Florida Gardening

Those rough “boots” on a Florida palm aren’t junk — here’s what you remove with them

Look up at almost any Florida cabbage palm and you’ll notice a rough, almost armored texture covering the trunk. Those jagged ridges aren’t damaged bark…

By Aria Moore F · Sep 24, 2026

Field Notes

Those rough “boots” on a Florida palm aren’t junk — here’s what you remove with them

Stop pulling California woodlouse spiders from the garage because they wipe out pill bugs and roaches at night

What to plant in a Florida yard that keeps cardinals around after feeders empty

Your Beet Harvest Tastes Sweeter When You Wait for These Exact Signs

From the Garden

The Fall Step North Carolina Dogwoods Need Now or Spring Blooming Stays Sparse

Why California paper wasps are the tomato hornworm hunters most gardeners chase away by mistake

Texas scorpions are showing up in more yards this year for a reason

If hydrangeas keep letting you down, these flowering shrubs give you easier color

Your Grass Seed Keeps Failing Because the Lawn Problem Starts Before You Ever Sow It

In Bloom

The Backyard Shrub Bringing Disease Into North Carolina Yards Before Homeowners Notice

California earwigs chew through seedlings overnight, and this is how to stop the damage fast

When green anoles take over your Central Texas yard, your habitat is working

Gardener's Selection

Your Raised Bed Harvest Starts in the Soil Mix – These 3 Ingredients Matter Most

Your Potted Fig Tree Starts Stalling Out When the Container Is the Problem

The One Fall Cut North Carolina Butterfly Bush Needs Now or Next Year’s Blooms Stay Weak

A Texas Rain Lily That Can Brighten Beds After Fall Rains

Your Hostas Keep Looking Rough Because of 4 Easy-to-Miss Care Mistakes

The Potting Shed

The Native North Carolina Plants That Build the Cool, Leafy Hideouts Fireflies Need to Come Back

These 7 Florida Yard Problems Make Armadillos Start Digging There First

The Native Texas Plants Cardinals Actually Need in Fall More Than a Feeder

Tired of struggling with hydrangeas? These flowering shrubs give you the same wow with less fuss

Your fig tree makes easy new plants when you start cuttings before cool weather slows them down

Western kingbirds hunt grasshoppers in California yards – and an exposed perch may give them a better shot

Your clematis gives you free new vines when you root the healthy shoots now

The California Fruit Trees Worth Planting This Fall So They Root In Before Winter

Your Hydrangeas Keep Struggling Because the Spot You Picked Sets Them Up to Fail

Your Geranium Leaves Turn Yellow When One Growing Condition Stays Off Too Long

Your Snake Plant Is Drooping for One of These 7 Common Reasons — Here’s How to Bring It Back

Your Hostas Keep Looking Thin and Torn Because of These 7 Easy-to-Miss Mistakes

Copperheads Are Slipping Into North Carolina Stone Walls and Retaining Blocks This Fall, and These Gaps Give Them Away

The Texas wildflower quietly returning to roadsides is finally earning a place in home gardens

Your Hummingbird Feeder Keeps Leaking Nectar, and That’s What Brings the Ants Running

The Garden Almanac

Field Notes

Skip Wax Myrtle Along Your North Carolina Property Line and Plant This Native Screen That Stays Dense After Ice and Wind

Why a Mockingbird Keeps Singing Outside Your Florida Window After Dark

Why Smart Central Texas Gardeners Want Roadrunners Hunting Their Yard Every Day

7 Florida Plants That Keep Barn Owls Hunting Your Yard for Moles After Dark

Your Christmas Cactus Leaves Turn Red When One Growing Condition Stays Off Too Long

Most Florida butterfly gardens stay busy through fall only when these 7 host plants are there