In the Garden

Fall-planted spinach and lettuce seedlings vanish overnight when slugs move in after cool rains, so set these traps now

You plant a neat row of spinach and lettuce, a cool rain rolls through, and the next morning half the seedlings are gone. In many…

By Ethan Brooks · Oct 31, 2026

Jasmine Hughes · Oct 31

Ella Brown T · Oct 31

Ethan Brooks · Oct 31

From the Garden

Growing notes from every corner of the plot.

A snipped rose stem, a small pot, and a clear mason jar can make a cheap experiment for a North Carolina yard. The jar works…

In Bloom

What's thriving right now.

Gardener's Selection

The guides worth your time — handpicked by our gardeners.

Plant of the Week

Those pots of fall mums look great for a few weeks, and then the blooms fade and many get tossed. Some of them, though, can...

The Potting Shed

Field Notes

A pot full of strong green leaves and no flower stalk can feel like a plant that is teasing you....

You walk out to the garden and your lettuce looks like it grew a tiny tree overnight. The leaves taste...

You planted a hedge on your own land, and now the neighbor wants it trimmed down. It feels like the...

You step onto the porch after the first chilly night and your rosemary looks dull and feels crisp. It is...

Fall is the season most North Carolina gardeners circle on the calendar for planting trees. But dry soil can turn...

Your avocado tree drank deeply all summer, but October brings cooler days, shorter light, and maybe your first real rain....

Fall-planted spinach and lettuce seedlings vanish overnight when slugs move in after cool rains, so set these traps now

Starting Suitable North Carolina Shrubs From Dormant Hardwood Cuttings

What Feral Hogs Tearing Up Your Central Texas Yard Overnight Are Really Hunting For

If your beets have leafy tops and tiny roots this fall, late thinning may help if they’re crowded

From the Garden

Trying the Mason Jar Method to Root Fall Rose Cuttings in North Carolina

Tired of Mowing St. Augustine All Winter? These 7 Florida Natives Stay Green Without It

The Winter Bird That Shows Up in the Texas Panhandle and Almost Nowhere Else in the State

A coyote in your backyard this fall means doing these 9 things before you ever turn and run

If your fig tree still has hard green fruit on it now, pinch the tips and next year’s crop comes in earlier

In Bloom

Lavender Is Gorgeous and Fragrant, but Is It Really a Rat Deterrent for Your Yard?

Why your fall-planted onion sets bolt and send up flower stalks before they ever bulb

Rake Smart Under Your California Oaks: Some Bumblebee Queens Overwinter in Leaf Litter

Gardener's Selection

Your potted aloe turns mushy and brown at the base indoors this winter because the pot never drains

Fall peas flowering without pods? Check for frost, heat, water stress, and a row cover

Is your potted lavender sitting in soggy mix this winter? Check the pot’s drainage first

These 12 Common Houseplants Hide Toxic Sap That Sickens Curious Cats, Dogs and Toddlers

How North Carolina Mums Get a Better Chance of Returning Next Fall

The Potting Shed

Turk’s Cap Can Give Passing Hummingbirds Another Place to Feed in Central Texas

Potted peppers you bring indoors before frost may survive winter, and some might even fruit

When to Leave a Box Turtle in Your North Carolina Garden and When a Short Move Is Okay

Missed the Big Fall Native Plant Sale? Here’s Where Florida Gardeners Still Shop

What Catnip Can and Can’t Do Against Texas Rats and Roaches This Winter

Plant These 7 Florida Natives Now and Your Yard Feeds Robins and Warblers All Winter

Why Orchid Buds Drop Before Opening: Is Watering to Blame?

8 Florida Natives That Replace Your Boxwood Edging and Never Brown Out After a Cold Snap

Why Your California Lime Tree Keeps Giving You a Handful of Fruit, and the One Change That Fixes It

Swap Your Florida Vinyl Fence Line for These 8 Native Shrubs That Never Warp in the Heat

Skip the Annual Impatiens: These 8 Florida Natives Keep Shady Beds Blooming All Winter

These Everyday California Yard Habits Are Quietly Inviting Skunks to Dig Up Your Lawn Every Night

Could a Heater Vent Be Behind Your Christmas Cactus Dropping Its Buds?

Which North Carolina Trees You Should Prune This Winter and Which Ones to Leave Alone Until Spring

Texas Bermuda Grass Fall Care: When to Fertilize, Mow, and Water Before Dormancy

The Garden Almanac

Field Notes

Your amaryllis bulb sits leafy and bloomless every December because it never got its fall rest, and here’s how to give it one now

Your fall lettuce bolts and turns bitter after a warm November spell, and shade cloth saves the rest of the bed

Can Your California Neighbor Make You Cut Back a Hedge That Sits Entirely on Your Side?

Potted Rosemary Gray and Brittle After a Cold Night? Check for Cold Injury

Should North Carolina Gardeners Still Plant Trees This Fall After Such a Long Drought?

How To Adjust Your California Avocado Tree’s Watering as Fall Weather Changes