In the Garden

Blue Plumbago Brings Recurring Blue Blooms to Florida Yards With a Relaxed, Romantic Feel

Florida Gardening

Blue Plumbago Brings Recurring Blue Blooms to Florida Yards With a Relaxed, Romantic Feel

Many Florida gardeners dream of soft blue flowers that keep coming back. Hydrangeas get most of the attention, but they are not the only way…

By Aria Moore F · Nov 1, 2026

Barn Owls and Gophers in California Yards: What a Nest Box Can and Cannot Do

John Miller CA · Nov 1

Why Are My Potted Mums Turning Brown? Check the Soil Before You Water

Ethan Brooks · Nov 1

Some California Dragonflies Show Up in Fall, but They Are Not a Mosquito-Control Plan

John Miller CA · Nov 1

From the Garden

Growing notes from every corner of the plot.

Cutting healthy green asparagus ferns too early this fall can reduce stored reserves and may weaken next spring’s crop

Cutting healthy green asparagus ferns too early this fall can reduce stored reserves and may weaken next spring’s crop

That tall, feathery asparagus patch looks messy by fall, and it is tempting to trim it flat. But those green fronds are still working for…

By Ethan Brooks · Nov 1

Fig leaves turning yellow and dropping in November is normal, but leftover fruit left hanging spreads rot next year

By Ethan Brooks · Nov 1

Thin, Yellow Garlic Shoots in November? Check Planting Depth Before You Change Anything

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

In Bloom

What's thriving right now.

Keep Mulch Off Hosta Crowns This Fall to Lower Disease Risk

Keep Mulch Off Hosta Crowns This Fall to Lower Disease Risk

By Ethan Brooks

The Texas Native Plants That Bounce Back Fastest Once the Brutal Summer Heat Finally Breaks

Texas Gardening

The Texas Native Plants That Bounce Back Fastest Once the Brutal Summer Heat Finally Breaks

By Ella Brown T

Prune These 7 Plants in November and Your North Carolina Garden Wakes Up Ahead Next Spring

Prune These 7 Plants in November and Your North Carolina Garden Wakes Up Ahead Next Spring

By Jasmine Hughes

Gardener's Selection

The guides worth your time — handpicked by our gardeners.

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Check Rosemary for Waterlogged Soil Before California’s Winter Rain

Check Rosemary for Waterlogged Soil Before California’s Winter Rain

By John Miller CA

Sheltered Spots Near Central Texas Homes Where Brown Recluses May Hide

Texas Gardening

Sheltered Spots Near Central Texas Homes Where Brown Recluses May Hide

By Ella Brown T

Why a Potted Tomato Stalls in the Garage: Darkness, Cold, or Both?

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

Florida Gardening

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

Plant of the Week

What To Do When Your Potted California Avocado Droops Every Afternoon Even After Watering

You water your container avocado, and by 3 p.m. the leaves are hanging down again. By morning they look fine, which makes the whole thing...

By John Miller CA · Nov 1, 2026

The Potting Shed

Your fig cuttings taken after the leaves drop root all winter in a bucket of damp sand

Your fig cuttings taken after the leaves drop root all winter in a bucket of damp sand

Drain your garden hose and sprinkler before freezing temperatures reach your yard

Hardy Cyclamen for North Carolina Shade: Fall Flowers and Winter Leaves Under the Trees

How to Tell When Your California Oranges and Mandarins Are Ready to Pick

How to Tell When Your California Oranges and Mandarins Are Ready to Pick

Texas Gardening

Sweet Autumn Clematis: The Fragrant Fall Vine Texas Gardeners Can Try on a Fence or Pergola

Moving your potted fig into the garage too early wakes it up, and the new growth freezes later

These 7 Flowers Keep Blooming in North Carolina Backyards for 20 Years Without Replanting

These 7 Flowers Keep Blooming in North Carolina Backyards for 20 Years Without Replanting

Texas Gardening

The Smells Quietly Pulling Coyotes Into Your Central Texas Yard Once Fall Arrives

Cold Exposure Can Stress Poinsettias on the Ride Home, So Sleeve Yours Before You Leave the Store

Why Compost May Not Fix Soggy Clay in Some North Carolina Yards, and How to Assess the Site

Why Compost May Not Fix Soggy Clay in Some North Carolina Yards, and How to Assess the Site

Texas Gardening

Where Central Texas Gardeners Load Up on Free Mulch Before the First Freeze Hits

Hard frost turns your fall spinach to mush overnight unless you throw a sheet over the bed before dark

How to Turn a Snake Plant Offset Into a New Plant

How to Turn a Snake Plant Offset Into a New Plant

One Soaking Fall Rain May Not Fully Relieve Drought Stress for North Carolina Trees and Shrubs

Texas Gardening

The Rose Tasks Texas Gardeners Finish in November to Protect Next Spring’s Blooms

Field Notes

Never plant these 12 neighbors next to next year’s tomatoes, or your harvest comes up nearly empty

Never plant these 12 neighbors next to next year’s tomatoes, or your harvest comes up nearly empty

You can water, feed, and stake your tomatoes perfectly and still end up with a few sad, cracked fruits by...

By Ethan Brooks on Nov 1

Hummingbirds Spend the Winter in Florida, and These 7 Native Plants Keep Them Feeding Until Spring

Florida Gardening

Hummingbirds Spend the Winter in Florida, and These 7 Native Plants Keep Them Feeding Until Spring

A flash of wings beside a January flower can make a Florida yard feel full of life. Some hummingbirds spend...

By Aria Moore F on Nov 1

Florida-Friendly Landscaping in an HOA: What the Law Protects and How to Ask

Florida Gardening

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?

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

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

Florida Gardening

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