Complete Gardening

Plant of the Week

The California Native Groundcovers That Cover Bare Soil Fast Without Taking Over the Whole Bed

Bare patches in a garden can make even a well-planted yard look unfinished. The good news is that some California native groundcovers fill space quickly...

By John Miller CA · Sep 23, 2026

Field Notes

Your Hummingbirds Stopped Showing Up Even With a Full Feeder — Here’s What Changed

Cut These Crape Myrtle Seed Pods Before Winter or You’ll Be Pulling Seedlings All Spring in North Carolina

Why California’s ember-zone rules now outrank HOA landscaping demands for some homeowners

Your Central Texas basil leaves turn black and limp fast once cool nights hit

From the Garden

When Severe Root Crowding Slows Your Potted Fig – How to Spot the Real Problem

What North Carolina Gardeners Do to Keep Fuchsia Blooming Instead of Fading Out Fast

Those silver trails across your Central Texas kale may signal slugs or snails feeding on young seedlings

Your Hydrangeas Set Next Year’s Blooms With What You Do in Fall

Your Hydrangea Has More Blooms Waiting – These 5 Fixes Help Bring Them Out

In Bloom

The Fall Step North Carolina Gardeners Skip That Leaves Daffodils Weak Next Spring

Replacing boxwood in Florida gets easier with these 7 natives that stay full through fall

Jalapeños in Central Texas stop thickening their fruits when hot nights block pollination

Gardener's Selection

Your Coneflowers Hold Next Year’s Flowers in the Seed Heads — Here’s When to Collect Them

Your Mower Keeps Feeding Crabgrass the Exact Cut It Needs to Spread Faster

This Blue-Tailed California Lizard Helps Keep Garden Pests Down, but Homeowners Misread It

Your Geraniums Keep Blooming Into Fall When You Feed Them This Way, Not Harder

The California Native Groundcovers That Cover Bare Soil Fast Without Taking Over the Whole Bed

The Potting Shed

These flowering shrubs give you hydrangea-level color without the summer wilt drama

Your Hostas Keep Looking Ragged? These 10 Easy Fixes Get Them Back on Track

Creeping Charlie Keeps Coming Back Because Pulling It Misses the Part That Spreads Fast

Before You Prune a Fig Tree This Fall, Avoid the Cuts That Cost You Next Year’s Fruit

Crape Myrtle Leaves Are Turning Black in North Carolina, and This Fix Stops the Sticky Mess

Tan rings in a Central Texas lawn may be take-all root rot – but check before you water or treat

Moles Keep Tunneling Through Your Lawn? This Garden Staple Sends Them Looking Elsewhere

What It Really Tells You When Hummingbird Moths Start Visiting Your North Carolina Garden at Dusk

7 Florida Yard Habits That Make Black Widows Set Up Closer to Your House

What It Means When a Possum Starts Visiting Your Central Texas Yard at Night

7 Florida Plants That Fill a Bare Fence Line Into Real Privacy Faster Than Most Shrubs

Your Christmas Cactus Turns Limp in Warm Weather Because of One Watering Mistake

Bats stick around in Florida gardens that give them these 7 mosquito-hunting advantages

California Hover Flies Can Help Suppress Aphids on Roses and Vegetables, but Many Yards May Offer Too Little to Keep Them Working

Most Florida shrubs stop earning their space by fall, but these 7 start looking better now

The Garden Almanac

Field Notes

Replace thirsty annual beds in your Florida yard with 7 natives that flower through fall

Western Bluebirds Patrol California Yards for Caterpillars and Beetles, but Bare Lawns Give Them No Reason to Stay

Your Coneflowers Bloom Weak and Sparse Because of One Care Slip — Here’s What to Fix Now

Plant This Native Shrub Where Mosquitoes Breed Along Your North Carolina Yard and They Stop Multiplying

The Meaning Behind a Roadrunner Pausing on Your Central Texas Fence at Dawn

That Fast-Spreading Vine You Love Is Actually Banned in Much of the US — Here’s Why