Garden care
Legumes for Soil Health in the Vegetable Garden
A gardener turns to legume cover crops to improve challenging clay soil, while a separate guide outlines eight perennials ideal for division in October.
Latest Gardening news
Garden care
Fall houseplant care prevents allergy flare-ups
Closed windows and furnace use in autumn concentrate indoor allergens from common houseplants like weeping fig and peace lily, requiring adjusted watering and cleaning routines to manage symptoms.
Garden care
October Dahlia Care Balances Bloom Extension and Tuber Preparation
Early October is peak dahlia flowering, requiring deep watering, deadheading, and pest control to extend blooms while adjusting care to prepare tubers for winter dormancy based on climate zone.
Garden care
Christmas Cactus Care for Holiday Blooms Begins in October
To trigger flower buds, Christmas cacti need 12 hours of nightly darkness and cooler temperatures starting in October, along with reduced watering and no fertilizer.
Plants
Dot's Pennsylvania garden extends color into fall
In Broomall, Pennsylvania, Dot is planting perennials and bulbs in her Zone 7b garden as summer ends. Her documented plant pairings provide sustained color and pollinator support into the cooler months.
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Leaderboard
- 01Plants6 Oct 2026
Fall Sowing Flowers for Zones 6-9: Poppies, Nigella
Sowing hardy annual and perennial seeds in autumn leads to earlier, stronger spring blooms with minimal effort, use natural cold stratification.
- 02Plants5 Oct 2026
How to Protect Garden Plants From a Wet El Niño Winter
NOAA forecasts a very strong El Niño this winter with over 90% odds, bringing wetter-than-normal conditions to the southern and central U.S.
- 03What to do now4 Oct 2026
Lemon Tree October Care for Winter Protection
October is a critical month for lemon tree care, focusing on harvesting ripe fruit, adjusting watering, managing pests, and implementing winter protection.
- 04Plants3 Oct 2026
Overwintering Coleus Indoors With Cuttings And Care
Gardeners can preserve their colorful coleus through winter by bringing plants indoors before temperatures drop below 50°F.
- 05Garden care3 Oct 2026
Winter mulch protects perennial beds with leaves and pine needles
Gardeners can use free yard debris like shredded leaves, pine needles, and wood chips as effective winter mulch for perennial beds.
- 06Plants2 Oct 2026
Lawn Aeration in October Repairs Summer Heat Damage
A 10-minute fall treatment with a lawn aerator in October boosts grass root growth for a lusher lawn next year, especially after a baking-hot El Nino summer.
- 07Garden care2 Oct 2026
Christmas cactus dropping leaves: causes and solutions
A Christmas cactus losing leaves in October signals environmental stress. The number and condition of dropped segments reveal whether the plant is in minor shock or severe distress, guiding immediate care to save it and its winter blooms.
- 08Garden care2 Oct 2026
Yangzhou Chinese Scholars Garden Opens at RHS Bridgewater
The UK's largest Chinese garden, featuring a scholars' garden with four symbolic pavilions, has been unveiled at RHS Garden Bridgewater near Manchester.
Profiles
Aphids
Worldwide distribution · Ancient times (18th century formal...
Apple Trees
Central Asia · 4th millennium BCE
April
Roman calendar (named from Latin... · 8th century BC (month added to Roman...
August
8 · Roman Empire (Italy)
Bindweed
Bindweed · Convolvulus
Black Spot
Black Spot (of Rose) · Diplocarpon rosae
Blight
Blight · 18th century
Border Spade
United Kingdom · 18th century
Data and guides
Off the board
Plants
Fall pruning mistakes with lilacs, forsythia, and azaleas
Pruning certain shrubs in autumn removes next year's flower buds and stimulates tender growth vulnerable to winter damage.
Grow your own
Plastic Tote Greenhouses Boost Seed Starting and Season Extension
Gardeners are repurposing clear plastic storage totes as low-cost mini greenhouses and seed trays.
Plants
Plants That Do Well or Poorly in Terracotta Pots
Terracotta pots wick moisture and retain heat, creating dry, alkaline conditions that suit some plants but harm others.
Design & wildlife
How to Propagate Mint, Oregano, Thyme, and Tarragon
Fall is the ideal time to propagate common culinary herbs like mint, oregano, thyme, and tarragon in water indoors.
What to do now
Six Flowers to Plant in October for Summer Blooms
October is the ideal month to plant peonies, azaleas, wisteria, alliums, and other perennials for stronger root growth and vibrant blooms next summer.
Plants
Spider Plant Plantlets Signal Fall Propagation Season
Lengthening autumn nights trigger spider plants to produce flowers and plantlets.
Plants
Best time to buy plants and garden equipment
A former garden center manager reveals the seasonal timing for securing the deepest discounts on plants and tools.
Design & wildlife
Monty Don Leaves Gardeners' World After 23 Years
Monty Don has announced his departure from Gardeners' World, ending a 23-year tenure. The 71-year-old presenter will continue gardening at his Longmeadow home and work on new BBC projects, including a travel series.
What to do now
How to Ripen Green Tomatoes Fast in Fall
A simple fall technique using pruning and reduced watering can force green tomatoes to ripen quickly before frost damages the crop.
Plants
Edible plants in fall borders for color and harvest
Integrating edible greens and herbs like rainbow chard and ornamental kale into fall borders provides dual-purpose beauty and function for space-conscious gardeners.
Design & wildlife
Best Ornamental Grasses for Fall Color and Winter Interest
Native ornamental grasses like Little Bluestem and Switchgrass deliver vibrant fall foliage and persistent seedheads.
Garden care
Beckhams' Fall Garden Shows Onions, Lettuce, Strawberries
David and Victoria Beckham's vegetable garden features Shakespeare onions, Black Seeded Simpson lettuce, and strawberries.
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