Organic Gardening News

September is where a peace lily stops coasting on summer conditions. Light drops off fast indoors, and what worked in July starts working against the plant. Seven small jobs this month keep winter from getting rough.

Peace lilies are forgiving houseplants right up until conditions shift on them. September is one of those shifts. Daylight shortens and the sun drops lower, so less light reaches whatever corner the plant has been parked in all summer. Most of what goes wrong over winter traces back to a warm-weather routine that didn’t get adjusted.

None of this needs a dramatic overhaul. Solid peace lily care in fall is mostly subtraction, since the plant needs less of nearly everything it got in July. What it does need is a bit more attention to detail. The list below covers seven jobs worth handling before the furnace kicks on.

7 September Peace Lily Tasks

A few of these take around five minutes. The ones that matter most are also the easiest to skip on accident, and they get skipped every year.

1. Ease Off the Watering

(Image credit: Getty Images)

The dramatic droop is what trains people to overwater. A wilting peace lily looks like an emergency, so it gets a drink it often doesn't need in September. Cooler rooms and weaker light keep the potting mix wet longer, and roots sitting in soggy media are the fastest route to rot.

Before your water your peace lily, push a finger in about two inches (5cm) before reaching for the can. If it comes out damp, wait. This long-probe moisture meter from Amazon reads deeper than a fingertip can, which helps with a heavy pot you can't lift to judge by weight.

2. Bring the Summer Vacationers In

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Anything that summered on a shaded porch should come back inside before nights dip under 60F (16C). Peace lilies stall in the cold and take weeks to recover. Check the undersides of the leaves first, though. Mealybugs (Pseudococcidae) and two-spotted spider mites (Tetranychus urticae) hitchhike indoors constantly this time of year, and a plant that looked clean out in the shade often isn't.

Home Depot carries Garden Safe insecticidal soap cleared for indoor use, and a thorough pass before the plant crosses the threshold is cheap insurance. Evicting mealybugs from a warm living room in January is not.

3. Give it One Last Feeding

One diluted feeding early in the month, then nothing much until spring. That's the whole schedule. Growth slows way down as light fades, and fertilizer the roots can't take up builds in the mix as salt, showing up later as crispy brown leaf tips that get blamed on dry air alone. 1/4 strength is plenty.

A gentle balanced liquid like Espoma organic indoor plant food, available on Amazon, is perfectly suitable. Peace lilies were never heavy feeders, and skipping the feeding won't hurt a plant that went into fresh mix this year.

4. Wipe the Dust Off

(Image credit: Kinga Krzeminska / Getty Images)

Those broad glossy leaves collect dust, and it costs the plant more now than it did in June. Weaker autumn light has to get through whatever film has settled on the surface. Clean your houseplants with a damp cloth, with the other hand supporting the leaf from underneath so it doesn't crease, handles the job in a couple of minutes.

Skip leaf shine products, since they can clog the stomata a leaf breathes through. Lukewarm water on a soft rag works better anyway, and it doubles as a pest check.

5. Cut Off Spent Blooms and Tired Leaves

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Green flowers are aging flowers. The white spathe fades to a dull chartreuse as it ages, and past that point the plant is pouring energy into something already done. To prune your peace lily, follow the stalk down to the base and cut there instead of partway up, since a stub just browns off.

Clean, sharp snips matter more than the timing here, and a Fiskars micro-tip pruning snip from the Home Depot garden aisle gets into a crowded crown without mangling what sits next to it. Yellowing outer leaves get the same treatment. One or two in fall is normal.

6. Get Ahead of the Heating Season

(Image credit: Dmitrii Marchenko / Getty Images)

Furnaces are rough on tropicals. Indoor humidity can drop quite significantly once the heat starts running, and peace lilies evolved on forest floors where the air stays thick. September is the window to set something up.

Plants clustered together hold moisture around each other, and a pebble tray buys a bit more. A 4L cool mist humidifier off Walmart's shelf does the actual work, though, and anything holding the room near 50 percent keeps leaf tips from browning by December.

7. Leave the Repotting for Spring

(Image credit: Galina Tolochko / Getty Images)

Roots circling the drainage holes are tempting to deal with now. Resist that urge. Repotting a peace lily in fall means it has to rebuild under low light and very little active growth. Slightly cramped roots are fine, and peace lilies tend to bloom better when a bit snug in the pot. Note the pot size, then mark it down for assessment in March. The exception is a plant sitting in a mix that has broken down to sludge and stays soggy.

Peace lilies have a long history of surviving neglect, so none of this has to happen on a strict schedule. Get to it sometime this month and the plant should look considerably better come February.

When a house is built on stone, it seems only natural to call its community Stonehaven.

Situated in the Garibaldi Highlands area of Squamish, this five-bedroom, four-bathroom two-storey home sits “on a boulder so the foundation is very solid,” says listing agent Angie Vazquez of Engel & Völkers Squamish-Whistler.

“And because it’s in the highest point of Squamish, there are spectacular panoramic views of ocean and mountains from nearly every window.”

Vazquez says the home, one of six in Squamish’s only gated community, at the end of a quiet cul-de-sac, backs onto biking and hiking trails that lead into the forest and to Alice Lake Provincial Park with its four freshwater lakes for swimming and fishing.

The home’s large, wraparound patios and decks feature a barrel sauna with an ice-water plunge, a hot tub and pool. The owners didn’t want an overly large pool, but they still wanted a watery workout. So they installed a countercurrent system that lets them swim against the current while remaining stationary.

“Construction of the foundation for the pool was a small engineering marvel as it’s built aside a steep granite cliff,” says Vazquez. “Geotechnical and structural engineers solved the problem via a cantilever design. The landscaping, too, was a sizable investment along with redoing the entire decks and patios with flex stone. Given the property has a full 360- deck, that was a significant undertaking.”

The yard is braced by retaining walls built with a gabion system using locally sourced rocks. The yard also includes a four-tiered vegetable garden along with mixed fruit trees, blueberry bushes, raspberry canes and a variety of herbs, all on an irrigation system.

Although there’s a double-car garage, there’s also parking for five other vehicles, as well as a space big enough for the current owners to store their Airstream.

Vazquez, who also lives in the area, says the community gets regular visits by deer, bears and eagles. “I was showing the property one day when a bear cub wandered by.”

What’s inside

Wide-plank white oak flooring covers the main areas of the home, while the door, posts, beams and window frames are made of Douglas fir. Vaulted, 16-feet high ceilings with an oversized wood-burning fireplace give the home a feeling of grandeur, says Vazquez.

The current owners, who invested roughly $500,000 in renovations for the decks, kitchen and bathrooms, say it was important to honour the home’s original design and retain the warmth of the exposed wood and slate while bringing in the modern elements of today’s homes.

Italian-made Scudo Saraceno gold classic glass lamps with metal ring by Fortuny infuse the living and dining rooms with extra warmth.

Kitchen appliances are by Fisher & Paykel while the dishwasher is Bosch. Composition quartz countertops ensure high durability and uniform colour and pattern, with ample wine storage below. Lower cabinets are solid wood while upper cabinets are laminate.

Bathroom fixtures are from German designers Duravit and Blanco, with slate countertops in two bathrooms.

Stairs leading to the lower level feature maple leaf etchings commissioned by former owners that enhance the West Coast mountain feel of the home.

Part of the media room sits on exposed granite. “The foundation was built atop the granite and instead of blasting the entire property flat, some of the granite formations were preserved as a visual feature,” says Vazquez.

A unique swinging daybed, designed for the room, stays with the house, as does, possibly, the gym equipment. “The installation of the Hoist fitness system, with all its cables and weights, was one of the most complex undertakings,” says Vazquez. “It has a good home here and I don’t think it wants to be moved.”

The home uses eco-friendly geothermal in its heating and cooling.

“Though this is a small detail, the backyard lighting that surrounds the pool, barrel sauna and hot tub, truly comes to life when it snows,” says Vazquez. “Looking up from the hot tub with the snow falling and seeing the lights strewn throughout the branches of the trees makes it feel truly magical.”

In the neighbourhood

A variety of schools — elementary, secondary and private — are a five-minute drive away, as is Capilano University. Shopping and restaurants, including a very good Mexican restaurant, according to Vazquez, who admits she could be biased, are a 10-minute drive away in downtown Squamish. A handful of golf courses are in the area, including the Squamish Valley Golf Club, five minutes away. Britannia Beach is 10 minutes away, the popular eagle gathering community of Brackendale is 11 minutes away and, of course, in 40 minutes you’re in Whistler.

“In the Highlands, you feel like you’re somewhere else, with views of the mountains and ocean, which is rare,” says Vazquez. “Where else, other than the Swiss Alps, can you go skiing, swimming, kite boarding and biking all in the same day?”

She says the median age of residents in the area is 38 with young families. “Many are entrepreneurs of startups who sold their company and want to call Squamish or the Sea to Sky corridor home,” says Vazquez.

Location:4-40781 Thunderbird Ridge, Squamish

Listed for: $3,495,000

Year built: 2003

Type: Five bedrooms, four bathrooms

Size: 4,635 square feet

Realtor: Listed by Angie Vazquez, Engel & Völkers Squamish-Whistler

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For 11 days this month, Vancouver’s design community will open its doors, inviting visitors inside studios, buildings and spaces usually inaccessible to the public.

Running Sept. 17 to 27, Design Vancouver Festival (DVF) brings together 43 Open Studios and more than 50 events spanning architecture, interiors, landscape, furniture, product design, craft, food and public space.

It’s aimed not only at architects and designers, but students, design enthusiasts and anyone curious about how the design scene in Vancouver comes together.

“Vancouver is a design city. DVF is about making that more visible and more accessible to the public,” says festival director Becki Chan.

Launched in 2024 through Open Format Arts & Culture, the festival grew out of the community surrounding PechaKucha Vancouver. This year’s theme, BUILD, looks at how Vancouver can build more sustainably, reuse what it already has and create places that adapt as the city changes.

Open Studios remain at the heart of this festival, says Chan.

Visitors can step inside architecture, interior, landscape, furniture, ceramics, photography and multidisciplinary studios rarely open to the public. Some include Patkau Architects and Patkau Studio, Revery Architecture, Measured Architecture, Propellor Studio, Studio Roslyn, Hapa Collaborative, Janaki Larsen Studios and Bocci.

“They are the easiest way to see Vancouver differently because they let people step inside the places where design actually happens,” says Chan.

Design Districts offers people the chance to view studios and events by neighbourhood, such as the Armoury District, Granville Island, Gastown and Mount Pleasant.

Chan recommends choosing a neighbourhood rather than racing across the city.

“Pick a neighbourhood, walk between studios, talk to people, and leave room for surprise,” she says.

One space open to visitors this year is Addapt, a prefabricated prototype home by Leckie Studio.

Addapt asks what happens if a home can change as the people living there do. The project explores adaptable, resilient and high-performance housing that can evolve with different stages of life, household structures and urban needs.

Housing is one of several future-facing threads running through this year’s festival, alongside mass timber, adaptive reuse and material innovation.

“The future of Vancouver design is not only about beautiful work. It’s about care, repair, public participation, and a stronger relationship between design and everyday life,” says Chan.

The AFBC Downtown Walking Tour and AFBC False Creek Walking Tour encourage visitors to slow down and look more closely at familiar buildings, streets and public spaces.

For those interested in how the city may be built in future, TWIG Tours: Mass Timber — Design to Occupancy explores mass timber through completed buildings and active construction sites, connecting architecture with engineering, sustainability and material innovation.

Reuse, Don’t Build, presented by Dialog and UBC SALA, asks what designers can achieve by intelligently working with buildings that already exist rather than automatically building something new.

For those who love architecture, Chan highlights the Arthur Erickson Home and Garden, along with Behind the Design of the Chinese Canadian Museum and Merrick Architecture Ltd: Four Decades. Multiple Landmarks. One Legacy.

“These are the moments where the festival becomes more than a schedule. It becomes an invitation to enter the city through design,” she says.

Here for Now transforms an unexpected Vancouver space into a temporary destination combining installation, dinner and social experiment.

“These kinds of events remind us that design is not only in building. It is also in how we gather, how we move through space, and how an atmosphere is created,” says Chan.

Beyond the Menu: The Making of Touski explores how food, interiors and graphic design combine to create a restaurant experience, while Architecture of Dessert invites participants to apply principles of form, function, colour and composition with award-winning pastry chef Kenta Takahashi.

For students, design lovers and the public, Chan recommends Saturday, Sept. 19 in the Armoury District. Start with Open Studios and walk between architecture, landscape, interiors, furniture and craft spaces before continuing east for more events.

Industry visitors might choose Friday, Sept. 25, combining Interior Design Show Trade Day with Downtown and Gastown Open Studios before the OBJ: OBJ Opening Night Party.

Or begin with DVF Opening Night — PechaKucha at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre on Sept. 17, bringing together voices from architecture, jewelry, ceramics, photography, type design, food and First Nations art.

Design Vancouver Festival runs Sept. 17 to 27, 2026, at locations across Vancouver. Many events are free or low-cost.

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Still-warm days paired with cooler humid nights create the ideal environment for powdery mildew, a fungal disease that rapidly spreads in September. And yes, if you spot leaves turning white in your yard right now, you do need to do something about it – and as part of our Garden ER series, we’re here with straightforward solutions to treat this season’s biggest backyard problems.

Powdery mildew is one of the most widespread plant diseases in the world and affects many trees, shrubs, perennial and annual plants. While this fungal disease rarely kills plants, because it coats the upper leaf surfaces, it restricts the leaves’ ability to absorb sunlight and so create energy. If the affected plant is producing veggies, that means a less bountiful crop; if it’s a fall bloomer, expect a shorter, lighter flowering period; and for all the rest, a plant starved of nutrients going into the winter is likely to be far less resilient.

Powdery mildew is easily sorted, however, so the prognosis is good. Come on into Garden ER and let’s diagnose and treat your plant patients suffering from powdery mildew.

Triage: What are the Symptoms of Powdery Mildew?

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• Powdery mildew affects the tops of leaves, starting with small white or light gray spots that merge together to discolor the entire leaf. You might also see powdery mildew on stems and flowerbuds.
• The dry, dusty white powder on plant leaves looks like ash or fine flour, and it won’t brush off as it’s rooted into the leaf tissues.
• Different strains of the disease affect various species so powdery mildew can vary slightly from plant to plant.
• Fresh growth is particularly vulnerable to fungal infection so plants particularly at risk in September include roses, chrysanthemums, asters and dahlias, and squashes, pumpkins and peppers.
• Later in fall, you might see darker specks in the white dust and these are cleistothecia, tiny survival capsules that the fungus creates to hide out through winter.

(Image credit: Getty Images)Treatment: How to Care for Plants with Powdery Mildew

Diagnosis complete? Here’s exactly how to restore your plants back to full health.

1. Remove Heavily Infected Leaves

(Image credit: Shutterstock)

Powdery mildew is a fungal disease spread by microscopic wind-blown spores. While there’s typically a different strain for each plant species, so powdery mildew won’t spread from your dahlias to your winter squash, it will infect the rest of the plant and travel between plants of the same family. So, your first task is to use bypass pruners such as these Corona ComfortGET pruners from Lowe's to remove infected leaves and reduce the risk of transmission.

Put pruned leaves straight into a garbage bag and then into your trash cart, and not into your compost bin, as spores will survive the composting process. Rake up any fallen infected leaves too – a small handheld rake such as Fiskars Xact Hand Rake, available from Amazon, makes this easier.

Add keeping an eye on plants for signs of any more white spots developing to your list of September garden jobs, and keep removing leaves with fresh outbreaks.

2. Treat With a Natural Fungicidal Spray

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There’s no need to use chemical sprays to kill this fungal disease. Instead, create a far less welcoming environment with a natural treatment that raises the pH level of the leaf surfaces, making it difficult for fungal spores to thrive. Organic sprays based on food-grade citric acid such as Grower’s Ally Fungicide Concentrate for Plants, available from Amazon, are effective, safe for use on cropping plants and unlike copper-based sprays, don’t accumulate in soil over time.

Another option is to make your own anti-fungal spray using baking soda, which is so effective that it’s recommended as a preventative by the US Department of Agriculture. Mix a heaped tablespoon of baking soda (available in good-value 8oz baking soda packs at Walmart) with a level teaspoon of vegetable oil, stir in a scant squirt of liquid dish soap and dilute in a gallon of water and transfer to a mister such as these 16oz spray bottles on Amazon.

Spray dry leaves early in the morning and repeat every 1-2 weeks.

3. Mulch the Soil

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Finally, lay a 2-inch layer of mulch over the soil to create a physical barrier that stops fallen spores splashing up onto leaves in heavy rainfall. A mulch also helps to keep moisture in the soil, meaning you can water less often – and how you irrigate can leave plants more vulnerable to powdery mildew, but we’ll get to that in a moment.

Use any mulch made of natural material such as homemade compost or a bagged organic product such as Miracle-Gro All Natural Mulch, available from The Home Depot.

Prescription: Banish Damp Pockets Where Spores Thrive

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Going forwards, the very best way to protect your plants from powdery mildew is to increase airflow around them as this will keep leaves drier and less hospitable to fungal disease. Think about this when you next prune and snip accordingly. The less air movement and more shade there is in an environment – for example, if you have a rose climbing up a north-west-facing brick wall – the more you need to prune to ensure your plants don't sit damp.

Think about airflow when positioning and spacing plants, too. So, if this summer's zinnias are suffering from powdery mildew right now, sow them less densely next year. If you have lots of white zucchini leaves in your veg bed right now, give this crop a sunnier, breezier position next spring.

How you water your plants can also affect how damp the environment is. So, water the ground beneath your plants rather than the plant itself so leaves don’t get wet, and irrigate in early morning so any splashed foliage quickly dries.

Patient Notes: Review Mildew-Resistance

If you live in a zone with regularly warm, humid weather, it’s worth looking at plants that have been bred to have better resistance to powdery mildew, and consider a transplant. For example, there are modern black-eyed Susan varieties that are practically immune to fungal disease, while powdery mildew remains a common issue for older varieties. So, if you have a perennial plant that regularly succumbs, it’s worth replacing it with a more resistant cultivar.

Aster Raydon's Favorite

Aromatic asters (Symphyotrichum oblongifolum) are significantly more resistant to powdery mildew than other aster types, and ‘Raydon’s Favorite’ particularly so. Zones 3-8.

The Lark Ascending Rose

The Lark Ascending English Rose bred by David Austin is widely considered to be one of the healthiest, disease-free varieties and rarely succumbs to powdery mildew. Zones 4-11.

Pardon My Bee Balm

Bee-balm is notorious for suffering from powdery mildew but the ‘Pardon My’ Monarda didyma series by Proven Winners has been bred to be highly resistant. Zones 4-8.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Boxwood (Buxus sempervirens) is a very popular and practical hedging plant, and because of its dense growth habit it is also great for topiary. Indeed, it has been admired for centuries for its stunning shaping in European knot gardens and low border edging. But for some of us, boxwood can seem a little dull. Worse still is the spread of boxwood blight and boxwood leaf miners. Because of these potential perils, many of us are looking for resilient substitutes.

While buxus is undeniably easy on the eye, particularly when trimmed into funky shapes, there are a few great evergreen options that work just as well. They can be easily cultivated into exciting lollipop shrub types, create lively interest in smaller yards and patio containers, and offer plenty of other benefits such as added color and pollinator appeal.

These lollipop evergreens have plenty of personality while retaining the same level of whimsy. Trimmed into single-stem standards, they add easy structure and elegance, and even the smallest specimens can make a big impact curbside. So if you fancy something that can bring the wow factor in small spaces with year-round appeal, it's high time you got acquainted with these cute new kids on the block.

Growing Lollipops Beyond Box

Lollipop evergreens are topiary plants that look like…well, you guessed it, lollipops. These plants are pruned so they have a bare, straight trunk topped with dense, rounded balls of green leaves. Transforming a standard multi-stemmed shrub into a high-impact lollipop topiary requires a blend of site selection, regional awareness, and precision tools. Because boxwood challenges vary wildly across the country (from humid southern fungal pressure to harsh northern winter desiccation) selecting the right shrub for your specific USDA hardiness zone is the crucial first step.

Before planting your new standard, prep the planting hole with organic soil amendments to establish deep, strong root systems that are capable of supporting top-heavy foliage canopies. Sprinkle a little organic compost into the planting site. If you are planting hollies, a gentle layer of pine needles helps maintain regular moisture levels.

(Image credit: Fotolinchen / Getty Images)

Once planted, keeping your lollipops in good shape relies on sharp blades and good hygiene. Dull blades crush plant stems, creating jagged wounds that invite disease. Investing in razor-sharp, bypass shears is worth every penny. You can’t go wrong with Fiskars Bypass Pruning Shears from Amazon for efficient, clean cuts on stems up to an inch (2.5cm) thick. When trimming your lollipops, wipe blades down with rubbing alcohol between plants to prevent any cross-contamination. With yard space and cutting tools ready, it’s time to meet the shrubs that can bring you that pop!

1. Photinia Red Robin

(Image credit: Anna Nelidova / Getty Images)

'Red Robin' (Photinia × fraseri 'Red Robin') is a hybrid evergreen shrub that makes a striking lollipop standard. Its claim to fame is its vivid red new growth which matures into a glossy green. These coppery red or magenta tints are present in the youngest leaves before the chlorophyll develops. But beyond its visual drama, 'Red Robin' brings robust vigor, quickly forming a dense, woody stem that is more than capable of holding a heavy, spherical head. If you’re looking for an option that can quickly make an impactful privacy hedge, try Red Tip Photinia from Nature Hills.

To maintain a formal lollipop habit, strip away side shoots along the bottom 2-3 feet (60-90cm) of the main trunk. Most gardeners prune photinia in late spring and late summer. Over time, you should find it easily trains into a lollipop standard. And each time you trim, you’ll get new growth that includes those pretty red flushes. Position this sun-lover in fertile, well-draining soil sheltered from harsh winter winds, which can scorch tender new growth. Lightly shaping the canopy after the initial spring flush encourages a second coppery-red display by early fall, ensuring your topiary remains a vivid focal point across multiple seasons in zones 7-9.

Ring of Fire Nature Hills Nursery Red Tip Photinia

2. Bay Laurel

(Image credit: Jacky Parker Photography / Getty Images)

Bay laurel or sweet bay (Laurus nobilis) is beloved by gardeners and cooks. This fragrant evergreen offers shiny leaves and tiny clusters of baby yellow flowers that turn into berries by fall. It is perhaps best known as the source of bay leaves, commonly used in cooking for sauces, curries and as part of a bouquet garni. But it is also one of the oldest recorded topiary subjects around. Its naturally upright growth habit and thick, leathery foliage make it exceptionally forgiving for eager snippers. For aromatic screening that holds its shape beautifully, DMOH Starter Bay Laurel Plants from Walmart are well priced and grow surprisingly fast.

You can transform this shrub into an elegant lollipop shape quite easily in zones 8-11. It’s a matter of systematically clearing the lower branches. At the same time, you train the upper canopy into a ball shape. When grown in cooler northern climates, sweet bay can overwinter indoors near a sunny window. Just ensure your potting mix includes some coarse sand or perlite. Regular pinching terminal buds encourages a packed, aromatic canopy for fresh kitchen treasures year-round.

Fragrant Pops DMOH Starter Bay Leaf Tree Live Plant, Sweet Bay Live Plant

3. Japanese Holly

(Image credit: Mtreasure / Getty Images)

If you are searching for a plant that deceives the eye as a true boxwood double, Japanese holly (Ilex crenata 'Sky Pencil' or 'Helleri') is the gold standard. Unlike boxwood, Japanese holly is immune to boxwood blight and leafminer damage. Its rounded leaves mimic box foliage perfectly, making it ideal for crisp, manicured shaping. Along with a neat formal shape, you can enjoy some dazzling variations of color. If you fancy a splash of gold on your lollipop, you can buy Drops of Gold Japanese Holly from Nature Hills.

Its small, compact leaves enable you to create some highly precise shaping. Holly standards thrive in slightly acidic, moist, well-drained soil. Growing female cultivars near a male pollinating companion rewards you with a striking winter display of jet-black or crimson berries, set against tight green topiary globes. Holly lollipops remain vibrant year-round and thrive in zones 6-9. Another holly variety that can make a lovely lollipop is variegated holly, which offers unique foliage patterns for even more curbside razzle-dazzle.

Gold Rush Nature Hills Nursery Drops of Gold Japanese Holly

4. Privet

(Image credit: tc397 / Getty Images)

Privet (Ligustrum) is another native shrub you can count on for easy shaping and lush good looks. This shrub grows fast, making it a popular choice for hedging or privacy screening in zones 3-10. Tolerant of most growing conditions, privet can tough out salt and urban pollution, and needs very little care other than regular pruning to keep it under control. For cold hardiness and bulletproof adaptability, European privet and golden vicary privet are great options for shaping. They accept shears without flinching, sprouting new growth rapidly to fill in any accidental gaps.

As well as the lush green or gold leaves, you’ll often see white spring flowers with a strong fragrance. Some find this smell delightful, while others hate it. These flowers develop into grape-like fruits, which can be purple, green or white. When privets are pruned as lollipops, they form a strong, low-maintenance ball that needs trimming just once or twice a year. Just be careful with Japanese or Chinese privet, since these can be very invasive. You can get a 20% discount on Glossy Privet from Trees.com for a pretty blooming evergreen that copes beautifully with heavy pruning.

Glossy Wonder Trees.com Glossy Privet Bush

5. Laurustine

(Image credit: Photography By Tonelson / Getty Images)

Laurustine (Viburnum tinus) is a broadleaf evergreen shrub with dense, dark, glossy leaves that works particularly well in topiary. Thriving in zones 8-10, it is great for lollipops, since it handles crown lifting well. While boxwood offers static green foliage, a Laurustine lollipop transforms dramatically through the year. Deep pink buds form in fall, held against leathery dark green leaves through winter before opening into pink and white blossom clusters in spring. These flowers appeal to birds, bees and butterflies, and the resulting berry-like fruit provides food for wildlife.

This plant is native to the Mediterranean areas of Europe and North Africa, and requires full sun and good drainage to thrive. Prune your Laurustine standard immediately after flowering finishes in late spring. This allows the plant to set new flower buds during summer while maintaining its crisp spherical habit. They arrive quite dinky, but you can get Citronella King’s Viburnum Tinus Spring Bouquet Plants from Walmart in packs of 6 for a plant that will easily develop a dense, round shape with pollinator-friendly blooms. This evergreen brings four-season multi-sensory interest to topiary art that traditional boxwood simply can’t match.

Pretty and Pink CitronellaKing Spring Bouquet Viburnum Tinus Spring Bouquet

6. Inkberry Holly

(Image credit: Diane Labombarbe / Getty Images)

For native plant enthusiasts seeking an ultra-hardy, blight-resistant box alternative, inkberry holly (Ilex glabra) is a triumph. Native to Eastern North America, it has rounded leaves and a smooth grey trunk that lifts beautifully into a single-stem standard. Cultivars like 'Densa' and 'Gem Box' naturally maintain a dense, rounded canopy structure, making them remarkably easy to shape into crisp topiary balls with minimal trimming. For lush character in colder climates, Green Promise Farms’ Inkberry Densa Plants from Amazon are currently available at a 10% discount. Inkberry’s glossy green leaves take on a bronze-purple cast in cold months rather than bleaching out like boxwood, providing rich seasonal contrast.

In addition to its cold hardiness down to zone 4, inkberry is virtually immune to the pest and disease issues. It thrives in full sun to partial shade, and excels in wet or poorly drained soil. In late spring, small white flowers attract native pollinators, followed by pea-sized black berries that feed songbirds through winter. Unlike traditional boxwoods, inkberry has a tendency to produce small suckers. To maintain your lollipop, simply snip away these ground-level suckers once every spring. This keeps the lower stem pristine and the top ball densely packed with lush foliage.

Black Beauty Green Promise Farms Densa Inkberry Plant

Bidding farewell to boxwood doesn't mean sacrificing lush year-round greenery that can make a statement. By embracing single-stem lollipop standards, from vivid red photinias to resilient native Inkberry hollies, you add playful personality, vertical height, and disease-free beauty to your yard. With sharp shears, proper soil prep, and a little seasonal shaping, these thimble-pretty evergreens will bring reliable structure and wow factor to your small spaces for decades.

(Image credit: Diane Labombarbe / Getty Images)

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If you want your Thanksgiving cactus to put on a spectacular display in November (and obviously you do!), then September is the month to start thinking about its blooms.

Yes, I know; it feels far too early to worry about a plant that won't flower for months, but what you do now can make a big difference to how many buds your Thanksgiving cactus produces. And fortunately, the most important job is surprisingly simple: make sure your plant gets a good night's sleep.

What do I mean by this? Well, the Thanksgiving cactus is a short-day plant, meaning it needs longer nights to encourage flower-bud formation. And, as the days naturally begin to shorten in September, your plant is approaching the conditions it needs to bloom... but even a little artificial light at the wrong time can interfere with that process.

The One Thing Your Thanksgiving Cactus Needs In September

When it comes to getting a good night's kip, we can all agree that we sleep sounder under the comforting gloom of a blackout blind. Your Thanksgiving cactus (or Christmas cactus, actually!) are the same: they crave that natural dark after the sun dips below the horizon.

This means, then, that if yours is sitting on a windowsill in a room where the lights are regularly switched on after dark, it's time to consider moving it somewhere where it can experience natural darkness in the evening.

Shop Thanksgiving Cactus Essentials:

GINGERGLOW Thanksgiving Cactus Live Plant in 4 Inch Pot

TPS NUTRIENTS Thanksgiving Cactus Fertilizer

Soil Sunrise Soil Sunrise Christmas Cactus Potting Soil Mix

Now, before you get carried away, you don't need to put it in a closet or make its care complicated. A room that isn't regularly lit at night is usually enough for your Thanksgiving cactus, so long as you keep it consistent.

The aim is to give your Thanksgiving cactus around 12 to 14 hours of uninterrupted darkness each night as fall approaches, while keeping it in bright (but indirect) light during the day.

A spare room, guest bedroom, or another naturally darkened room can work really well; the trick is to just avoid somewhere that becomes completely dark during the daytime, since the plant still needs plenty of light to grow and prepare for flowering.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

It's important you don't skip this step in September, as a Thanksgiving cactus doesn't suddenly decide to bloom when Thanksgiving arrives; the process starts several weeks earlier, when the plant responds to changes in day length and temperature by beginning to form flower buds.

That means this month is a useful one for checking where your plant is growing and what kind of light it receives after sunset. And, if it's beside a lamp, under a kitchen light, or in a room where the lights stay on late into the evening, making that small change now? It could be the difference between a bright and beautiful display at your Thanksgiving table, and a seriously lacklustre one.

Don't leave it too late; once your Thanksgiving cactus is entering its bud-setting period, you'll want to avoid constantly moving the plant between rooms or changing its light exposure from day to day. Sudden changes in temperature, light, or watering can cause stress, and Thanksgiving cactus may drop developing buds if conditions change dramatically.

(Image credit: Alamy)

The one thing to do for your Thanksgiving cactus in September, then? Find a good spot with bright, indirect daytime light and reliable darkness at night, then leave it there.

With the right conditions in September and October, those unassuming green segments can and will eventually become covered with the colorful flowers that make Thanksgiving cactus such a bodacious houseplant to have on display over the holiday season.

Just be sure to water when the top portion of the potting mix has dried rather than keeping the soil constantly wet, and you're all but guaranteed a good show by the time November rolls around. Good luck!

Sebastien Panouille, founder and principal of specialist lighting design studio ThinkL , turns his talents to a range of projects from residential homes to large scale installations, but his core philosophy remains the same: good lighting should be accessible, intentional and controllable.

Ahead of his participation in this years Interior Design Show (IDS) at the Vancouver Convention Centre West (Sept. 24 to 27) where he is curating Illuminate, a collection vignettes presented as a “lighting village,” and co-moderating a seminar “Lessons from FIFA: How the PNE Amphitheatre Reshaped Everyday Lighting Design” on Sept. 25 with Victor Quezada, principal and architectural lighting team lead at AES Lighting, Panouille shares his thoughts on aspects of light and how illumination has evolved over the 15 years he has been working in home Canada.

The lighting industry was not his original career choice and, but for a visit to a career fair in Lyon, France, Panouille would be practising medicine. Instead, he swapped the dream of a stethoscope for a spectrometer and after completing a degree in home automation he focused on lighting.

After some years working in France, including at the Louvre and the Châtelet les Halles train station in Paris, Panouille relocated to Canada in 2013 and now is principal of ThinkL with offices in Vancouver, Langley and Toronto.

Panouille says the big change in the lighting sector has been not so much on the quality or the efficiency of light but the control of the light source.

“Ten years ago, it was very hard to bring an LED light source to a very, very low light level without having any disturbances like flickering or buzzing, where in today’s era, not all manufacturers, but a good 50 to 75 per cent, can deliver a very nice solution that can replace a halogen light source,” he says.

With a portfolio that ranges from boutique retail and hospitality spaces to corporate workplaces, presentation centres and wellness environments, Panouille says regardless of the size of the project the core principles of good lighting design should apply.

These are: intentionality: to avoid generic lighting grids — every light source should serve a specific purpose to prevent over-lighting; user control and operability — users must be able to adapt lighting levels to their specific tasks; and, a “lighting match” — trusting the process and making sure people involved in the project can advise on accurate needs and costs, balance quantity and quality and focus on thoughtful placement and quality fixtures.

Panouille believes professional advice is valuable for projects of any size and budget, from small home renovations to large commercial offices, and that lighting decisions should be carefully considered and integrated into a project early.

While many people who move into homes accept the existing lighting and often don’t make any changes, Panouille suggests there are several simple upgrades that can make a difference to the quality of light.

“Ninety per cent of the people who move into a new condo will most likely have overhead lighting, eventually they will install a decorative lighting luminaire above their dining table, and they always have decorative lamps,” he says. “It’s always more interesting to enter a space where there [are different light sources]. If there are no layers of light, then the ambience can feel flat.”

Panouille says installing dimmer switches is the most cost-effective way to tailor light levels to activity while combining overhead lighting with other light sources like decorative table lamps and floor lamps create visual interest, depth, volume and contrast.

Jared Cranwill, showroom sales manager, B.C. at leading retailer Robinson Lighting & Bath in Vancouver says customers visiting the showroom who are looking for table lamps and light fixtures are gravitating toward a mix of portable, rechargeable lighting and more sculptural fixtures that feel like art pieces in their own right.

“Rechargeable lamps such as the Suki Lamp by Visual Comfort and Marset FollowMe are popular because they offer flexibility — you can easily move them around the home depending on how you’re using a space,” he says.

“At the same time, we’re seeing strong interest in more expressive fixtures, such as the Gambosa by Marset, where the fixture itself becomes part of the visual story of the room rather than simply serving a functional purpose,” says Cranwill.

Panouille also points to the way geography shapes our experience of light.

“We live in Canada and North America, so our latitude exposes us to a type of daylight that’s particular to the Northern Hemisphere. If you go to the Southern Hemisphere or even closer to the equator, the population has a completely different experience of light,” he says.

In North America, for example, daylight varies considerably by season, with longer days in summer and shorter days in winter. Closer to the equator, the length of day and night remain much more consistent throughout the year.

Those differences in natural light may also influence what people find comfortable indoors.

“In the Northern Hemisphere, we are more sensitive and more comfortable under warm lighting, whereas close to the equator, people are usually exposed to much brighter daylight, so they don’t really mind having brighter and whiter light,” says Panouille.

Selecting fixtures also personalizes and enhances a space, he says, adding that pendant lights and chandeliers can be statement pieces. Key considerations include matching the scale and esthetic of the room, ensuring appropriate light distribution and understanding that higher-quality manufacturing justifies higher price points.

Local materials, traditions and architectural trends (such as Pacific Northwest influences or Scandinavian minimalism) shape fixture design and lighting preferences.

“If people are more minimalist, they will use Scandinavian styles like [those of] Louis Poulsen,” he says. “Or according to their preferences they may turn to crystal and glass or Italian style. I think it’s the statement that reflects a lot about people’s personality.”

Cranwill agrees there is a lot of interest in lighting that does more than illuminate a room and he is noticing a growing interest in fixtures with character, craftsmanship and a sense of individuality — pieces that contribute to the design of a home rather than simply providing illumination.

Natural materials, particularly alabaster, travertine and other natural stones, have been very popular with Robinson Lighting & Bath customers in 2026, says Cranwill.

“There’s something appealing about the individuality of these materials — no two pieces have exactly the same veining, texture or character,” he says.

Fixtures like the Calcolo from Lib & Co. showcase the natural variation of stone and allow the material itself to become a focal point, says Cranwill.

“We’re also seeing customers gravitate toward lighting with more organic and sculptural forms rather than fixtures that feel overly uniform or purely functional.

“It contributes to the personality and character of the space. Customers are looking for fixtures they feel proud to display in their homes, almost like a piece of art or sculpture,” he says.

An example is the Flock of Light from Moooi .

“It has a strong presence even when it isn’t illuminated, so the fixture becomes an important design element within the room. I think this speaks to a larger shift toward homeowners viewing lighting as an opportunity for self-expression rather than something that simply needs to blend into the background,” says Cranwill, also noting a growing interest in customization, particularly among design clients.

“I think we’ll continue to see more personalization, natural materials, sculptural forms and lighting that can adapt to the way people actually live,” he says. “Rechargeable and portable lighting will continue to grow because it gives homeowners more flexibility, while customization allows lighting to feel much more personal and intentional.”

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Harvesting seeds from the plants you already grow is a fantastic way to expand your garden for free. Fall is the perfect time to pluck the ripe seedheads from many plants. But if you’ve never tried seed saving, then you may not have all the equipment you need to get started. Luckily, it doesn’t require much.

Before you start harvesting flower seeds from your garden, it’s important to gather all the necessary tools. If you’ve been gardening for a while, you may already have some of these items floating around. But if not, you can pick up what you need for only a few bucks from Amazon.

Here are the essential tools you need to harvest and save seeds from your own garden. September is the ideal time to start saving seeds, so add these items to your cart now!

1. Good Pair of Pruners

(Image credit: Getty Images)

If you’ve ever done any amount of gardening, you likely have a pair of pruners lying around somewhere. But if you don’t have a preferred pair of pruning shears or are looking to upgrade, I recommend these $13 Fiskars bypass pruning shears from Amazon for harvesting seedheads from your garden.

Fiskars is my go-to brand for pruning tools because they’re affordable, durable, and made from quality materials. But if you’re looking to splurge, these cult-favorite pruners from Felco are our Editor-in-Chief Melanie’s favorite pruners.

No matter what brand you choose, you will need a sharp, clean pair of pruners to cut off faded flowers that have turned into ripe seedheads by this point in the season. You can either deadhead, cutting off only the seedhead, or you can cut back plants, leaving a few inches of stem attached to the seedhead.

Leave some of the faded seedheads on the plants in your garden to provide winter food for wild birds. Allowing some of the stems to remain also creates shelter and nesting spots for beneficial insects over winter.

2. Sifter to Separate Seeds From Chaff

(Image credit: Photo by Laura Kalcheff / Getty Images)

This is a somewhat specialty item that the average gardener probably doesn’t have, but if you’re interested in saving lots of seeds from your plants, it’s one that really comes in handy. A soil sifter, like this one from Amazon that’s currently 50% off, makes separating the actual seeds from the chaff so much easier than trying to do it by hand.

Break up the seedheads in the sifter and then sift out the seeds, leaving the chaff and other unwanted bits of plant material behind in the sifter. Throw those into your compost pile, when you’re done.

This particular soil sifter comes with four different mesh screens you can swap out for different types of seeds. Use the finer screen for species with smaller seeds, like larkspur, or use the screen with the larger holes for bigger seeds, like sweet peas. I’ve tried using a regular kitchen sieve to separate seeds in the past and it has worked alright, but the ability to change out the screen definitely would have been a big help.

If you make your own compost at home, this sifter will also come in handy. Use it to filter out larger chunks of compost that still need more time to decompose. You’ll be left with a wonderful, fluffy batch of ready-to-use compost for your garden.

3. Container to Store & Sort Your Seeds

(Image credit: Kathleen Walters / Future)

Once you’ve harvested your seeds and separated them from the chaff, it’s time to organize and store them for next season. There are many different ways you can store seeds, from paper envelopes to old pill bottles to glass jars and everything in between. But one of the best ways to store and organize seeds that our team of plant experts has ever discovered is using a craft bead organizer.

Content Editor Kathleen came up with this idea a couple years ago when she had more leftover seeds at the end of the season than she knew how to handle. She realized a craft bead organizer, specifically this one that’s only $10 on Amazon, was the perfect solution for her abundance of seeds.

This organizer can hold up to 64 different types of seeds and each variety can have its own separate container. Plus, the kit comes with labels, so you never have to wonder what type of seed is inside.

Every type of garden has its moment in the sun when it looks its best. For prairie landscapes, that peak moment starts in September, as summer heat softens into fall, as native grasses don their autumn shades and glow in the slanting sun. There’s also the amazing color show of late-blooming prairie perennials.

If your garden is looking end-of-season tired, it doesn’t take much to get some of that native prairie plant pow. A prairie garden also has the benefit of being low-care, drought-tolerant, and downright gorgeous.

Where to begin? Begin here, with these five fabulous prairie plants. They are ready to wake up your fall garden.

You’re Five Prairie Plants Away from a Fabulous Fall Garden

You don’t have to bulldoze all your current backyard plants to get quick beauty in September. Just pick a couple of these wonderful prairie plants and watch your garden come to life again.

1. Narrowleaf BluestarFallNancy J. Ondra / ShutterstockSpringbeekeepx / Getty Images

Botanical name:

Amsonia hubrichtii

Hardiness:

USDA Zones 5-8

We aren’t going to save the best for last here. Instead, we’ll start our list of five top prairie plants for fall fireworks with one of the most breathtaking native perennials: Narrowleaf Bluestar. If you’ve never heard of it, you are in for a treat. Also called Asmonia, this native beauty offers clusters of pale-blue starry blossoms in spring, contrasting nicely with the green foliage, but that’s not all. Come September, the delicate, feathery leaves blaze a brilliant golden-orange.

Low-maintenance? Check! Pollinator friendly? Check! (Just ask the Swallowtail butterflies!) Multi-season appeal? Check! This all-American perennial thrives in full sun and average soil, and is especially effective in or mass plantings. If the plants get floppy after their blooms fade in early summer, give the plant a trim to help it retail its shape. Plant bluestars from Garden Goods Direct with ornamental grasses and black-eyed Susans for a gorgeous golden bed that transitions easily from late summer into fall.

2. Asters

(Image credit: Peter Photos / 500px / Getty Images)

Botanical name:

Symphyotrichum spp.

Hardiness:

USDA Zones 3-8

What is autumn without asters? This late-season perennial is everywhere come September and October, painting the rolling hills of wild prairie in vibrant shades of blue and purple. Their starry flowers are life-savers for pollinators - filling them up with nectar right up to the first killing frost. Yes, this includes monarchs and bees.

Install asters in your backyard in a full sun location in soil with good drainage. Plant near contrasting blooms (like goldenrod!) for maximum wow-power. An aster never arrives alone; the flowers appear in dense clusters, adding texture (as well as color) to fall gardens. A three-pack of aster plants from Home Depot can be planted directly into your fall garden or used in containers on your porch before transplanting.

3. Goldenrod

(Image credit: RYosha / Shutterstock)

Botanical name:

Solidago spp.

Hardiness:

USDA Zones 4-9

If you sneeze just reading the name of this native perennial, you aren’t alone. Many people think goldenrod causes their seasonal allergies but no, it’s ragweed. Goldenrod should be a welcome member of your garden plant family. It’s worth its weight in gold - so to speak- in autumn meadows, its brilliant egg yolk yellow plumes a fantastic contrast to purple or blue asters.

You can find goldenrod in lots of different sizes and shapes. Whatever you pick, the late-season pollinators will thank you. Goldenrod offers invaluable nurture for bees, butterflies, and other beneficial insects in fall, with generous supplies of nectar. Feed those hungry pollinators with gorgeous 'Fireworks' goldenrod from American Meadows It's delicately arching branches add even more visual interest to your garden.

4. Big Bluestem

(Image credit: Rory Buckland L / Alamy)

Botanical name:

Andropogon gerardii

Hardiness:

USDA Zones 4-9

If you have a large property, you need large plants to balance out the space - and nothing is better than ornamental grass. Why not go for Big Bluestem, also known as a “prairie giant.” It gets as tall or taller than the gardener - rising to 6 feet (2m) tall and providing bold structure as well as dramatic fall color.

This tall grass grows in blue-green, giving it the common name, but it changes like clockwork come September. The tall blades evolve to shades of burnished copper (bronze, red, and purple) in the fall. Easy-to-grow and drought tolerant, big bluestem is best grown in full sun. It is a larval host for more than a few species of butterflies. 'Blackhawks' big bluestem from American Meadows will add some autumnal drama to your landscape while also resisting deer!

5. Pink Muhly Grass

(Image credit: inho Lee / Getty Images)

Botanical name:

Muhlenbergia capillaris

Hardiness:

USDA Zones 5-9

Think of this stunning ornamental as the love child of a grass plant and a pink flamingo. You want visual drama in your fall garden? Pink muhly grass offers it in spades with airy plumes of soft pink blossoms. A stand of this gorgeous prairie grass makes your backyard look as if a pink cloud landed, or a giant’s cone of cotton candy fell from the sky.

Pink muhly grass flowers from the end of summer into fall. The dense clumps of foliage are made up of wiry, forest green needle-like leaves. They provide the base for the flowers that seem to float above. Plant this ornamental grass in a full sun site with well-draining soil and you’ll have a low-care, tolerant, hardy plant with prairie flair and winter interest. It is also a host plant for the orange skipperling butterfly and provides material for nest building for bees and birds. 1-gallon pots of pink muhly grass plants are currently on sale at Trees.com (formerly Fast Growing Trees) and will add some serious vibrancy to your fall garden.

Shop Fall Planting Essentials

Fiskars Ergo Trowel

Measuring 12.25 inches, this rust-resistant trowel has an ergonomic Softgrip handle to reduce wrist fatigue and a lifetime guarantee.

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Save your back lugging mulch, compost, or even stones with this convenient dump cart. It’s also a super convenient way to lug yard waste to your composter or even carry firewood from the log pile to the house this winter.

Tru Pro Digging Shovel

With large perforated turn stems and a D-grip handle, this 40-inch steel round digging shovel has a sleeve comfort grip.

Most of the insects that wreck a garden in May are already here in September tucked into old vines and leaf piles, waiting out the cold. They aren't hatching from nowhere come spring. Fall sanitation is one of the least glamorous jobs of the season, but probably the highest-return. So it's important to take steps to prevent spring pests now.

Targeting specifically to stop overwintering bugs in fall works better than chasing them in spring, mostly because they're sitting still and concentrated in a handful of predictable spots right now. The catch is that not every fall cleanup task helps keep away pests. Some of them clear out the beneficial insects that would have eaten problem pests for free.

Knowing which cleanup tasks to do now and which ones to leave alone is what separates a useful September from a needlessly busy one. Here are the pest prevention tasks you need to do now – and the one you can skip this September.

Pest Prevention Tasks to Do in September

The below list runs in order of highest need: vegetable beds first since that's where the worst offenders bed down, then fruit trees, then whatever plants are headed indoors before frost. Two unhurried weekends are all you need to complete these tasks in an average-sized yard.

1. Pull spent cucurbit vines.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Squash bugs (Anasa tristis) don't fly off anywhere for winter. The adults crawl under dead leaves, old vines, boards, scraps of plastic mulch, whatever is flat and sheltered near where they fed and they wait there until spring. Early fall is when they go looking for shelter, so now is the time to strike.

Clearing away spent squash and pumpkin plants now takes the invitation off the table to unwanted bugs. Weeds along the bed edges count, too. Don't just heap the garden waste at the fence line either. Till it under or run it through a hot compost pile to kill off any residual bugs.

2. Turn soil where borers overwinter.

(Image credit: Lubo Ivanko / Getty Images)

Wilted squash vines back in July probably meant squash vine borer (Melittia cucurbitae) and the larvae that did caused this common problem are long gone from those vines by now. They exited, burrowed an inch or two (3-5 cm) down into the soil, and spun tough cocoons to sit out the cold.

Turning over that ground brings up the cocoons for weather and birds to get. Only bother in beds that had visible borer damage, though. There's no sense disturbing soil that was fine all season.

Home Depot carries a four-tine digging fork that works well for this purpose. The fork lifts and crumbles the top few inches of soil instead of slicing and flipping it like a shovel.

3. Clear fallen fruit under trees.

(Image credit: Patricia Hamilton / Getty Images)

Fallen apples and pears are more than wasted fruit. Codling moth (Cydia pomonella) larvae ride down inside them, then crawl out to spin cocoons under loose bark or in the litter at the base of the tree. Mid-September into early October is exactly when that happens.

Getting the fallen fruit off the ground during that window intercepts a good share of next year's population of moths. Rake the leaves out from under the canopy while you're there. A rolling nut gatherer from Ace Hardware's garden aisle makes short work of a heavy drop year and saves your back.

4. Treat plants before bringing them indoors.

(Image credit: Sutthiwat Srikhrueadam / Getty Images)

Any houseplants that summered outside picked up some pest passengers. Spider mites and aphids reproduce fast in warm, dry indoor air with nothing hunting them. By February, one overlooked mealybug colony might have worked its way across a whole windowsill.

Start the pest inspection now rather than on the night of the first frost warning when it's time to bring houseplants back indoors. Treatments need a couple of weeks, often more than one round. Check leaf undersides and the leaf joints. The soil surface matters, too. Slugs come up through drainage holes and settle into damp potting mix, so tip the pot and look underneath for hitchhikers.

Lowe's stocks a ready-to-use insecticidal soap for the soft-bodied pests, though a hard rinse with the hose knocks off a fair number first. Keep the returning plants away from your established houseplants for two to four weeks after moving them indoors.

The #1 Mistake to Avoid

The reflex after summer is to clear away any and all debris, but that’s actually a mistake. Raking the borders bare and putting the whole yard to bed looking well-swept can actually cause more pest problems than it solves. Don't totally clear out all the dead plants debris in your yard and garden. Leave some spots in where beneficial insects can overwinter.

Ladybugs, minute pirate bugs, syrphid flies, and parasitoid wasps overwinter in leaf litter, under loose bark, and in the stems left standing. These beneficial insects actually hunt problem pests like aphids and keep your spring garden pest-free, if you leave habitats for them in fall. Clear all of the debris and you lose out on those helpful bugs, while plenty of the pests you were targeting overwinter outside in the garden anyway.

(Image credit: Marcel Krauss / Getty Images)

Be thorough where the evidence of pests points: the vegetable beds, the ground under fruit trees, anything visibly diseased. Everywhere else, easing off is actually good pest control. Cutting back perennial plants to roughly 8 inches (20 cm) instead of to the crown leaves the hollow stems intact for beneficial insects sheltering in there.

A yard raked down to bare dirt in November tends to be a yard with no beneficial insects to help it come May. The diseased material is the one thing not to compost, though. A home compost heap often doesn't run hot enough to kill off the pathogens, so the trash is the safer destination for diseased plant matter.

September work is quiet work. Nobody photographs a cleared squash bed. But the payoff arrives eight months out when spring plants are free of unwanted pests.

Every potted plant that spent the summer outdoors has been open house for bugs… for months. Ants could tunnel in through the drainage holes. Earwigs could tuck under the rim during the day, and adult black vine weevils might have climbed up after dark. Outdoors, none of that matters as much. Move those plants back indoors, though, and it’s a different story. Nothing rains on them and nothing eats them, and a heated room never gets a winter.

While we all want to surround ourselves with lush, living color as the seasons change and we spend more time inside, we need to make sure we aren’t opening the door to uninvited guests. If we aren’t careful, bringing plants inside after summer also brings those unwanted hitchhikers along for the ride. So how does a tub of Vaseline help, you might well ask? Well, used in the right way, it stays tacky for weeks. Set yourself a barrier made of petroleum jelly, and you can intercept those bugs before they have a chance to cause problems for your wider houseplant clan.

So if you’re about to bring your beloved potted tropicals, citrus, and foliage plants back indoors as fall temperatures start to dip, you definitely need to read this first. Because without natural predators or outdoor rainfall to keep pest numbers in check, a few stray bugs can rapidly turn into a full-blown indoor infestation by mid-winter. And that little old tub of petroleum jelly is a safer, cheaper alternative to chemical sprays – and a heck of a lot more versatile than you might think. Here’s how this cheeky jelly trick can protect your houseplant family this fall.

How to Use Vaseline & How Not To!

A jar of petroleum jelly costs a few dollars, and stops crawling insects cold by acting as a clever barrier. But exactly where you place it is very important. Smear it on the wrong surface, and the plant pays for it all winter. So before revealing where you can use yours safely, here’s the one place you definitely shouldn’t use it – on the leaves. On a leaf, it would block the pores (stomata). A coated leaf cannot exchange gas or transpire, so it yellows and then drops. Stems are no better, as bark and green tissue both breathe. So please bear that in mind before unscrewing your tub.

This cheeky jelly barrier belongs on the houseplant pot or container, and whatever that container sits on. For any trailing plants like pothos that might rest against a treated rim, you will just need to angle or position the vines away from the barrier before making any applications with your petroleum jelly. Keep good plant health in mind, and you have nothing to fear. And if you don’t have a tub to hand, the good news is you can pick up a little tub of Vaseline from Amazon for just a few dollars!

(Image credit: Kinga Krzeminska / Getty Images)

Before getting stuck into these easy Vaseline barrier tricks, take a couple of minutes to check the pots. Any dust, dirt, outdoor patio grime, and dry soil will prevent the petroleum jelly from sticking cleanly to terracotta or plastic. Wipe down the container walls with a damp cloth and let the surface dry completely before spreading your jelly barrier. You need to be able to apply a thin, uniform band so the petroleum jelly stays glossy and effective without slumping or sliding off.

Once you’re happy your pots are travel-ready, you’re ready to get your Vaseline bug barriers in place. These simple barriers will protect your wider houseplant family from fungus gnats, vine weevils, earwigs, and more. Just a few moments with your Vaseline now will bring you peace of mind for a pest-free winter, and here’s how…

1. Ring Outer Pot Rims and Bases

(Image credit: Ольга Симонова / Getty Images)

Flightless adult insects rely on vertical surfaces to reach the lush canopy of your potted plants. Black vine weevils climb up container walls after dark to nibble on leaf edges, while earwigs nest under folded pot lips in daylight hours. So applying a continuous 1-2-inch (2.5-5cm) band of petroleum jelly around the exterior rim creates a tactile obstacle these crawling pests cannot cross. Adding a second band near the base of heavy patio containers provides an early interception point for anything climbing up from below, like ants moving up from concrete pavers.

Make sure the surface is clean first, as dust and old soil will stop the jelly sticking to terracotta. Spread it thin enough to stay glossy, as a thick smear will slide down in warmer weather. A continuous ring is the whole trick, since insects will always look for the one gap you leave behind. Once pots are inside, check this band weekly. Dust particles may eventually give pests something to walk across. Simply refresh the band by wiping away debris and applying a fresh smear as needed.

In case you were wondering if you can also use scented Vaseline (like tubs of lip balm), the answer is: with caution. Tubs like Vaseline Lip Therapy Rose Lips from Amazon are fine as a quick top-up on indoor plant pots. However, they are best avoided outdoors, as the scents might attract ants. So for any pots you are about to bring inside, stick to the original, unscented jelly types for container rims.

When to apply: Apply these jelly rim bands outdoors 2-3 days before bringing pots inside, giving you time to check for any climbers attempting to cross the sticky barrier while the plants are still on the patio.

2. Coat Plant Stand Legs and Rolling Caddies

(Image credit: Olga Pankova / Getty Images)

Pests that make it indoors do not stay put. Ants, especially, will find a route from one pot to the next along a shelf edge, and a treated rim won’t stop traffic underneath. Sowbugs and stray beetles can scale plant stands, window sills, and shelving units to travel from container to container. But if you smear a thin band of your petroleum jelly around each leg of a plant stand, low down out of sight, you cut that route off.

Metal and painted wood hold jelly well. Smooth metal, powder-coated iron, and sealed resin caddies all hold petroleum jelly cleanly without staining. If you need some extra caddies, you can pick up Bloem Plastic Caddies with Wheels from The Home Depot that are great for relocating houseplants. These caddies have a smooth resin base that is jelly-compatible.

Unfinished wood, ceramic, or porous stone also absorb grease oils. Wrap a strip of painter's tape around raw wooden legs first before applying your jelly band. Always wipe up stray drips to prevent a buildup of lint and avoid slick spots in living areas.

When to apply: Coat legs and caddies outdoors on the morning of transition day, just before placing washed pots onto their stands, so crawling pests on patio paving stones are cut off before pots cross your threshold.

3. Make DIY Yellow Sticky Traps

(Image credit: Marc Leupold / Getty Images)

While perimeter rings on pots successfully block crawling insects, airborne pests require a different approach. However, fungus gnats and greenhouse whiteflies both home in on yellow (hence why many commercial traps are this color). So if you cut a square of bright yellow card, coat one side in a thin layer of Vaseline, and mount it on a bamboo skewer in the pot, you’re getting one over on these resident flies. Just a 4-inch (10 cm) square of Flipped Yellow Cardstock from Amazon is perfect.

Set your DIY sticky trap low, just above the soil where the gnats fly. If there are any buggy guests lurking, this card should fill up quickly. If you need any, you can pick up Expert Grill Bamboo Skewers from Walmart for less than a dollar. Be ready to swap the card when the surface is more insect than yellow. Positioning just above the soil surface targets adult fungus gnats as they emerge from damp potting media. Just keep in mind that sticky cards intercept adult insects to break the breeding cycle. To address soil larvae, combine traps with controlled watering practices.

When to apply: Insert these coated cards into the soil immediately after bringing pots indoors, right as plants enter their new warm environment, where soil-dwelling fungus gnat adults begin to emerge and fly.

4. Surround Saucers and Pot Feet

(Image credit: Kostikova / Getty Images)

Whatever moved into the root ball earlier in summer is a separate problem from anything crawling up the outside. The base of an outdoor container resting on patio stones or soil is a target for opportunistic pests. Ants often establish nests inside warm potting media, while earwigs and slugs may have found shelter under drainage saucers. Applying a protective ring of petroleum jelly around the outer lip of drainage saucers and the undersides of pot feet creates an effective bottom-up barrier.

Because slugs and snails glide on mucus trails, the hydrophobic nature of petroleum jelly disrupts their foot flow, causing them to turn away. However, you should only apply jelly to the outer saucer lips and rims and container support feet. Never slather Vaseline directly across the open drainage hole of the pot itself. Keep drainage holes clear to maintain proper water runoff and prevent soil waterlogging.

If you’re looking for pot feet, you can get versatile Lemon Road Pot Feet from Amazon that work on indoor tile as well as outdoor patios. Cat lovers will adore the Lemon Road Cat Pot Feet, also from Amazon, for a real talking point that also helps with drainage and inobtrusive jelly applications.

When to apply: Apply your petroleum jelly to saucer edges and pot feet while pots are still outside being prepped. This prevents hidden patio slugs, earwigs, and ants from hitching a ride into your home when you lift containers to move them.

5. Establish a Quarantine Zone

(Image credit: Marina Gorevaya / Getty Images)

Microscopic pest eggs or scale crawlers can hide inside dense foliage. Establishing a dedicated 3-4-week indoor quarantine zone prevents new arrivals contaminating your established indoor plants. You can enhance this holding area by applying a band of Vaseline around the perimeter legs or tray edges of your quarantine zone (this could be a table, sideboard, or other specially cleared space).

This quarantine is often skipped when houseplant lovers bring their babies inside, but it really can make a massive difference to the future health of all your indoor plants, so this is one space where it pays to get busy with the jelly (sensibly, of course). This containment area makes it easier to inspect leaf undersides and stem joints, and it’s a good idea to do this weekly with a magnifying glass. If scale or spider mites emerge, the Vaseline perimeter prevents them from migrating to neighboring shelves, allowing you to treat isolated plants cleanly without risking your entire collection. Combine with a foliar spray of diluted neem, such as Captain Jack’s Neem Max Concentrate from Walmart, to keep any pest outbreak under control.

When to apply: Set up your petroleum jelly perimeter band immediately upon bringing plants inside, ensuring isolated plants remain sealed off for their entire 3-4-week holding period.

Essential Pre-Jelly Checks

(Image credit: Firn / Getty Images)

Before getting stuck into these petroleum jelly barriers, make sure you have given your pots a proper inspection, soak and clean. Any time you spend on this now will save you weeks of pain trying to manage a bigger pest problem later. Slide the plant out of its pot and check the outside of the root ball. Look for pale C-shaped weevil grubs, ant galleries, or a slug wedged against a drainage hole. Repot any plants that look badly colonized into fresh potting soil.

Then fill a bucket with lukewarm water and lower each pot until the water sits an inch (2.5 cm) below the rim. Leave for 15 minutes. Any ants will float out of the drainage holes, along with earwigs and anything else sheltering down there. Let the pot drain fully in the sun. Rinse the foliage while the plant is outside. A hose on a moderate setting can knock off twospotted spider mites and loose aphids, and the undersides of the leaves are where to aim. Let the foliage dry before any plant goes inside.

Do this, combined with your petroleum jelly barriers, and you’ll hopefully foil any uninvited guests trying to chance their way through your front door. Plants will stay clean, and nobody will spend February picking fungus gnats out of a coffee cup.

(Image credit: fcafotodigital / Getty Images)

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For many of us, pets are so much more than animals we share our homes with. They're family members, companions, confidants and, in the case of this writer, the reason there's dog hair on every piece of furniture.

Whether you're a devoted dog person, a lifelong cat lover or happiest watching your fish glide around their tank, our pets can become a surprisingly big part of our personalities and everyday lives. And if you've ever wondered whether there's a pet that perfectly matches your personality, you're in luck!

Birth month traditions have long given us different ways to discover the things we're supposedly most like, from birth month flowers and birth month trees, right on down to the weird and wonderful likes of birth month birds, birth month bugs and even birth month animals. And birth month pets? Well, there’s something satisfying about discovering a furry friend with exactly the same characteristics as you.

All 12 Birth Month Pets

When it comes to finding your special fit, why stop at flowers and gemstones? Especially when your very own birth month pet might be a better fit in terms of its particular energy?

Whether you already have a beloved pet at home or you're simply curious to see which animal best represents you, read on to discover your birth month pet. And don't be surprised if your match seems uncannily accurate – or if you suddenly find yourself Googling what it takes to keep a parrot, rabbit or (ahem) snake feeling good and happy.

January – Horse

(Image credit: Getty Images)

January babies aren't afraid to do a Fleetwood Mac and go their own way, which makes the horse their ideal birth month pet. Think about it; horses are intelligent, powerful and independent, but they can also form incredibly strong bonds with the people they trust.

Argodaze Horse Stained Glass Suncatcher

This suncatcher is a work of art, with brilliant and beautiful patterns.

A thoroughbred, with its athleticism and competitive spirit, could be particularly fitting for someone who is always striving towards their next goal. There are no rules, though; just like you, all horses (even grade horses) aren't particularly interested in being held back.

If you love the fit, then why not pay homage to your inner horse with something like this Horse Stained Glass Suncatcher?

February – Parrot

(Image credit: AndreAnita/Getty Images)

If you were born in February, your birth month pet is the parrot. These intelligent, social birds are full of personality and can be remarkably expressive, making them a great match for creative and imaginative types.

A Macaw, as seen above, is perhaps the most famous parrot out there. A cockatiel or budgerigar are considered ideal in terms of 'starter' parrots. And an African grey, beloved for its intelligence and ability to mimic sounds, might be your perfect counterpart – although its clever nature means it will probably keep you on your toes.

Maybe a simpler solution is... well, is a Parrots Calendar 2027: A Colorful Year of Exotic Birds & Tropical Beauty, right?

March – Rabbit

(Image credit: Bogdanhoda/Getty Images)

Gentle and sensitive March personalities have plenty in common with the rabbit. After all, these quiet animals can be affectionate and social once they feel comfortable, but they also appreciate having a safe space of their own.

A Holland Lop, with its small size and famously floppy ears, suits March's softer side particularly well. You may not be the loudest person in the room, but there's more going on beneath the surface than people realize.

Of course, if you want to show that same love to wild rabbits, be sure to plant a mix of grasses and low-growing plants to create soft cover and feeding areas for small wildlife (and opt for some rabbit-proof plants, too; something like this Serendipity Allium from Nature Hills would be ideal).

April – Dog

(Image credit: Ewa Studio / Shutterstock)

April is all about energy, confidence and a certain magnetic quality – so what better match than a dog?

Yes, April babies; you've won birth month pet bingo! But, to be fair, that's because dogs, with their loyalty, enthusiasm and eagerness to be involved in whatever is happening, have the kind of larger-than-life personality that April babies can relate to.

A Labrador Retriever is an especially good fit: outgoing, friendly and always ready for the next adventure. And, if you already have a pooch of your own, opting for some raised beds is a great way to keep them from digging up your precious plants. (Hey, it can't just be mine who does this, right?).

Shop Raised Beds:

WORKPRO 3 Pack Round Raised Bed Set

VEIKOUS Cedar Rolling Raised Bed

SnugNiture 2 Pack Oval Raised Beds

May – Turtle

(Image credit: airspa/Getty Images)

Steady, dependable and perfectly happy taking life at their own pace, May personalities are well matched with the turtle (or tortoise, if you're British... although all tortoises are land-based turtles).

There's something reassuring about a turtle's calm approach to life, while its long lifespan has made it a symbol of longevity and good fortune in various cultures. A Hermann's or a red-eared slider could be your ideal alter ego – so long as you don't expect it to rush anywhere.

Just be sure to grow something like these Heatwave Blend Lettuce Seeds from Burpee so you have plenty of tasty greens on offer for your new shelled friend.

June – Canary

(Image credit: Worledit/Getty Images)

June's sensitive and communicative nature makes the canary an obvious match. These small songbirds are known for their distinctive vocalisations, giving them plenty to say even when they're tiny enough to fit in the palm of your hand.

A Gloster canary, with its distinctive rounded appearance, is a particularly charming match for June's romantic streak. If you can't add a feathered friend to your home, though, don't despair; there are plenty of ways to turn your outdoor space into a welcoming bird sanctuary all year round.

Shop Bird Sanctuary Essentials:

Nature's Way Cedar Suet Upside-Down Bird Feeder

Feeding in Style

Sweetfull Hanging Metal Bird Feeder

A Balanced Meal

Armstrong Premium Blend Bird Food

July – Guinea Pig

(Image credit: Anja Strubel / 500px / Getty Images)

July personalities tend to put the people they love first, making the guinea pig a fitting birth month pet. These social little animals generally enjoy companionship and can form strong bonds with their owners.

A pair of American guinea pigs could be particularly appropriate – because if there's one thing a July personality understands, it's that life is better when you're surrounded by family and friends.

August – Cat

(Image credit: piotrbozemski / 500px/Getty Images)

August babies have no trouble making an impression, which is why their birth month pet is the cat. Independent yet affectionate, confident yet capable of demanding plenty of attention, cats have a charisma all of their own.

A Maine Coon may be the ultimate August match: confident, sociable and impossible to ignore. Naturally, they'll expect to be treated like royalty, so make sure you plant some catnip seeds!

September – Hamster

(Image credit: Paul Starosta/Getty Images)

Analytical, hardworking and detail-oriented? Of course September's organised, practical personality has a lot in common with the humble hamster!

These tiny animals can spend hours running, exploring, storing food and generally keeping themselves busy, and a Syrian hamster is a particularly fitting match for September, as they are independent, active and seemingly always working on their next project.

Just don't rearrange its carefully organised stash...

October – Fish

(Image credit: Artem Stepanov/Getty Images)

Calm and (somewhat surprisingly, given Scorpio's reputation!) harmonious October personalities are well suited to the fish. Watching fish swim can be wonderfully peaceful, while maintaining an aquarium requires a careful balance of different conditions – much like the October personality's knack for keeping the peace.

A graceful betta fish could be the perfect match, combining beauty and personality with an unmistakable sense of presence. And why not go the whole hog and grow plants on top of your fish tank for good measure?

Shop Aquaponics Kits:

Back to the Roots Indoor Aquaponic Garden

Huamuyu Hydroponic Garden Aquaponic Fish Tank

Borlech Aquarium Plant Holders

November – Snake

(Image credit: EL Studio/Getty Images)

November's intense and mysterious personality makes the snake an intriguing match. Often misunderstood, snakes can be fascinating, intelligent animals that require patience and confidence from their keepers.

A ball python fits the bill particularly well: relatively calm, striking to look at and capable of quietly commanding attention. Like a November personality, it may take a little time to get to know – but there's plenty beneath the surface.

December – Lizard

(Image credit: fotografixx/Getty Images)

December personalities finish the year with plenty of energy, curiosity and enthusiasm, making the lizard their perfect pet match. These fascinating reptiles spend their days exploring, basking and investigating their surroundings.

A bearded dragon is especially fitting for December: curious, expressive and surprisingly sociable, with plenty of personality packed into one scaly little body? Just like December babies everywhere, these little cuties are certainly not afraid of a little adventure!

They also adore insects... to eat, true, but if you want to show some love to pollinators, there are a few ways to do it.

Shop Pollinator-Friendly Plant Kits:

Bee Friendly Seed Shaker

Bulk Perennial Wildflower Seed Mix

Small Pollinator Garden - 5'x7'

Whether it’s the a cat, a dog, a fish, or something completely different, each companion animal reflects a different way of moving through the world. So if your birth month pet feels strangely accurate, lean into it! It might just lead to the greatest friendship you'll ever know...

If you’re growing heirloom tomatoes this summer, then it’s a simple September garden job to save tomato seeds so you can grow free plants next year. What’s more, harvest tomato seeds and you won’t only save money but create plants that are perfectly suited to the growing conditions in your garden or greenhouse. Save your own tomato seeds every year and you will create stronger, happier, healthier plants. And you know what that means: you'll grow even more tasty tomatoes, year after year!

One average-sized tomato typically carries a hundred or more seeds, so you don’t need to sacrifice much of your precious crop. Strong tomato seed – and this method magically separates the strongest seeds to harvest – remains viable for five years, too.

You can only save seeds from heirloom or open-pollinated tomato varieties (those that are pollinated naturally by bees) but this encompasses most of the tomatoes we all love to grow at home from Brandywine beefsteaks and San Marzano plum tomatoes to smoky heirloom Black Cherry and tangy Green Zebra. Don’t bother saving seed from F1 hybrid tomato varieties as it won't produce the same plant.

Here’s how to save tomato seeds and store them safely to enjoy free plants and abundant harvests next year.

1. Pick a Perfect Tomato

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Select your strongest, most productive tomato plant, and pick the very best tomato you can find that’s fully mature and slightly overripe.

2. Extract the Seeds

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Slice the tomato in half then scoop out the seeds and their jelly-like pulp into a glass jar. With smaller tomatoes, you can simply squeeze the seeds straight into a clean glass jar. Label each jar if you’re saving a few different tomato varieties.

3. Soak the Seed

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Next you’re going to soak the seed. Fermenting tomato seeds in this way separates the seed from the pulp, which is vital as this gel inhibits germination. Pour water into the jar, aiming for a 1:1 ratio so there’s a roughly equal volume of tomato seeds and water. Lay a square of paper towel over the opening and secure with a rubber band around the jar rim to keep out flies without obstructing airflow.

Now wait a few days for the mix to ferment and the gel to break down. Keep the jar out of direct sunlight but in a warm spot where you’ll see it, because you need to remember to agitate the mix by giving it a gentle swirl every day. A kitchen countertop next to the kettle is perfect!

4. Separate the Seed from the Pulp

The mix is ready when, looking at the jar from the side, you can see it has started to separate with the pulp floating to the top and some seeds sunk to the bottom. This typically takes 4-5 days. A layer of mold or scum may also form across the surface when fermenting tomato seed, and that’s nothing to worry about. Pour in more water and, as the seeds settle, those that sink to the bottom are the heavy, viable seeds you want to keep. Those that float to the surface along with any scum or mold should be discarded.

Slowly tip the jar so the pulp and scum layer runs out but the viable seeds remain in the jar, or use a spoon to scoop that top goop out. Repeat the process of adding water to the jar, letting the heavy seeds settle and pouring off the top layer, to clean the remaining seeds. For a final rinse, tip the seeds into a fine-mesh sieve and hold under running cold water, rubbing seeds with the back of a wooden spoon to remove any last bits of gel if needs be.

5. Dry the Cleaned Seed

(Image credit: Shutterstock)

Tip the seed onto paper towel and pat dry, then put on a non-stick surface such as a glass chopping board or a glazed plate. Leave them to dry for 2 weeks out of direct sunlight but in a warm spot with good airflow, gently separating any clumps after a couple of days.

6. Store Seeds Safely

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Once seeds are fully dry, put them in a paper envelope and store in a dark, cool, dry spot. A tin in a frost-free garage is ideal, and adding a sachet of silica gel to your seed tin will hoover up any damp and prevent seeds molding. If you're a keen tomato grower and saving seed from lots of different varieties, a seed storage box with separate compartments like this 64-Slot Seed Organizer Box from Walmart makes it easy to sort seed, and it effectively blocks moisture to retain 98% seed viability.

Pretty packets

100 Pack Self-Seal Seed Envelopes

Safe storage

Metal Seed Storage Box With Safety Lock

Prevents Mold

5 Gram (50 Pack) Silica Gel Packets

Easy! And now you have a store of tomato seed that you know is well suited to the exact growing conditions in your garden or greenhouse, for a bigger, better crop next summer. Keep growing tomatoes and harvesting and storing seed for a few years and, especially if you have the room to grow a few plants, you can evolve the variety to suit your tastes too. You’ll find one plant produces particularly tasty tomatoes, grows extra-long trusses of fruit, or brings a heavy harvest in a relatively compact space, and by selecting those seeds you can bring that beneficial trait to the fore. And then you have the exact right tomato to grow in your garden space and you’re not just growing heirloom tomatoes but your very own heirloom tomatoes.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

You'll no doubt save far too many seeds, but tomato seeds make great little gifts. Write growing instructions on the envelope, pop it in a terracotta pot along with a couple of coco coir soil pellets such as these from Amazon and tie with a ribbon to give to family and friends at Christmas.

(Image credit: Getty Images)Can I Save Seed from Shop-Bought Tomatoes?

Most tomatoes sold in grocery stores are produced from F1 hybrid tomato varieties, so it's not worth saving the seed. Grow your own heirloom tomatoes from seed next year, then save the seed from the harvested fruit. A great place to start your journey is with Burpee's Rainbow Blend of heirloom tomato seedswhich has a colorful mix of six varieties including yellow 'Golden Sunburst', orange 'Djena Lees Golden Girl', red 'Bonny Best, pink 'Brandywine Pink', purple 'Black Krim' and green 'Evergreen'.

If you’re like me, you hate tossing old takeout containers in the recycling bin. I always try to find ways to reuse them around the house. But there are also some great ways to use takeout containers in the garden that I’ve discovered as well.

Whether it’s the beginning of the growing season, the heat of summer, or plants are winding down in the fall, there are plenty of uses for takeout containers in the garden. These easy ideas turn trash into garden treasure and help you grow a better landscape without spending any money.

In this latest installment of the Dirt Cheap Gardening series, I share the reasons why I always save old takeout containers to use in my garden – and how you can use them in your own yard.

More Dirt Cheap Gardening Ideas

• Why Smart Gardeners Are Stocking Up on Cardboard Boxes
• How to Turn Toilet Paper Rolls Into Useful Gardening Tools

1. Seed Starting Trays

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Plastic takeout containers make great DIY seed starting trays. The containers from my local Chinese takeout restaurant are particularly well-suited to this purpose. The shallow plastic container comes with a lid – that’s often clear, which is perfect for turning the tray into a mini greenhouse.

Before you plant, you need to create some drainage holes in the bottom of your takeout container. You can do this with a drill, an awl and mallet, or you can even heat up the sharp tip of a metal skewer with a lighter to make it easier to puncture the plastic.

Poke or drill at least a handful of drainage holes into the bottom of the container, then fill it with a high-quality seed starting mix – I’ve always had great results with this seed starting mix from Miracle-Gro – and plant your desired seeds.

Make some holes in the clear lid, if your container has one, and you can use that to help hold in moisture and heat while seeds germinate and start to grow. This turns your old takeout container into essentially a mini greenhouse for free.

2. Keep Bird Baths Cool

(Image credit: Barbara Rich / Getty Images)

Summer heat can turn bird baths into breeding grounds for mosquitoes, bacteria, and algae. But that takeout container from your dinner last night can solve this problem. Instead of simply refilling your bird bath every few days with water, you can use the Tupperware trick to turn it into a clean cooling station for the local birds.

Fill a plastic takeout container with water and put it in the freezer overnight. In the morning, you’ll have a giant ice cube that you can put into the bird bath in your yard to give your feathered friends a refreshing surprise. As the outdoor temperature rises during the day, the ice cube will melt and create a cool, clean new splash zone for your neighborhood birds.

This trick not only helps birds cool off during late summer heat, but it also keeps your bird bath cleaner for longer and cuts down on pests. Warm water is the ideal environment for mosquito larvae to grow as well as harmful bacteria and algae. Combine this DIY trick with a copper bird bath disc from Amazon that naturally purifies the water and keeps it algae-free.

3. Create an Ant Trap

(Image credit: Emma Kendell)

If your garden is overrun with ants, then pull that takeout container out of the trash and turn it into a DIY ant trap. You first need to poke some holes in the bottom of your plastic takeout container – the same way you did to turn it into a seed starting tray.

Then add a tablespoon each of baking soda and powdered sugar, which you can pick up online from Target, and mix well. Don’t use regular granulated sugar because the ants will be able to separate the larger granules from the baking soda. The powdered sugar attracts the ants, but the baking soda creates a deadly reaction with their stomach acid.

If you only have a small infestation of ants, you can put the lid on your container and place it near the anthill in your yard. However, if you have a large infestation, mix in a little bit of water to create a paste. The paste is easier for them to carry back to their anthill and will eradicate some of the ants back in the hill as well as the ones who brought your concoction there.

4. Store Leftover Seeds

(Image credit: Alamy)

Takeout containers aren’t just good at storing food, they’re also good for storing leftover seed packets or large quantities of seeds you harvested from your own garden. If you have an abundance of seeds you weren’t able to plant in the spring and summer, then place them in an airtight takeout container to keep them dry and organized until next spring.

If you have any seeds that require cold stratification, you can also use a takeout container to give them a head start. You can either place the seed packets inside the takeout container in the back of your fridge in late winter (exactly when depends on the type of seed) or you can sprinkle some seeds on a damp paper towel, fold the towel, and place it inside the takeout container in your fridge.

Cover cropping isn’t just for big farms. Ordinary gardeners can use this strategy in beds of all sizes. Cover cropping means growing a crop over winter that will benefit the soil rather than as a crop to harvest. September is a good time to sow seeds for a cover crop because the soil is still warm enough for germination, and there’s time for seedlings to grow before the first frost.

So, why should you take the time to use this old farming technique in your home garden? Cover crops protect bare winter soil from erosion, add nutrients, reduce compaction, reduce weeds, and feed beneficial microbes, improving overall soil health. Here are a few ideas of cover crops you can plant now and work into the soil in spring for healthier, more productive soil.

If you're not looking to fix a single problem and just want a reliable cover crop, try this seed mix from Amazon. It contains most of the crops listed below, plus some wildflowers for good measure.

1. Winter Rye for Cold Winters

(Image credit: UMB-O / Shutterstock)

Winter rye is a tough cereal grain that germinates quickly and isn’t easily killed off by cold winter conditions. It should survive the season and grow again in spring, when you can chop it up and work it into the soil. Don’t delay doing this spring task, as winter rye grows rapidly as the weather warms and can become difficult to kill if you wait too long.

Winter rye has deep roots that break up compacted soil and reduce erosion. It’s also allelopathic, meaning it releases certain chemicals that prevent germination of other seeds. This makes it a good option for weed suppression. To sow winter rye or any cover crop this year, scatter the seeds over prepared soil, rake them lightly, and keep the area moist as seeds germinate.

Sow Right Seeds Winter Rye Seed for Cover Crops

2. Oats for Quick Coverage

(Image credit: Natalya Rozhkova / Shutterstock)

As a cool-season crop, oats germinate and grow quickly in the cooler weather of fall. Choose this option for quick cover and a root system that holds soil in place very well. Although it might not survive the winter, oats give you a quick option for covering vulnerable soil in fall.

Although it will likely die over winter (depending on your climate), oats create a protective mat over the soil. Oats are also easy to work into the soil in spring. The dead foliage will add nutrients to your beds, and you don’t have to worry about it growing rapidly in the warmer weather.

Sow Right Seeds Winter Oats Seed for Cover Crops

3. Crimson Clover for Adding Nitrogen

(Image credit: Venars.original / Shutterstock)

Crimson clover is a pretty, flowering clover that offers both benefits for the soil and an attractive cover for fall, and even winter, depending on your climate. It will germinate and establish. In spring, the clover will start growing again, blooming and supporting early pollinators before you turn it back into the soil.

One of the biggest benefits of clover as a cover crop is nitrogen fixation. Clover is a legume, meaning it turns atmospheric nitrogen into a usable form, enriching the soil with nitrogen. This is a bonus for whatever plants you grow in the bed next year.

Groundio 2lb Crimson Clover Seeds

4. Hairy Vetch, Also for Nitrogen

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Hairy vetch is a legume, like clover, so it’s another option you can choose if you want to enrich your bedding soil with nitrogen for next year. Hairy vetch is a little more vigorous than clover, so be prepared to work it back into the soil early in spring before it grows too much.

There are some benefits of hairy vetch compared to clover. It produces more green material, which adds more organic material to the soil in spring. It also has a stronger root system, so it is useful if erosion or compaction are big issues in your beds.

Outsidepride Hairy Vetch Cover Crop Seeds - 1 Lb

5. Field Peas for Nitrogen and Easy Spring Turnover

(Image credit: McKinneMike / Getty Images)

The last legume on our list is field peas. Like hairy vetch and clover, it fixes nitrogen to enrich the soil with this essential nutrient. It is less likely to survive winter than the other legume options, but it does grow quickly in fall, creating a carpet of green vines that will cover the soil and hold down weeds even after it dies in winter.

One benefit of field peas over other legumes is that it is very easy to turn into the soil in spring. Even if it hasn’t totally died over the colder months, it’s not difficult to control and incorporate it into the soil.

Eretz Field Pea Seeds - 3 lb

6. Annual Ryegrass for a Quick Root System

(Image credit: Sheryl Watson)

If your goal is to get roots into the soil quickly, choose annual ryegrass. Once the seeds are sown, this grass will quickly develop a dense root system that holds soil together, reduces erosion, and improves soil structure if it has become compacted over the growing season.

Annual ryegrass may survive winter to grow in spring, depending on how cold your winter gets. If it does survive, it can grow rapidly in spring, so be prepared to chop it up and turn it into the soil early before it starts to take over your beds.

The type of cover crop you choose depends on your needs. Whichever one you choose, be sure to water regularly as it establishes to give it a chance to grow before winter weather hits. In spring, each of these will need to be turned into the soil, so consider how much effort you’re willing to put into that chore. Although this is an extra task for September, growing a cover crop is a great way to get your beds ready for the next growing season.

Eretz Annual Ryegrass Seed - 1 lb

Hyacinth blooms are a glorious way to scent your home for the holidays and for flowers in December, you need to start bulbs in September. Getting organised early is the only tricky part of growing hyacinth bulbs – the rest is a breeze and boy, it's worth the effort to enjoy fresh, fragrant flowers in the depths of winter.

In bud, a hyacinth's fragrance is fresh and green like a sunny spring day. As the flowers open, the aroma skips straight to high summer, intensely floral and sweetly intoxicating with subtle hints of vanilla and spice. Just one hyacinth can scent an entire room and combine beautifully with all the nostalgic aromas of Christmas cooking, adding unforgettable fragrance to your home through the holidays. So ditch the Christmas scented candles and grow some plant-based fragrance instead.

Here’s what to do, step by straightforward step, to get great results when forcing hyacinth bulbs. And make plenty, as these must-have holiday decor plants make lovely little gifts to give to friends and family.

(Image credit: Getty Images)How to Force Hyacinth Bulbs for Christmas1. Buy Prepared Bulbs

Left to their own devices, hyacinths are spring-flowering bulbs that naturally bloom between March and May. To enjoy flowers in December, you need to buy bulbs that have been harvested early and heat-treated to trick them into blooming early. These will be clearly marked as ‘prepared’ bulbs. In September, you’ll find prepared hyacinth bulbs for forcing at your local garden center or nursery, and they're usually stocked by Walmart and Lowe’s.

You can plant standard hyacinth bulbs and trick them into growing early, but they’ll typically only grow leaves and are unlikely to flower.

2. Calculate the Timeline

To work out when to plant hyacinth bulbs, work back from the date you want flowers. As a general rule, hyacinth flowers last for 2-3 weeks, giving you a good window, and prepared bulbs take 12-14 weeks to flower. Some varieties take a little less – ‘Anna Marie’ typically blooms in 10 weeks – so check the packaging or online description. Heat and light levels will also affect the process, so it’s a smart idea to stagger planting over a couple of weeks. Not only does this increase the odds of timing holiday flowers just right, plants at multiple development stages adds to the fragrance.

(Image credit: Getty Images)3. Decide if You Want to Grow in Water or Soil

You can force Christmas hyacinths in water or potting soil, and your choice isn’t just down to aesthetics.

If you’re planning on throwing your bulbs once they’re done flowering, growing them in water is super-stylish and elegant. It's hygienic, too, if you’ll be using the living blooms as table decorations, and the visible roots adding another layer of interest. If you plan to plant your hyacinths outdoors for border blooms year after year, though, it’s best to grow them in soil.

In water, you’ll need glass forcing vases such as these from Amazon, with a narrower waist that holds bulbs above the water line. You can also force hyacinth bulbs in any shallow glass vase like this from Amazon, half-filled with pebbles to keep the bulbs from rotting in the water. Using pebbles also means you can use old mason jars.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

To grow bulbs in soil, you need excellent drainage so use a potting mix intended for cacti and succulents like Hoffman Organic Cactus & Succulent Soil Mix, available from Walmart, or coco coir such as these Organic Coco Coir Pellets from Amazon. Any planter is fine as long as it’s twice as deep as the bulbs are high. A drainage hole isn’t essential, so many folk choose to use pretty bowls or upcycled tins as planters.

(Image credit: Getty Images)4. Set the Bulbs

The outer skin of hyacinth bulbs contains microscopic sharp calcium oxalate crystals, so always wear gloves to handle them.

In soil, first dampen the potting mix and add a layer to the base of the container. Place the flat base of the bulbs on the soil so their pointed ends are uppermost. As long as the bulbs don’t touch each other or the side of the planter, you can pack them in closely. Tuck more just-moist compost around the bulbs, leaving the ‘nose’ or the top quarter of the bulbs exposed.

In water, fill your vase or container of pebbles up with water to a level where it will sit just under the bulb. The bulb shouldn’t touch the water but the gap should only be ⅛–¼ inch. Place the bulb, pointed end up, in the vase cradle or on the pebbles.

5. Store in a Cool, Dark Place

Stand in a cool, dark but frost-free shed or garage, putting pots or vases in black polythene bags to keep out the light if needs be, for 10-12 weeks. The ideal temperature will be 42-48°F. Check bulbs regularly, topping up the water so the level says just beneath the bulb base in a glass vase or so the soil is just-moist in a pot. You’ll soon spot root growth in vases and, by December, you should see shoots coming from the top of the bulb in both vases and pots. Don't be alarmed that they're yellow – that results from the lack of light and leaves will soon green up.

6. Move the Bulbs Indoors

When those top shoots are around 2 inches high, carefully move your vases or pots indoors. Don’t place them into a hot room or bright sunlight straight away or the shock may stop the bulbs flowering. Instead, put them in a cool room out of direct sunlight – the back of a north-facing room is ideal. Once the leaves have greened up, gradually shift them into warmer, sunnier conditions.

Keep the water topped up as before, but there’s no need to feed the bulbs. Giving the pot or vase a quarter-turn every couple of days will keep the stems growing straight up, as hyacinths have a tendency to lean towards the light, when the top-heavy stems will need staking.

7. Control the Blooming Period

(Image credit: Getty Images)

The warmer and lighter the conditions, the faster the bulbs will flower, allowing you to influence when they bloom and get the timing just right for the holidays. To slow blooming down, move hyacinths to a cool spot that falls to 50-60°F at night, out of direct sunlight. Do make sure the plant still gets plenty of indirect light, though, or the stem will stretch and weaken as it searches for more sunshine.

The flowers at the base of the cluster will open first, with blooming progressing upwards over a week to 10 days. Once blooms begin to open, keeping your plant away from hot radiators and fires and direct sun will steady the process and you can expect your hyacinth to last in full flower for a couple of weeks.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

And there you have it, beautiful blooms for the holidays, ready to decorate with whatever you fancy to fit in with your Christmas decor.

How to Replant a Forced Hyacinth Outdoors

If you want to plant your soil-grown hyacinth outside once it’s done blooming, you’ll need to help it replace energy stores in its bulb. Keep the plant on a warm, sunny windowsill and keep it watered, cutting off the flower spike at the base once it fades to stop it wasting energy on seed production. It will take around two months for the foliage to wither, and don’t be tempted to cut them off or braid them, because the plant needs all its leafy solar panels to generate energy.

Gradually reduce watering and once the leaves are fully brown, remove the bulb from the pot, brush off any soil and pull or cut off the foliage. Leave to air dry in a warm but shady spot for a week, then once fully dry pop the bulb into a brown paper bag and store in a cool, dark, dry spot. Plant in October at a depth of two or three times the height of the bulb, and expect flowers next spring.

There are some celebrity homes that make me want to redecorate. Kate Hudson's latest Instagram post, however, had me reaching for my pruners instead.

At first glance, I was distracted by her beautiful blue marble kitchen (understandably; it is magnificent). In the end, though, it wasn't the interiors that stuck with me, but the flowers she had displayed in it – because they definitely didn't look like the sort of blooms most of us instinctively reach for when we're cutting flowers for the house.

Like a lot of gardeners, I've always assumed that if I'm filling a vase, I should head straight for the roses, dahlias, hydrangeas, or whatever perennial happens to be putting on the biggest show that week. Kate's arrangements , though? They reminded me that some of the most beautiful cut flower displays come from the plants we'd never normally think to cut.

How Kate Hudson Turned Garden Cuttings Into A Chic Display

First things first, you need to see the magic of Kate Hudson's kitchen (a place she refers to as her 'favorite place') for yourself.

Be sure to pay particular attention to the third slide in the carousel:

A post shared by Kate Hudson (@katehudson)

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Instead of tightly packed bouquets, the How To Lose A Guy In 10 Days star's kitchen is dotted with simple glass vases filled with what appear to be purple clematis and elegant orchid sprays.

The result feels relaxed, organic, and somehow far more sophisticated than a traditional bunch of flowers... and it's especially great because it's incredibly easy to recreate with cuttings from your own garden.

Shop Vases:

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Glass Vase for Flowers

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Decorative Pitcher Vase

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Hand Blown Glass Flower Vase

The thing I love most about Kate Hudson's displays is that they don't rely on obvious cut flowers. Instead, they've been built around plants that create movement, using long arching stems that naturally spill from the vase and make it feel as though it's still growing, almost.

It's a trick florists use all the time, but one that's surprisingly easy to replicate at homes, so try looking beyond your biggest blooms. It doesn't have to be an orchid (although if it is, make it your birth month orchid for extra panache!); a single sunflower or dahlia will do the trick. In fact, any flowering vines, airy perennials, ornamental grasses, interesting foliage, seedheads, and even small leafy branches can all bring texture and shape to an arrangement.

Once you've picked those out, take care not to cram dozens of flowers into one container; make like Kate and let each cutting take centerstage. The negative space is just as important as the flowers themselves, creating an arrangement that feels light, modern, and effortless.

(Image credit: NARANAT STUDIO/Getty Images)

Perhaps the biggest lesson to take from Kate Hudson's arrangements is to stop thinking in terms of "flowers" and start thinking in terms of "stems", because some of the most interesting things growing in our gardens aren't necessarily the biggest or brightest blooms.

I've started looking around my own borders differently because of it. And, instead of asking myself which flowers are looking their best, I'm asking which plants have the most interesting shape, movement, or texture, because more often than not, they're the ones I would have walked straight past before.

Shop Unusual Cut Flowers:

Burpee.com Blue Moon Wisteria

Burpee.com The Bride Centaurea

Hirt's Gardens Taiga Clematis Vine

That's the beauty of a garden-gathered arrangement; it doesn't have to be perfect, symmetrical, or packed with expensive blooms.

Sometimes, all it takes is a few unusual cuttings, a simple vase, and the confidence to go full Kate Hudson and let the flower speak for itself. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'll be outside with my pruners having a snip at my passionflower vine...

Fall borders can be ablaze with late-season blooms. That said, they can also devolve into a tangled mess of tired-looking foliage and spent flowers collapsing on heavy stems. Something needs to be done, for sure. But the solution is neither to ignore the mess, nor to give borders a uniform cut.

Most gardeners are familiar with the Chelsea chop: a late-spring prune that produces more vibrant growth. But late-season beds face a different challenge. After months of rapid growth, heavy-headed perennials like dahlias, Japanese anemones, asters, and heleniums will be leaning into walkways and flopping onto neighboring plants. Taking a heavy hand with your pruning now could strip your yard of its full fall glory. Conversely, doing nothing leaves borders vulnerable to wind damage and disease.

What your fall displays need now is the September stagger. This easy chop helps you to create a border that continues to bloom. It involves selectively trimming and deadheading across varying heights. Rather than bulk shearing, this approach relieves weight on top-heavy stems and encourages latent side buds to push out fresh flowers. With just a few minutes of smart pruning this week, you’ll be rewarded with hearty blooms that extend the flowering season for weeks.

How This Cut Helps Fall Borders

Making the September stagger work for you isn’t tricky at all – it just requires a fair assessment of your current border. Applying this set of cuts will depend on key flowers in your display. It comes down to evaluating plant shape and height in relation to those nearest it. You are looking to selectively relieve weight, improve air circulation through interior foliage, and create a layered border that holds its form in heavy rain, for the longest flowering fall plants. We’ve broken this down into simple steps so you can approach these cuts with confidence and refresh late borders fast.

Before you start, check your pruning tools. For these cuts, you need precise snips for clean cuts on delicate stems, and bypass pruning shears for slightly thicker perennial bases. If you’re looking for a new set of bypass pruners, the Corona Dual Link Bypass Pruners with Comfort Gel Grips, available from Amazon, are brilliant value, gentle on wrists, and genuinely powerful without requiring lots of effort. For precise cuts in dense tangles, you can’t go wrong with Fiskars Titanium Micro-Tip Blade Pruning Shears with Softgrip Handles from The Home Depot: perfect for selective cuts in fiddly or crowded plantings.

(Image credit: Jacky Parker Photography / Getty Images)

Beyond just making your beds and borders look a lot tidier and more dynamic, this targeted pruning routine is a great health check for late-season plants. Thinning out choked center stems allows low fall sunlight to penetrate into the bases of longer stemmed dahlias and Japanese anemones. It also helps prevent stagnant moisture that can invite fungal spores if left unchecked. Be sure to clean blades with some isopropyl alcohol or diluted neem, such as Captain Jack’s Neem Max Concentrate from Walmart. Rubbing some of this into blades between plants prevents the spread of mildew or thrips. That way, these cuts will give you the very best fall displays.

1. Target Vulnerable and Top-Heavy Plants

(Image credit: MagicFlute002 / Getty Images)

Look for plants characterized by heavy, multi-petaled blooms on tall, flexible stems. Dahlia hybrids, New England asters (Symphyotrichum novae-angliae), sneezeweed (helenium), and Japanese anemones (Anemone x hybrida) are classic culprits. As late-summer rain hits heavy flower heads, these plants frequently splay outward, smothering low-growing groundcovers and blocking lawn paths.

Walk the length of your border to investigate all your plants before deciding where to cut. Using your bypass pruners, focus on cutting back stems that are leaning into walkways, tipping into neighboring plants, or flopping due to becoming top-heavy. These cuts should be limited, as you don’t want to trim back entire plants unless they are really looking rough. Resist the urge to cut back stems just because they’re tall and look like they might flop over soon. Give those stems more time to bloom.

This is about making relief cuts where stems are already causing problems. Cut these sprawling stems back by a half to two-thirds, making each incision a quarter of an inch (60mm) above an outward-facing leaf node. Leave sturdy, upright central stems untouched, so they can continue flowering uninterrupted. This targeted reduction immediately lifts a border's visual weight while preserving the main display.

When working between plants, don’t forget to wipe blades frequently with neem or rubbing alcohol. For a top bargain, Vi-Jon Swan 70% Isopropyl Alcohol from Amazon keeps blades pristine. This strategic cutting will leave the border looking refreshed, less cluttered, and more defined.

2. Vary Cutting Heights Across Clumps

(Image credit: Getty Images)

When strategically cutting stems back, consider height. This is the heart of the staggering strategy. Cutting everything the same height runs the risk of storing up the same problems later, where everything grows back at the same height, running the risk of a secondary collapse. So instead of giving tired plants a uniform cut, stagger the heights to create a more tiered, natural, and fuller look.

With your trusty bypass pruners in hand, identify the stems you definitely want to cut and make those cuts thoughtfully within a clump or grouping. Work methodically from the front of the clump toward the back. Trim the outermost, front-facing stems back by one-third to one-half of their height. Then trim middle stems back by a quarter, and leave the rear, strongest stems at full height, merely deadheading at the tips. Always make angled cuts just above a leaf joint. This prompts lateral buds to break dormancy, producing secondary flowering side-shoots inside a couple of weeks.

This staggering looks more natural than a uniform chop. The lower front stems cover up leggy central stems, while those left taller maintain the height of the plant. There’s a longer-term benefit, too. If you make your cuts just above a node or pair of leaves, the plants branch, creating denser growth and triggering more flowers. Ultimately, you’ll get more flowers staggered across the end of the growing season. After these height cuts, add a gentle nutrient tonic with Bloom City Organic Liquid Seaweed & Kelp Fertilizer available from Walmart to encourage future blooms along.

3. Thin Dense Interior Stems

(Image credit: Martin-Wahlborg / Getty Images)

Fall borders start to look untidy as top-heavy stems slump, but also as the centers grow dense and crowded. Not only does this look messy, these dense centers have poor airflow that can lead to trapped moisture, disease, and sickly foliage. Dense clumps can become prime breeding grounds for powdery mildew and botrytis. These infections thrive in stagnant plant interiors where morning dew fails to dry quickly.

Thinning out choked centers is a crucial step that preserves clean foliage through the rest of the season. Thin out dense clumps of plants such as bee balm (monarda) and asters, by reaching into the center of the clump and snipping off about 20% of the stems. Cut them right at the base to allow air and sunlight to penetrate the plant. Focus on stems that are rubbing against each other, growing inward toward the center, or showing early yellowing due to light starvation.

Your plants will instantly look tidier and your border less congested. Alongside these cuts, apply a preventative spray to the rest. A biological spray such as Arber Organic Bio-Fungicide Concentrate, available at Walmart can protect newly thinned foliage from nasty pathogens.

4. Selective Deadheading

(Image credit: Alamy)

Deadheading spent blooms promotes additional flowering and helps beds and borders look tidier. However, you don’t need to strip every fading flower from your autumn bed. Adopting a selective approach to deadheading allows you to maximize late-season flowers, while preserving crucial food sources for late pollinators and birds. Heavy feeders like dahlias and mums should be deadheaded aggressively. Cut spent blooms down to the nearest branch junction to redirect energy into developing buds (and lots more blooms) before the first hard frost.

However native prairie perennials such as purple coneflowers and black-eyed Susans should be deadheaded with care. Remove fading, damaged, or weak outer stems, but leave strong, upright central seed heads intact. As temperatures drop, these central cones dry into vital reserves that supply energy-rich seeds for goldfinches, chickadees, and towhees. They will also look pretty on twinkling frosty mornings! With the flowers you do cut, make a clean snip just above the first set of leaves. This will trigger branching for a vibrant late-season flush.

5. Step Back for Balance

(Image credit: Getty Images)

The rewards are high for this strategic type of pruning. To be sure of the best results, though, be sure to step back from your beds and borders, and appraise things as you cut. Do this at regular intervals ideally, but definitely a couple of times before you decide to down tools. Pruning up close can often lead to over-trimming, as it is easy to lose sight of horizon and balance. So take a step back to evaluate your blooms from a distance, viewing from paths, patio seating areas, and even windows. This is essential for creating balance, as you’ll see gaps and dense areas better.

Step back 10-15 feet (3-4.5m) after every few cuts. Look for visual heavy spots where dense foliage creates dark blocks, as well as gaps where neighboring plants have flopped. Use selective cuts to soften harsh foliage lines, balance plant heights front to back, and create rhythmic negative space to highlight specimen blooms. Where you have to, use a little soft jute twine to anchor key plants. Some PerkHomy Twine from Amazon is gentle and thick, and blends invisibly into foliage where a gap needs a little extra subtle support.

Post-Pruning Care for Fall Borders

(Image credit: Valeriy_G / Getty Images)

Proper post-pruning care ensures your plants recover quickly and flourish through fall before transitioning into dormancy. After trimming, give plants a deep watering at the base of each clump. Soaking the root zone settles disturbed soil around exposed crowns and supplies the moisture needed to power secondary bud growth. Always direct water to the soil line, using a low-pressure wand or soaker hose. This keeps freshly cut foliage dry to prevent fungal infection after all the chops and changes. After this, you should be able to reduce watering and hydrate only as needed.

Avoid applying high-nitrogen synthetic fertilizers after early September. High nitrogen induces a flush of tender, sappy green foliage that will not have time to harden off before freezing temperatures arrive, leaving plants vulnerable to winter kill. Instead, you can top-dress planting beds with a 2 inch (5cm) layer of organic wood mulch such as aged compost or Back to the Roots Organic Premium Mulch from Amazon, and don’t forget that gentle seaweed drench to help build stem strength.

Need more ideas for getting the most from your plants, indoors and out, and looking for the best seasonal expert advice delivered straight to your inbox? Sign up for the free Gardening Know How Newsletter!

Although you may see fewer birds at your backyard feeders this month, it’s not a moment to be “cheep” – sorry, that’s a bad joke. Wild food may be plentiful right now, but September is also a time of migration and changing weather, both of which can cause birds to expend more energy.

That’s why consistency remains important. Keeping feeders clean, well-stocked, and ready for visitors is one of the most important bird feeding basics, even when natural food is available. You never know when a migrating bird may need an easy meal or when a sudden change in weather could make foraging more difficult.

So what should you be doing now? Here are the six critical items for your “birds-in-September” to-do list.

1. Switch to High-Energy Foods

(Image credit: Getty Images)

The basic rule here is simple: in September, offer foods that provide real, solid nutrition. Avoid “filler foods” such as bread, cereal, or sweet scraps. Instead, focus on high-fat, high-protein options that give birds the energy they need for migration and the changing weather ahead.

Making your own DIY suet ornaments is one of the simplest bird feeder ideas. Combine suet with seeds, peanuts, or dried fruit, then shape the mixture into balls or molds and hang them from a tree or feeder station. Alternatively, put out suet cakes, like these Pennington Feeding Frenzy No-Melt Suet Dough packs from Walmart.

Good options for September include black-oil sunflower seeds, suet, and peanuts. A bag of dried mealworms, like these Kaytee ones from Amazon, provide valuable protein and can be particularly useful for birds that are migrating or preparing for colder weather.

2. Ensure a Cool Water Source

(Image credit: Bonnie Taylor Barry / Shutterstock)

When I was a kid, we had a Marty Robbins record (yes, I know I’m dating myself here) called Gunfighter Ballads, and my favorite song was “Cool Water.” It was about a thirsty cowboy and his mule, trekking through the desert and seeing mirages of water.

I think of that song whenever I change the birdbath in my backyard. The birds may have found plenty of berries and seeds, but the nearest alternative in my area is the Pacific Ocean – and salt water won’t do. That brings us to the second item on the list: setting out fresh water for wild birds in September and changing it regularly to keep it clean.

Clean water is essential for birds to drink and bathe in, particularly during molting season and migration, when they need to keep their feathers in good condition. If algae is a recurring problem, a Mellbree copper birdbath disk can help keep the water cleaner between changes, although it’s no substitute for regular cleaning.

A small solar-powered birdbath fountain, like this best-selling Mademax 1W solar bird bath fountain pump from Amazon can add gentle movement to the water, helping birds spot the bath and discouraging mosquitoes from laying eggs. It won’t replace regular water changes and cleaning, but it can help keep the water moving between visits.

3. Provide Warm Lodging

(Image credit: Wendy Johnston / Shutterstock)

As the days grow shorter, the nights grow longer and cooler. Some birds seek dense plants for shelter or roosting boxes to protect them from cold, wind, and predators.

Your first step should be to clean out the shelter you’ve already set up for your feathered friends. Clear the summer nesting material out of these bird boxes. You don’t want parasitic bugs to make themselves too much at home. When they are clean, add a thin layer of wood shavings for insulation. You can also set up new roosting boxes with perches to make the birds at home.

If you want to see which birds are using the shelter without disturbing them, a Birdfy birdhouse with a built-in camera, lets you watch their visits from your phone and follow their activity remotely.

Help optimize the natural world at the same time by leaving leaf litter in place. Ground-foraging birds will take cover there. Create piles of brush from fallen branches and dried grass. Set these up in quiet areas to offer wind protection and a safe harbor from predators. Low hanging evergreen branches also offer dense protection.

4. Leave Native Seed Heads Behind

(Image credit: Beata Whitehead / Getty Images)

Sure, we all like a neat garden, but birds aren’t always pleased when you deadhead. Make the most of nature’s offerings by leaving late-blooming native seed heads intact, providing natural foraging opportunities. These can be vital food sources for wild birds passing through, as well as those that live in your neighborhood year-round.

Great plants with seed heads include coneflowers, black-eyed Susans, sunflowers, Joe-Pye weed, and ornamental grasses.

5. Clean Feeders Early and Often

(Image credit: Tony Skerl / Shutterstock)

A dirty bird feeder can endanger the birds you’re trying to help by allowing mold, bacteria, and spoiled seed to accumulate. Don’t simply dump out the old seed and refill it. Take the whole feeder apart, remove any spoiled seed and debris, then clean bird feeders with a bird-safe product, such as this Microbe-Lift Soy-Based Bird Feeder & Bird Bath Cleaner Spray from Amazon, to loosen dirt and bird droppings. Rinse every part thoroughly and let it dry completely before refilling.

If you’ve seen sick birds at the feeder, follow this with a separate disinfection step using a suitable diluted solution, taking care never to mix cleaning products.

6. Keep Safety in Mind When Putting Up Feeders

(Image credit: Getty Images)

The idea of helping birds is to keep them happy, healthy, and safe. To accomplish that, you’ll need to position feeders and water dishes with care in September.

Position wild bird feeders in direct sun in fall. It’s better for them on crisp fall days. In addition, consider predators when choosing their placement. Keep feeders at least 10 feet (3 m) away from dense shrubs or trees, where predators may be lurking, and hang them around 6 feet (2 m) off the ground. Finally, avoid locations near high branches, rooftops, or fences that predators can use as launch points.

Then there are windows. Everybody knows how dangerous clear glass can be to birds. Keep feeders close to the window – within 3 feet (1 m) – or far away, more than 30 feet (10 m), to help avoid collisions.

If you have to place a feeder near a window, consider adding external bird-collision markers to the glass, like these Mesinurs decals from Amazon. These help birds recognize the window as a solid surface rather than open sky or reflected habitat.

September Bird Care Essentials

Pennington Feeding Frenzy No-Melt Suet Dough Woodpecker & Songbird Suet Cakes

Mademax 1w Solar Bird Bath Fountain Pump

Microbe-Lift Soy-Based Bird Feeder & Bird Bath Cleaner Spray

After twenty years of gardening, you learn a lot. Instagram user @peteplants has put two decades of trial, erorr, and I’m assuming a lot of dead plants into a distilled post with the seven habits he thinks genuinely make a difference. In the caption he’s quick to admit though that he doesn’t always follow every single rule, writing, "...some rules are made to be broken – I’m a rebel like that." Fair enough. Here they are anyway.

7 gardening habits

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1. Plant in Odd Numbers

(Image credit: RHS/Sarah Cuttle)

Three plants look more natural than two. Five looks more natural than four. While nobody is entirely sure why, the brain reads even numbers as too organized and purposeful, and odd numbers as, “Oh, I just threw this together without thinking about it.” It’s why we love the “je ne sais quoi” of the stereotypical Parisian woman. Next time you're shopping for plants, resist the urge to buy exactly two of something and buy three instead; your border will thank you.

Repeat Your Key Plants

Pick three or five plants you really love and use them throughout borders rather than buying one of everything that just happens to catch your eye. Repetition creates rhythm and it’s what makes a garden feel professionally designed rather than a collection of impulse purchases.

Choose anchors, repeat them, and build everything else around them. This is also a great tip for your wallet. It stops you from spendy $40 on a plant you’ve never grown before and will probably kill.

When you’re gardening, especially in this way, a kneeling pad can really come in handy. This Grenebo High-Density kneeling pad is extra thick and has the best overall rating on Amazon.

3. Plant in Drifts

(Image credit: Nature Hills Nursery)

Don’t dot plants around individually, but rather in loose groups. Allow them to touch, and as it says in the Instagram post, “mingle” a bit. A drift of even a relatively ordinary plant has way more impact than the same number of plants scattered around like a toddler threw confetti. The goal is something that looks like it self-seeded naturally, even though you totally spent an hour arranging it yourself.

4. Edit Ruthlessly

Okay, here is where Miranda Priestley joins the chat, and it’s way harder than it sounds. Gardeners tend to be overly optimistic, assuming the plant might do better later or next year. If something isn’t working – wrong color, wrong spot, wrong scale, just wrong in every way – “move it, or remove it.” A gap in a border is not a problem, but an opportunity. Plus, it’s way less embarrassing than failing for three seasons while you pretend not to notice.

If you’re editing your garden, you’ll need a good trowel to dig up plants. This Fiskars trowel, available on Amazon, has an ergonomic handle and a hole for easy hanging.

5. Use Evergreen Structure

(Image credit: Neil Hepworth/RHS)

Plant your yew, box, and structural shrubs first, and plant everything else through them. While it may sound like something only professional landscapers do, it’s actually the single biggest upgrade you can make to your border. Plus, it has the added bonus of looking like something in winter rather than a collection of brown sticks.

6. Let Things Self-Seed

This is the laziest hack, and yet it’s the most rewarding. Leave the seedheads on! Stop deadheading everything the second it finishes flowering, and allow things to drop where they want and be surprised to see what comes up. Self-seeding plants have a great way of finding exactly the right spot they need to be in, like a crack in the paving or the base of a wall; all places you would never think of. Some of the best combinations in a garden happen entirely by accident, and all you had to do was nothing.

When moving around self-seeded flowers, you won’t want to be walking back and forth across your garden. This garden trug on Amazon is perfect for this; it’s lightweight and won’t take up space the way a basket does.

7. Think in Layers

It may sound obvious, but many people never consider it. Tall plants at the back, medium plants in the middle, and small plants at the front. The reason this works is that every plant gets light, every plant gets seen, and the border has depth rather than just width.

Pro tip: If you're working with an island bed that's visible from all sides, put your tallest plants in the center and work outward from there. Same principle, different geometry.

None of these is complicated, and most cost nothing. Plus, once you start these, you’ll wonder how you ever gardened any other way.