Chrysanthemums, known simply as mums, flower in the fall months, and their prolific blooms make them a staple in gardens and fall porch displays alike. They do not require much upkeep, but deadheading is the simple task that regularly encourages better, more long-lasting blooms. Deadheading means removing spent flowers as they fade, and on a […]
Brown patch is one of the most recognizable lawn diseases of mid to late summer. The fungus Rhizoctonia solani attacks grass leaf blades during stretches of hot, humid weather, leaving tan or brown circles across the yard. Cool-season grasses such as perennial ryegrass and tall fescue are the most susceptible; Kentucky bluegrass and fine fescues
Palm trees look simple to care for, but pruning them wrong causes damage that lasts for years. The palm trunk does not heal like an oak or maple; every cut leaves a permanent wound, and over-pruning starves the tree of the food its green fronds produce. The working rule is short: remove only dead, damaged,
The black bat flower (Tacca chantrieri) is one of the most unusual plants a gardener can grow indoors. Its dark, wing-like bracts spread wide around a cluster of long, whisker-like filaments, and the overall shape reads more like a bat in flight than a flower. Native to the forest floors of Southeast Asia and Australia,
Teddy Bear sunflowers (Helianthus annuus ‘Teddy Bear’) deliver the cheerful look of a classic sunflower in a plant that tops out around two to three feet tall. The fully double, golden blooms look soft and fluffy, more like a pom-pom than the flat face of a standard sunflower, and they sit on sturdy stems backed
Fall lawn care decides whether grass greens up early in spring or limps through the season. The first hard frost is the deadline: everything that needs doing to winterize a cool-season lawn should be finished before it lands. Newer homeowners often ask whether frost itself damages grass. Cool-season grasses such as tall fescue survive harsh
Spring gets the reputation, but fall is the season gardeners actually get right. Soil is still warm from summer, air temperatures are mild, and rainfall is usually more reliable, which together give new plants their best shot at establishing roots before winter. The planting window runs from September into November, and the exact dates depend
Fall planting season does not end when the last summer flower fades. Perennial groundcovers planted in early autumn still have time to put down roots before the ground freezes, and many of them repay that head start with evergreen leaves, bright berries, or deep red foliage that carries the garden through winter. A well-chosen groundcover
Dahlias deliver a bright, colorful show through summer, then fade as temperatures drop. In USDA zones 8 and warmer they behave as perennials and can stay in the ground. In colder zones they are usually treated as annuals, but there is a better option: dig the tubers in fall, store them through winter, and replant
The first hard frost does not have to end the color on a porch, balcony, or patio. Fall flowers for pots carry the season with rich oranges, burgundies, creams, and golds, and most of them tolerate the cool nights that finish off summer annuals. Choosing varieties matched to your climate, potting them in the right
