Gardening Tips

Here are practical ways to support garden wildlife and keep your yard cooler:

• Let toads patrol: They eat slugs, snails and mosquitoes, mostly...

Bare twigs can look dreary in winter, so mix in plants that add interest:

• Evergreen structure: Astelia 'Silver Spear' keeps its sword-shaped leaves...

Winter doesn't have to end your herb harvest. Here's a simple windowsill routine based on the article:

• Light: Use a south-facing windowsill if you...

Most fall invaders want a warm crack, not your flower beds, so the sealing work happens at the walls.

• Seal gaps around window frames, add door...

Winter porch planters can be adapted to your own climate. Start with these ideas:

• Anchor with height: A dwarf spruce or columnar juniper adds...

Before reaching for the rake, consider doing less. Fallen leaves form a layer that supports the ecosystem beneath them.

• Move, don't remove: Rake...

Nasturtiums can bring more to a vegetable bed than color:

• Beneficial insects: Aphids gathering on their leaves become food for ladybugs, lacewing...

Even a compact balcony can grow flowers, herbs or fresh food. The Balcony Botanicals classes offer practical strategies for choosing containers, soil...

For plants in containers or pots, you can create a protective frost barrier by wrapping the pot in bubble wrap, plastic film, or hessian. It's a simple step to consider before the cold arrives.

Rather than trusting a fixed calendar, let your own garden's conditions guide late-fall sowing:

• Near Los Angeles, the first light frost often waits...

Pot feet can help keep winter container roots from sitting in water. They lift pots so excess moisture drains away and air reaches the roots, which...

Taking cuttings in fall can save you money on spring plants, but the method depends on what you're propagating.

• Tender plants move indoors: Basil,...

Natural mulch does eventually decompose, becoming a component of soil rather than the whole of it. A few things to keep in mind:

• Timing varies:...

A few smart choices help lantana thrive in your conditions:

• Give it sun: Most lantanas flower best with six or more hours of direct sun.
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Bare-root perennials offer some practical advantages:

• Lighter to ship: they're easier and less expensive to ship, which is why many online plants...

Porous pots need the most winter attention. Clay, ceramic, concrete, and terracotta pots absorb water, and that moisture can crack them as it...

Growing your own can cover a real share of the kitchen. In a UK study of 85 food-grower households, median year-round self-sufficiency was 51% for...

Growing amaryllis indoors is a rewarding winter project. Here are the key setup points for a traditional, unwaxed bulb:

• Choose the right pot: Use a...

Both guides point the same way: find the pest first, then choose the gentlest fix that suits the plant.

• Scout regularly: check leaf undersides and...

K-State horticulture expert Matt McKernan outlines key steps:

• Roses: Winterize after several hard frosts but before the ground freezes, mounding...