Could a Red-Tailed Hawk Be Hunting Gophers in Your California Yard This Winter?
A big hawk sitting on a fence post or tree limb above your garden can make you wonder what it is watching for. Gophers may…
By John Miller CA · Nov 2, 2026
In the Garden
Why Your Potted Meyer Lemon Drops Tiny Fruit When the Heater Starts: Clues to Check
Ethan Brooks · Nov 2
Garden Spiders Strung Across Your California Yard This Fall Are Catching the Pests Chewing Your Winter Greens
John Miller CA · Nov 2
Carrots left in the ground under a thick leaf blanket taste sweeter after every frost, so stop rushing to dig them
Ethan Brooks · Nov 2
From the Garden
Deer start stripping your shrubs and fall greens in November, and a few strong scents near the beds send them elsewhere
Walk out one morning and find your shrubs nibbled down to ragged stubs, and it is hard not to blame the calendar. Deer do change…
By Ethan Brooks · Nov 2
Blue Mistflower: A North Carolina Native That Brings Blue-Violet Color to Late-Season Beds
By Jasmine Hughes · Nov 2
Dusky Pygmy Rattlesnakes in Florida Yards: How to Spot Them and Garden Safely
By Aria Moore F · Nov 2
These California Vines Cover Your Fence in Green Without Cracking Wood or Pulling Off Stucco
By John Miller CA · Nov 2
Pecan Weevil in Central Texas: How Some Pecans Get Damaged From the Inside
By Ella Brown T · Nov 2
In Bloom
What's thriving right now.
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
By Ella Brown T
Daily checks and the right care may help your potted mum look good longer into the holiday season
By Ethan Brooks
The One Thing North Carolina Gardeners Do This Fall to Revive a Struggling Clematis by Spring
Plant of the Week
Fall Strawberry Runners: When to Cut Them and When to Keep Them
Strawberry plants send out long, creeping stems called runners, and fall is when many gardeners wonder what to do with them. For some types of...
By Ethan Brooks · Nov 2, 2026
Read MoreThe Potting Shed
Field Notes
Barn Owls and Gophers in California Yards: What a Nest Box Can and Cannot Do
A barn owl gliding over a dark California yard looks like the perfect pest control crew. Barn owls do eat...
By John Miller CA on Nov 1
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....
By Ethan Brooks on Nov 1
Some California Dragonflies Show Up in Fall, but They Are Not a Mosquito-Control Plan
Dragonflies zipping over a California yard in autumn feel like a gift, and it is tempting to believe they are...
By John Miller CA on Nov 1
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...
By Ethan Brooks on Nov 1
Fig leaves turning yellow and dropping in November is normal, but leftover fruit left hanging spreads rot next year
Your fig tree is dropping yellow leaves, and the branches still hold a few forgotten figs. Is that a normal...
By Ethan Brooks on Nov 1
Thin, Yellow Garlic Shoots in November? Check Planting Depth Before You Change Anything
Green shoots poking up from your garlic bed in November can feel like a warning sign, especially when they look...
By Ethan Brooks on Nov 1