In the Garden

Firespike in Florida Gardens: Red Flowers and a Possible Nectar Source for Hummingbirds

Florida Gardening

Firespike in Florida Gardens: Red Flowers and a Possible Nectar Source for Hummingbirds

Few plants bring bright red color to a partly shaded Florida yard as reliably as firespike. Its tall spikes of tubular flowers show up in…

By Aria Moore F · Nov 1, 2026

Florida Gardening

Swap Your Florida Pampas Grass for These 7 Native Grasses That Never Turn Invasive

Aria Moore F · Nov 1

Florida Gardening

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

Aria Moore F · Nov 1

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

John Miller CA · Nov 1

From the Garden

Growing notes from every corner of the plot.

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

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

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

By 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

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

In Bloom

What's thriving right now.

What North Carolina Gardenias Need Before Winter: A Practical Pre-Freeze Plan

What North Carolina Gardenias Need Before Winter: A Practical Pre-Freeze Plan

By Jasmine Hughes

Seed Libraries Across California Hand Out Free Native Seeds, and Here’s Where to Find One Near You

Seed Libraries Across California Hand Out Free Native Seeds, and Here’s Where to Find One Near You

By John Miller CA

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

Gardener's Selection

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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

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?

Plant of the Week

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

A potted tomato parked in the garage can sit there for weeks without adding a single new leaf. Many gardeners blame the cold, but a...

By Ethan Brooks · Nov 1, 2026

The Potting Shed

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Field Notes

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

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

The sky finally opens up, the gutters overflow, and the yard looks soaked. It feels like the dry spell is...

By Jasmine Hughes on Nov 1

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

Texas Gardening

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

November in Texas feels like a reward after a long, brutal summer, and your roses know it. Cooler nights bring...

By Ella Brown T on Nov 1

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