Why Are My Potted Mums Turning Brown? Check the Soil Before You Water
That pot of mums looked perfect on the porch a few weeks ago, and now it is brown and crunchy. It is easy to blame…
By Ethan Brooks · Nov 1, 2026
In the Garden
Some California Dragonflies Show Up in Fall, but They Are Not a Mosquito-Control Plan
John Miller CA · Nov 1
Cutting healthy green asparagus ferns too early this fall can reduce stored reserves and may weaken next spring’s crop
Ethan Brooks · Nov 1
Fig leaves turning yellow and dropping in November is normal, but leftover fruit left hanging spreads rot next year
Ethan Brooks · Nov 1
From the Garden
Thin, Yellow Garlic Shoots in November? Check Planting Depth Before You Change Anything
Green shoots poking up from your garlic bed in November can feel like a warning sign, especially when they look thin or yellow. Many Southern…
By Ethan Brooks · Nov 1
What North Carolina Gardenias Need Before Winter: A Practical Pre-Freeze Plan
By Jasmine Hughes · Nov 1
Seed Libraries Across California Hand Out Free Native Seeds, and Here’s Where to Find One Near You
By John Miller CA · Nov 1
Keep Mulch Off Hosta Crowns This Fall to Lower Disease Risk
By Ethan Brooks · Nov 1
The Texas Native Plants That Bounce Back Fastest Once the Brutal Summer Heat Finally Breaks
By Ella Brown T · Nov 1
In Bloom
What's thriving right now.
Why a Potted Tomato Stalls in the Garage: Darkness, Cold, or Both?
By Ethan Brooks
Wild Coffee for Florida Shade: A Native Shrub Whose Red Fruit May Attract Birds
By Aria Moore F
What To Do When Your Potted California Avocado Droops Every Afternoon Even After Watering
Your fig cuttings taken after the leaves drop root all winter in a bucket of damp sand
By Ethan Brooks
Plant of the Week
Drain your garden hose and sprinkler before freezing temperatures reach your yard
A forgotten hose can hold a surprising amount of water, and that water can turn to ice when the temperature drops. Ice takes up more...
By Ethan Brooks · Nov 1, 2026
Read MoreThe Potting Shed
Field Notes
Florida-Friendly Landscaping in an HOA: What the Law Protects and How to Ask
Plenty of Florida homeowners look at a thirsty lawn and wonder if a yard of native plants could replace it....
By Aria Moore F on Oct 31
Can a banana peel really make potted peppers flower and fruit more?
Few garden tips sound as easy as tossing a banana peel into a pepper pot and waiting for more peppers....
By Ethan Brooks on Oct 31
How Leaving Some Seed Heads Standing May Offer Lesser Goldfinches Winter Food in Your California Yard
Every fall, many California gardeners grab the pruners and clear out spent flowers. Those faded blooms often hold something small...
By John Miller CA on Oct 31
Why No-See-Ums Swarm Your Florida Patio While the Yard Next Door Stays Bite-Free
You sit down on the patio at dusk, and within minutes your ankles are itching. Next door, the neighbors are...
By Aria Moore F on Oct 31
Curled Citrus Leaves in a California Fall: Check the Soil and Weather Before You Water
Curled citrus leaves make a lot of gardeners reach for the hose. But curl can come from thirst, a freeze,...
By John Miller CA on Oct 31
Those Christmas Cactus Pieces That Snap Off Are a Free New Plant for Your North Carolina Windowsill
A holiday cactus branch snaps off the plant, and most of us toss it in the trash. That broken piece...
By Jasmine Hughes on Oct 31