week and spot a dome of loose soil in the grass that was not...

By Aria Moore F on Nov 5

How to Spot and Check for Possible Chilli Thrips Damage on Texas Peppers and Roses

Texas Gardening

How to Spot and Check for Possible Chilli Thrips Damage on Texas Peppers and Roses

Some of the most stubborn garden pests are too small to see without help. Chilli thrips are one of them,...

By Ella Brown T on Nov 5

The squirrels digging up your yard this fall are quietly doing your garden more good than harm

The squirrels digging up your yard this fall are quietly doing your garden more good than harm

Those little holes and tossed mulch in your beds every autumn are easy to blame on squirrels, and you may...

By Ethan Brooks on Nov 5