In the Garden

Water your Christmas cactus by the mix in November to help protect the buds it already has

Water your Christmas cactus by the mix in November to help protect the buds it already has

Many gardeners hear that November watering decides whether a Christmas cactus will be loaded with blooms by the holidays. The truth is a little less…

By Ethan Brooks · Oct 31, 2026

Rosemary for a California Patio: What It Can and Can’t Do About Pests

John Miller CA · Oct 31

Harvesting Green Tomatoes Before Frost Gives Mature Fruit a Chance to Ripen Indoors

Ethan Brooks · Oct 31

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

Ethan Brooks · Oct 31

From the Garden

Growing notes from every corner of the plot.

Starting Suitable North Carolina Shrubs From Dormant Hardwood Cuttings

Starting Suitable North Carolina Shrubs From Dormant Hardwood Cuttings

A few bare stems from a shrub you already own can turn into new plants without a trip to the nursery. Hardwood cuttings are taken…

By Jasmine Hughes · Oct 31

Texas Gardening

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

By Ella Brown T · Oct 31

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

By Ethan Brooks · Oct 31

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

By Jasmine Hughes · Oct 31

Florida Gardening

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

By Aria Moore F · Oct 31

In Bloom

What's thriving right now.

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

Texas Gardening

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

By Ella Brown T

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

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

By Ethan Brooks

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

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

By Ethan Brooks

Gardener's Selection

The guides worth your time — handpicked by our gardeners.

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

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

By John Miller CA

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

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

By Ethan Brooks

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

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

By John Miller CA

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

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

By Ethan Brooks

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

Plant of the Week

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

You check the pea row and see plenty of pretty flowers, but the pods just are not showing up. It is easy to blame the...

By Ethan Brooks · Oct 31, 2026

The Potting Shed

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

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

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

Texas Gardening

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

Florida Gardening

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

Texas Gardening

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

Florida Gardening

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?

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

Florida Gardening

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

Florida Gardening

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

Florida Gardening

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

Field Notes

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

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

Few things sting like watching Christmas cactus buds fall just before the holidays. If your plant sits near a heater...

By Ethan Brooks on Oct 30

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

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

Grab the loppers too early and you could cut off every flower your tree planned to show you in April....

By Jasmine Hughes on Oct 30

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

Texas Gardening

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

Fall in Texas can look like a quiet time for your lawn, but the choices you make now still matter....

By Ella Brown T on Oct 30

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

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

By Ethan Brooks on Oct 30

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

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

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

By Ethan Brooks on Oct 30

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

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

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

By John Miller CA on Oct 30