Garden Spiders Strung Across Your California Yard This Fall Are Catching the Pests Chewing Your Winter Greens

Every fall, big round webs show up between fence posts, porch rails, and garden stakes across California. Many homeowners sweep them away without a second…

By John Miller CA · Nov 2, 2026

Garden Spiders Strung Across Your California Yard This Fall Are Catching the Pests Chewing Your Winter Greens

Carrots left in the ground under a thick leaf blanket taste sweeter after every frost, so stop rushing to dig them

Deer start stripping your shrubs and fall greens in November, and a few strong scents near the beds send them elsewhere

Blue Mistflower: A North Carolina Native That Brings Blue-Violet Color to Late-Season Beds

From the Garden

Dusky Pygmy Rattlesnakes in Florida Yards: How to Spot Them and Garden Safely

These California Vines Cover Your Fence in Green Without Cracking Wood or Pulling Off Stucco

Pecan Weevil in Central Texas: How Some Pecans Get Damaged From the Inside

These 7 November lawn habits quietly leave your grass thin and patchy come spring

Peace lilies brought in from the porch droop every afternoon indoors because the pot stays cold and wet

In Bloom

Why North Carolina Gardeners Who Lime Their Clay Now Get Greener Lawns and Gardens by Spring

Creeping Snowberry: The California Native Groundcover With Branches That Can Root as They Spread

Texas Vines That May Regrow After Cutting: Identify First, Then Choose a Control Plan

Gardener's Selection

Daily checks and the right care may help your potted mum look good longer into the holiday season

The One Thing North Carolina Gardeners Do This Fall to Revive a Struggling Clematis by Spring

Fall Strawberry Runners: When to Cut Them and When to Keep Them

Frostweed: A Shade-Loving Texas Native That Flowers as Fall Arrives

Why Stored Garlic and Onions Sprout or Soften: Is Your Warm Counter a Factor?

The Potting Shed

When North Carolina Gardeners Should Really Fill the Bird Feeders for Winter, and Why Early Matters

Could Tarantulas Prey on Scorpions? What One Mexico Study Means for Central Texas Yards

When Garlic Needs Straw Cover to Stop Freeze-Thaw Heaving

Crimson Clover as a Winter Cover Crop for Southern Vegetable Beds

Forsythia Suits Dormant Hardwood Cuttings in North Carolina, but Timing and Care Shape Success

This Texas Border Plant Keeps Squirrels Out of Your Central Texas Beds All Fall and Winter

Leaving your tomato cages and stakes out all winter carries blight spores straight into next year’s plants, so scrub them now

Butterflies Keep Flying Through Florida Winters, and These 7 Native Plants Keep Them Fed

Cold Snaps Are Coming, and These 7 Florida Natives Shrug Off Frost While Tropicals Turn to Mush

Check the Soil First: How Smart Watering Helps Protect Your Christmas Cactus Buds

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

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

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

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

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

The Garden Almanac

Field Notes

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

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

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

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

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

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