In the Garden

When to Cut Back North Carolina Peonies: Type-Specific Late-Fall Care After Foliage Dies Back

When to Cut Back North Carolina Peonies: Type-Specific Late-Fall Care After Foliage Dies Back

Peonies look like they vanish every fall, and that leaves many North Carolina gardeners wondering what to do with the leftover stems. The right move…

By Jasmine Hughes · Nov 4, 2026

Texas Gardening

Why Your Texas Live Oak Is Suddenly Dropping Leaves in November, and When to Worry

Ella Brown T · Nov 4

Plastic can injure tender perennials if it touches foliage or overheats, so cover them the smart way before a freeze

Ethan Brooks · Nov 4

Tall, Bitter Fall Lettuce in the South? Heat May Be One Clue, and Afternoon Shade May Help

Ethan Brooks · Nov 4

From the Garden

Growing notes from every corner of the plot.

What North Carolina Homeowners Should Know Before Trimming a Neighbor’s Branches Over the Fence

What North Carolina Homeowners Should Know Before Trimming a Neighbor’s Branches Over the Fence

Fall brings falling leaves, and it also brings a close look at limbs hanging over the fence. Many North Carolina homeowners reach for the saw…

By Jasmine Hughes · Nov 4

Florida Gardening

Coontie as a Gradual Addition to a Well-Drained Shady Florida Bed

By Aria Moore F · Nov 4

Texas Gardening

The Container Plants That Stay Gorgeous on a Sun-Baked Texas Concrete Patio

By Ella Brown T · Nov 4

Yellow Leaves and Leaf Drop on an Indoor Potted Hibiscus: What to Check and Adjust

By Ethan Brooks · Nov 4

Fall Pruning Can Remove Next Spring’s Blueberry Buds, So Check What You Cut and Follow Local Timing

By Ethan Brooks · Nov 4

In Bloom

What's thriving right now.

These California Shrubs Screen Your Fence Line Fast Without Roots That Lift Concrete or Crack Walls

These California Shrubs Screen Your Fence Line Fast Without Roots That Lift Concrete or Crack Walls

By John Miller CA

Leeks you leave standing in the garden this winter stay sweet when you hill soil around the stems now

Leeks you leave standing in the garden this winter stay sweet when you hill soil around the stems now

By Ethan Brooks

California Native Plant Societies Hold Fall Sales Where Rare Natives Cost Less Than Big-Box Nurseries

California Native Plant Societies Hold Fall Sales Where Rare Natives Cost Less Than Big-Box Nurseries

By John Miller CA

Gardener's Selection

The guides worth your time — handpicked by our gardeners.

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Cool Fall Nights May Slow Cucumbers, but Bitter Fruit Has Other Possible Causes

Cool Fall Nights May Slow Cucumbers, but Bitter Fruit Has Other Possible Causes

By Ethan Brooks

Is your amaryllis bulb sitting in a pot doing nothing? Here’s how to wake it up for Christmas blooms

Is your amaryllis bulb sitting in a pot doing nothing? Here’s how to wake it up for Christmas blooms

By Ethan Brooks

Ragged Holes in Fall Lettuce: Caterpillars or Slugs? How to Tell Before You Treat

Ragged Holes in Fall Lettuce: Caterpillars or Slugs? How to Tell Before You Treat

By Ethan Brooks

Gray or brittle rosemary and thyme indoors? How to check the plant, the room, and the pot

Gray or brittle rosemary and thyme indoors? How to check the plant, the room, and the pot

By Ethan Brooks

These 9 Native Shrubs Keep Birds Fed and Sheltered in Your North Carolina Yard All Winter

Plant of the Week

These 9 Native Shrubs Keep Birds Fed and Sheltered in Your North Carolina Yard All Winter

When the first hard freeze hits North Carolina, the bugs vanish and birds start hunting for food and a safe place to sleep. The right...

By Jasmine Hughes · Nov 4, 2026

The Potting Shed

Agarita in Central Texas: Yellow Winter Blooms Now, Tart Red Berries Later

Texas Gardening

Agarita in Central Texas: Yellow Winter Blooms Now, Tart Red Berries Later

How to Lower the Risk of Leaf Drop When You Move a Potted Citrus Tree Indoors

A Cut-Stump Method That Can Help Control Climbing Poison Ivy and Reduce Regrowth

Florida Bougainvillea Winter Color: Bract Loss, Freeze Injury, and Bloom Care

Florida Gardening

Florida Bougainvillea Winter Color: Bract Loss, Freeze Injury, and Bloom Care

Texas Gardening

Leave the Brush Pile in Your Central Texas Yard and Box Turtles Will Spend the Winter Safely

Florida Gardening

Skip the Crape Myrtle: These 8 Florida Natives Line Your Driveway and Fence With Less Work

Snipping your lemongrass to the ground before frost and potting one clump saves it for next spring

Snipping your lemongrass to the ground before frost and potting one clump saves it for next spring

Florida Gardening

These Winter Birds Showing Up at Your Florida Feeder Prove Your Yard Is Built Right

Western Toads Under California Pots May Eat Snails, But They Won’t Guard Your Winter Greens

Cut Back Your Tropical Milkweed This Fall and Florida Monarchs Stay Healthier Through Winter

Florida Gardening

Cut Back Your Tropical Milkweed This Fall and Florida Monarchs Stay Healthier Through Winter

Florida Gardening

Florida HOA Yard Rules Are Shifting, and These 8 Natives Keep Your Lawn Ahead of the Change

Lacewings May Overwinter in Your California Garden, So Think Twice Before a Routine Fall Spray on Roses

Brown, Crispy Peace Lily Tips: Could Your Water Be a Hidden Factor?

Brown, Crispy Peace Lily Tips: Could Your Water Be a Hidden Factor?

Spotted Lanternfly Egg Masses: The Cold-Season Scrape Method Recommended for North Carolina Quarantined Areas

Texas Gardening

Possumhaw Holly in Central Texas: A Native Shrub That May Bring Red or Orange Winter Berries

Field Notes

Should You Prune Geraniums Before Bringing Them Inside? What the Extension Guides Say

Should You Prune Geraniums Before Bringing Them Inside? What the Extension Guides Say

That potted geranium on your porch is probably a tender plant that cannot handle a freeze. When cold weather heads...

By Ethan Brooks on Nov 3

Mature cabbage heads can split when heavy rain follows a dry spell

Mature cabbage heads can split when heavy rain follows a dry spell

A cabbage head that looked perfect on Monday can be cracked open by Friday. It often happens when a dry...

By Ethan Brooks on Nov 3

Do This For Your California Gardenias Before Winter Rains Hit Or Next Spring’s Blooms Pay the Price

Do This For Your California Gardenias Before Winter Rains Hit Or Next Spring’s Blooms Pay the Price

Gardenias are famous for their creamy, sweet-smelling flowers, and many California gardeners count the days until they open. Here is...

By John Miller CA on Nov 3

Why your potted geraniums stretch leggy and flower less once they come indoors for winter

Why your potted geraniums stretch leggy and flower less once they come indoors for winter

You hauled your beautiful potted geraniums inside before the first frost, and now they look tall, thin, and sparse. Many...

By Ethan Brooks on Nov 3

Meyer Lemon Leaf Drop After Moving Indoors in North Carolina: Ways to Reduce Stress

Meyer Lemon Leaf Drop After Moving Indoors in North Carolina: Ways to Reduce Stress

Moving a potted Meyer lemon indoors for winter can bring an unwelcome surprise: leaves dropping onto the floor within days....

By Jasmine Hughes on Nov 3

Coralberry Under Central Texas Trees: A Possible Winter Berry Source for Birds, If Your Site Fits

Texas Gardening

Coralberry Under Central Texas Trees: A Possible Winter Berry Source for Birds, If Your Site Fits

Winter can leave Central Texas yards looking bare and quiet. Coralberry, a native shrub with clusters of small pinkish red...

By Ella Brown T on Nov 3