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
In the Garden
Is your potted lavender sitting in soggy mix this winter? Check the pot’s drainage first
Ethan Brooks · Oct 31
These 12 Common Houseplants Hide Toxic Sap That Sickens Curious Cats, Dogs and Toddlers
Ethan Brooks · Oct 31
How North Carolina Mums Get a Better Chance of Returning Next Fall
Jasmine Hughes · Oct 31
From the Garden
Turk’s Cap Can Give Passing Hummingbirds Another Place to Feed in Central Texas
Late summer in Central Texas brings tiny travelers zipping through yards on their way south. A flower with bright red blooms can give them a…
By Ella Brown T · Oct 31
Potted peppers you bring indoors before frost may survive winter, and some might even fruit
By Ethan Brooks · Oct 31
When to Leave a Box Turtle in Your North Carolina Garden and When a Short Move Is Okay
By Jasmine Hughes · Oct 31
Missed the Big Fall Native Plant Sale? Here’s Where Florida Gardeners Still Shop
By Aria Moore F · Oct 31
What Catnip Can and Can’t Do Against Texas Rats and Roaches This Winter
By Ella Brown T · Oct 31
In Bloom
What's thriving right now.
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
By Aria Moore F
Skip the Annual Impatiens: These 8 Florida Natives Keep Shady Beds Blooming All Winter
By Aria Moore F
These Everyday California Yard Habits Are Quietly Inviting Skunks to Dig Up Your Lawn Every Night
Plant of the Week
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 vent, that spot may be...
By Ethan Brooks · Oct 30, 2026
Read MoreThe Potting Shed
Field Notes
The Meaning Behind a Flock of Cedar Waxwings Dropping Into Your Central Texas Yard
One morning the yard is quiet, and an hour later dozens of sleek, crested birds are lined up in a...
By Ella Brown T on Oct 30
Selective harvesting and covering the planting can extend Swiss chard harvests in suitable winter conditions
Swiss chard often looks finished once the first cool nights arrive, but many plants still have leaves to give. A...
By Ethan Brooks on Oct 30
A quarter-turn may reduce splitting risk for a mature cabbage head that is still intact, but a cracked head needs harvesting
A heavy fall rain can leave cabbage heads cracked wide open, and it often happens just as they are ready...
By Ethan Brooks on Oct 30
The Drought-Proof Fruit Tree North Carolina Gardeners Keep Overlooking, and It Fruits Every Year Anyway
Dry spells can turn a young fruit tree into a watering chore fast. Chinese jujube has a reputation for handling...
By Jasmine Hughes on Oct 30
Texas’s Strangest Native Fruit Is Still Hanging on Trees This Fall, and Here’s Why It’s Worth Growing
A small Texas tree with peeling gray bark produces fruit that turns jet black. That fruit belongs to the Texas...
By Ella Brown T on Oct 30
Your potted citrus tree drops half its leaves right after you bring it indoors, and a sunnier spot with less water stops it
You carry your container lemon or lime inside before a cold snap, and a few days later leaves are piling...
By Ethan Brooks on Oct 30