Organic Gardening News

In late fall, bird feeders start emptying a lot faster. Black-capped chickadees make trip after trip to cache seeds in tree bark, while northern cardinals arrive at the crack of dawn and linger until dusk. As fall nights lengthen and temperatures plunge, small songbirds burn through a lot of stored body fat just to get through a long, cold night and maintain core body temperatures of 105°F (40°C) until sunrise.

Summer's bugs are mostly gone, and whatever is left on the coneflowers and dogwoods will be getting rapidly picked over as the weeks go by. So your local birds need all the help they can get. But you don't have to buy anything special or massively expensive to start feeding birds this time of year. Key kitchen scraps set out alongside the seed can give them a little extra boost in the next few weeks. Even a bruised apple or a few plain peanuts can help to keep them going.

Transforming a few everyday, wholesome kitchen leftovers into supplemental treats provides immediate, calorie-dense relief right when birds need it most. However, it’s important to be discerning and use the right scraps. Birds possess delicate digestive systems. Salty or moldy leftovers can make a bird sick, and a couple of common kitchen foods are toxic to them. So make sure you are topping up your feeding supplies with the right handy kitchen scraps – to help out hungry beaks on a budget.

Best Kitchen Scraps for Birds

If you’re offering your birdie pals these “cheep and cheerful” kitchen scraps (pun intended), just be mindful of cleanliness and portion control. Fresh scraps lack the protective husks of wild seeds, so they spoil rapidly when exposed to fall damp. Leftovers that sit out overnight can sour, harbor harmful bacteria, or attract nocturnal scavengers such as rats. Offer only modest quantities in the morning which birds will devour by early afternoon, and sweep away any uneaten remnants before dusk.

Keeping things clean is critical, as communal feeding areas can easily become hotspots for infections. Feeding trays and platform feeders need a scrub every week or so, and sooner after rain or heavy traffic. Soak feeder elements in 1 part bleach to 9 parts water, then rinse and let them dry before refilling them. If you’re using a tube feeder, it’s worth investing in a long brush like the Songbird Essentials Extra Long Bottle Brush, available from Amazon, for a versatile bargain to speed up cleaning.

(Image credit: Leigh Ann Speake / Getty Images)

And don’t forget to keep your fresh water supplies regularly topped up in tandem with these kitchen scraps. Birds require plenty of clean drinking water to metabolize high-calorie foods, as well as bathing water to clean their feathers. As night frosts become frequent, it’s a good idea to install a birdbath de-icer or a heated bird bath, such as the Allied Precision Heated Bird Bath with Mounted Bracket, also from Amazon, to protect your water.

Have fun watching your birds pick over these scraps. They aren’t intended to replace your regular bird feeds. But they can give some delightful added nourishment during these trickier transitional weeks. So put some of these out, a little at a time, and enjoy the birdlife putting the following leftovers to good use in these chilly fall mornings.

1. Apple and Pear Scraps

(Image credit: Miodrag Zlatarov / Shutterstock)

Those soft, bruised apples and pears lingering at the bottom of the fruit bowl make yummy supplemental treats for backyard birds. These sweet pomes deliver quick, easily digestible carbs and sugars, not to mention vital moisture. Fruit-eating species such as American robins, northern mockingbirds, eastern bluebirds, gray catbirds, and nomadic cedar waxwings will eagerly feast on fresh diced fruit.

Preparation is key: always cut apples and pears into small, bite-sized cubes (roughly a quarter-inch) to make them manageable for smaller bills. Make sure you remove all the seeds (or pips) out of the cores. Apple seeds contain a compound that can release cyanide. And any moldy pieces need to go in the compost. Fruit-eaters rarely visit seed tubes, so set the pieces on a sturdy, open platform feeder like the Kingsyard Platform Feeder from Amazon, which can house a healthy bird feast in comfort and safety.

2. Plain Rolled Oats

(Image credit: Blue_Cutler / Getty Images)

When clearing out the pantry, there are usually some dry rolled oats or steel-cut oats sitting at the bottom of a canister. This can make a wholesome carbo boost for birdies. Uncooked oats supply fiber, minerals, and steady energy for ground-foraging birds. Mourning doves, dark-eyed juncos, song sparrows, and native towhees will all happily hoover up any scattered across a low ground tray or gravel border.

Just make sure they are raw, plain, and dry. Never set out leftover cooked oatmeal, as cooked porridge turns into a gummy paste. Furthermore, steer clear of instant flavored oat packets, which are loaded with refined sugars, salt, and artificial flavorings. Scatter only a handful at a time on dry days, as wet oats quickly sour and congeal. And make sure to supplement your oats with a hearty wild bird mix like the popular Pennington Wild Bird Food from The Home Depot.

3. Unsalted Nuts

(Image credit: Evgenii Panov / Shutterstock)

Plain, unsalted peanuts might be the best thing in the pantry for birds preparing for winter. Raw or dry-roasted, unsalted nuts are packed with heart-healthy fats and dense proteins that small birds need to bulk up reserves ahead of winter. Peanuts, walnuts, pecans, and almonds also attract an enthusiastic crowd, including tufted titmice, black-capped chickadees, woodpeckers, and blue jays. Jays in particular will happily carry off whole shelled peanuts to stash in tree hollows and mulch beds.

Never offer nuts that contain added salt, spicy seasonings, sugar glazes, or chocolate. Birds have minimal tolerance for sodium and cannot process salty cocktail party leftovers. Crush or chop whole nuts into coarse pieces, so smaller songbirds like chickadees and nuthatches can eat them safely. And keep a lookout for any that smell musty or stale and remove quickly to prevent infection. The very affordable Round Peanut Bird Feeder from Amazon is a novel way of dishing up your nuts.

4. Plain Cooked Rice

(Image credit: ZenShui Laurence Mouton / Getty Images)

Rice has a reputation for swelling up and bursting birdie tummies. But this myth has been debunked by ornithologists. Plenty of wild birds (like doves and bobwhites) eat rice. However, from a nutritional standpoint, plain cooked rice is the superior choice for backyard songbirds. Steamed brown or white rice leftovers offer quick carbs that are easy for house sparrows, doves, rock pigeons, and common grackles to digest.

The rice must be cooked with zero butter, cooking oils, salt, soy sauce, garlic, or onions. Also, damp rice is susceptible to bacterial contamination, so only put out a few tablespoons at a time on cool mornings. Sweep away uneaten grains each day to keep your feeding station rodent-free. Rice is a tasty snack, but supplement with high protein treats. You can buy Kaytee Dried Mealworms from Walmart.

5. Leftover Berries

(Image credit: Enn Li Photography / Getty Images)

Slightly squishy blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, or strawberries that might be lingering in the fridge crisper drawer are a scrummy treat for birds. In nature, wild berries are rich in antioxidants, vitamin C, and simple sugars that provide instant fuel. Northern mockingbirds, eastern bluebirds, and American robins will find fresh berries irresistible as natural hedgerow fruit diminishes. And a flock of cedar waxwings may empty a tray by lunch.

Serve berries fresh and unseasoned, slicing larger strawberries into quarters. Only place small portions on a clean feeding platform early in the day, as high-moisture berries degrade rapidly. If you’re after a standing bird feeder that can hold fruits and keep them better protected from rain, the charming Ontala Metal Bird Feeder and Bath with Umbrella, available from Amazon, is great value and a real talking point. A word of warning if you are a dog owner: never substitute fresh berries with dried raisins or currants. They cause kidney failure in canines, even in tiny quantities.

6. Plain Cooked Potatoes

(Image credit: Annick Vanderschelden Photography / Getty Images)

When preparing dinner, set aside a small portion of plain baked, boiled, or steamed potatoes before adding butter, milk, or seasoning. Boiled potato is fine in small amounts if nothing's been added to it. It provides easy starch on freezing mornings. Starlings, common grackles, jays, and robins will happily pick apart soft potato cubes when natural insect foraging grounds become frozen and inaccessible.

Prep your bird-friendly spuds by chopping them into tiny, crumbly, pea-sized bits so they are easy for birds to ingest. However, never feed birds raw potatoes or any green-skinned bits. These contain solanine, which causes gastrointestinal distress and neurological damage in birds. And avoid french fries, salty potato chips, or buttery mashed potatoes. To supplement your potato with a “meaty” treat, hang out some suet. Placed in cages, like the More Birds Double Suet Feeder with Weather Guard from Amazon, this gives a nourishing fall boost to prime birds for winter chills.

7. Leftover Unsalted Seeds

(Image credit: IMV / Getty Images)

This is prime pumpkin-carving season, leaving behind mounds of gooey seeds that are often destined for the trash. But fresh pumpkin seeds, butternut squash seeds, and raw sunflower seeds are nutrient powerhouses for backyard wildlife. They are loaded with raw fats, plant proteins, and magnesium, all of which cardinals, chickadees, titmice, nuthatches and blue jays need now.

Place the seeds in a colander, rinse away any stringy pulp and spread in a single layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet to air-dry for 24-48 hours. Leave them raw and unsalted. To help smaller beaks, run your dry seeds through a food processor for a few pulses to crack the husks. If you need to, you can grab a bag of National Audubon Society Black Oil Sunflower Seed from Lowe’s to bulk up these free treats as they are sure to go fast.

Scraps You Should Never Feed Birds

(Image credit: Steve Byland / Shutterstock)

Some leftovers belong in the trash, however cold it gets. The theobromine in chocolate is toxic to birds. Avocado is another hard no, as it can cause heart damage and death. Salty snacks and cured meats need to stay inside, plus anything cooked with onion or garlic. Bread is a bit of a gray area, as it isn't harmful, but it fills a bird up without much fat or protein.

Bacon grease trips people up. It seems like a handy base for treats, but it's salty and carries preservatives. It also stays soft, and soft fat smeared on feathers can damage their waterproofing. For a safe birdie snack along similar lines, opt for suet cakes that are designed for the job. The double-basket Woodlink Suet Basket from Walmart holds two cakes, handy for when woodpeckers and nuthatches line up in the cold.

Shop Bird Feeders

(Image credit: Bonnie Taylor Barry / Shutterstock)

Making more of kitchen scraps feels great in terms of recycling, and it can also help you save a little on multiple bird food products. It also means you have a bit more cash freed up to treat yourself and your local birdlife to a pretty feeder. Plenty of options offer smart functionality and real-time footage of your feeding friends. These curated picks are some of the best for aesthetics, value for money and bird-friendly features, letting you feast your eyes on your feathered pals while they chow down.

Treat Yourself

Smart Bargain

Birdfy Birdfy Bird Feeder With Camera, Bird Feeder Camera With Solar Panel, AI Recognition

Currently a whopping third off the normal price, this bargain smart feeder can identify over 6000 species of birds and can even distinguish males from females. Users love the easy assembly and sturdy build, as well as the garden-friendly mocha accents.

Feeding in Style

Sweetfull Sweetfull Solar Bird Feeder for Outdoors Hanging, Metal Wild Bird Feeder for Cardinals

Combine function and visual elegance with this pretty 2-in-1 feeder and solar light. Perfect for cardinals, it has a classy vintage Mediterranean vibe, good drainage, and a lovely splashguard.

Quality Video

Bird Buddy Birdbuddy Pro Solar Smart Bird Feeder With Camera, 2k Video, 5mp Photos, Low-Light Performance

Crisp action shots, instant notifications, and 2K video are just a few attractions with this feeder camera, and it even tells you when to expect birdie visits for specific species. Great camera quality, super easy to use, and currently available at a 20% discount.

Supplementing your fall bird feeding with these kitchen scraps is a great way to reduce household waste while giving local wildlife a crucial calorie boost. Just remember they are designed to serve as supplements rather than replacements to your existing bird feeds. Make sure you offer a diverse natural diet this fall, and combine these scraps with fresh water, to keep your backyard birdies thriving and happy all season long.

(Image credit: Dageldog / Getty Images)

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!

As we head further into fall, it’s time to take steps to stop a bird bath freezing over and depriving birds of this valuable resource. Birds need daily access to water and when natural sources freeze over, a bird bath can become a vital lifeline and bring feathered friends flocking to your yard. During a cold snap, dehydration kills birds far faster than starvation, so keeping an ice-free bird bath this winter really is a lifesaver.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Water is surprisingly necessary to so many elements of avian survival in winter, and most small garden birds must drink at least once a day simply to stay alive. As insects become scarce as temperatures fall, a diet consisting primarily of seeds and nuts means birds need to drink more to digest their food, and in sub-zero conditions, eating snow isn’t an option for small birds because of their limited body heat.

A reliable water source also enables birds to bathe and preen, zipping individual feather barbs back together daily to maintain a waterproof insulating top layer. Vital to trap body heat on cold nights, this is also essential for efficient flight – and bare winter branches can leave birds vulnerable to predators. Keep your bird bath unfrozen and you’ll also help birds preserve energy they would otherwise waste finding an alternative water source. So, whether yours is a simple DIY bird bath you made yourself or the smartest birdie bowl money can buy, here's how to stop the water freezing over.

1. Move the Bird Bath to a Sunnier Spot

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Seems obvious, right? But while the best place for a bird bath in summer is in partial shade to prevent algae growth, a sunnier spot in winter will help to keep a bird bath ice-free. Remember that the sunniest winter spot in your garden may be different to where the sunshine hits in summer, because the sun is lower in the sky. Think about prevailing wind direction, too, as a breeze will increase heat loss from any liquid, just as you blow on your cup of coffee to cool it down, and speed the freezing process in cold conditions.

Positioning your bird bath around 6 feet from a south-facing wall is an optimum solution. Not only will the water be warmed by sunshine for most of the day, the wall will shelter the bath from cold northerly winds and also act as a solar radiator, reflecting the sun’s heat or absorbing then releasing it once the air temperature cools. Either way, your bird bath will sit in a microclimate and the water will be slower to freeze and quicker to thaw.

2. Add a Dark Stone

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Solar power is also the force behind this idea as dark stones will absorb the sun’s heat during the day, then release it as the air cools, to slow or stop bird baths freezing over. To be effective, the rock needs to be at least 4 inches across, but do match it to the size of the bird bath as it shouldn’t displace more than a third of the water. The stone should protrude above the water line as an exposed surface will heat far more quickly than a submerged one. The darker and denser the rock, the more heat it will hold, and a flattish surface will absorb more warmth.

3. Float a Rubber Duck on the Surface

Any object that floats on the surface of the water will constantly disrupt ice crystal formation, so it takes longer for the bird bath to freeze. Tailor your choice of what to float to how exposed your garden is, as the object needs to be light enough to move on the slightest of breezes but heavy enough to stay put in stronger winds.

In a sheltered corner, a ping pong ball is best; in a windy position, try a tennis ball. But in most gardens adding a rubber duck to your bird bath hits the sweet spot, and it doesn’t have to be yellow as this Mallard Rubber Duck from Amazon shows.

4. Use a Bird Bath De-Icer

To reliably prevent ice in bird baths, use a de-icer, but be smart when shopping as many products sold as bird bath de-icers were designed for chicken coops. Look for a product with a thermostat that only works when temperatures drop and automatically shuts off once the weather warms up, so it uses minimal energy. You only need to prevent the water from freezing, not keep it warm, so a product that’s rated 60-120 watts is ideal; leave those 1000W designs for the chickens!

Another important consideration is the length of the lead, as birds often won’t use a bath positioned too close to a wall. Think about the size of your bath, too. This 9” Thermostatic Birdbath Heater from Amazon with a 5.9’ cord is great for a bigger bird bath, while this smaller 100W Bird Bath Heater, also from Amazon, with a 5’ cord would be better for an average-sized bath.

If garden aesthetics are important to you, then faux-rock designs such as this 60W Bird Bath DeIcer from Walmart bring a more natural look. You can also buy heated birdbaths with options to fit onto deck posts and balcony rails as well as ground stakes.

Smart stone-look

120W Scalloped Heated Birdbath with Deck Mount

Budget Buy

75W Heated Bird Bath on Metal Lawn Stake

15" diameter

75W Farm Innovators Outdoor Heated Birdbath

As temperatures drop and natural water sources freeze over, your ice-free bird bath will become a magnet for neighborhood birds. All that splashing avian action will mean you’ll need to keep the bath topped up as the bigger the volume of water, the more stable its temperature. Clear out any fallen leaves, too, as tannins will leach out and make the water unpalatable and rotting plant matter will invite unwelcome bacteria into your birdy spa.

It’s vital to scrub your bird bath once a week, particularly if neighbors don’t bother to keep their bird baths ice-free and yours becomes very busy, as that higher traffic means disease spreads more easily between birds. Use a bird-safe cleaner such as Bird Saver, available from Walmart, or a dilute solution of 10% vinegar and a scrubbing brush, and rinse well before refilling with water.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

All these simple ways will keep a water supply for your garden birds, and bring feathered friends flocking to your yard through winter. So, if you're switching up your bird-feeding routine for colder weather, whether that's putting up an extra feeder, adding seasonal kitchen treats or planting shrubs laden with winter berries that birds adore, it's essential to take steps to ensure there's water alongside that welcome food.

By late October, the vegetable beds are mostly dead vines, and the shrubs are dropping leaves. At that point, fall cleanup is usually just tidying up. Next year's garden pests are still in that mess, though. Squash bugs shelter under the old vines, moths leave egg masses on bark and lawn chairs, and beetles seal their eggs inside viburnum twigs.

Many common garden pests don't die off in winter. They spend it as eggs, pupae, or dormant adults in one spot, and they mostly stay there until spring. That makes them pretty easy to find and remove right now. A pair of pruners, a putty knife, or a rake can take out a whole tent caterpillar colony before it ever hatches.

Where you look depends on the pest. Some hide their eggs inside twigs, while others leave them right out on bark or a fence post. A few of the egg cases and cocoons you'll find belong to beneficial insects, though, and those should stay put.

Why Fall Is the Best Time to Reduce Next Year's Pest Problems

Insects that overwinter usually ride out the cold in a resting stage. For a lot of garden pests, that means an egg mass on a twig, a pupa in the soil, or an adult wedged under leaf litter. Eggs and pupae can't scatter, and dormant adults barely move. Bare branches help too – egg masses hidden by summer foliage are much easier to spot once the leaves fall. One scraped egg mass in October can mean hundreds fewer caterpillars in spring.

So why not rake up everything? Good insects spend the winter in the same spots as the bad ones. Lady beetles and ground beetles burrow into leaf litter, and many native bees tuck into hollow stems. Strip every bed bare during fall cleanup, and those go, too. Focus on whatever had problems this year, and leave the rest a little messy.

7 Pests and Egg Masses to Clear Out This Fall

Here's where some common pests spend the winter and how to clear them out.

1. Squash Bugs

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Squash bugs (Anasa tristis) are still around after the plants die. Adults crawl under dead vines and leaf litter for the winter, and some hide under nearby boards. Clear that out once the squash and pumpkins are done. Those vines are prickly, so you'll need good protective gloves like these nitrile-coated garden gloves from Home Depot. Bag the vines rather than piling them up, or the bugs move right in.

2. Viburnum Leaf Beetle

(Image credit: Getty Images)

If your viburnums got chewed up this summer, the leaf beetles (Pyrrhalta viburni) probably left eggs in the twigs. You won't see the eggs, just little rows of bumps near the tips of this year's branches once the leaves are off. Those are the caps the females made from chewed bark. Cut the twigs off with sharp bypass pruning shears (these Fiskars bypass pruners on Amazon are good value for money if you need a new pair) and trash them before spring.

3. Eastern Tent Caterpillars

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Eastern tent caterpillars (Malacosoma americanum) mostly feed on cherry and apple trees, so start there. Look along the thin twigs for a shiny black band, like someone dripped varnish around the branch. That's the egg mass. Snip the twig off or crush the band, and throw it out. For a big tree, Monterey horticultural oil works as a late-winter dormant spray that can smother the eggs.

4. Spongy Moth

(Image credit: Ed Reschke / Getty Images)

Anyone in the Northeast or upper Midwest has likely heard of spongy moth (Lymantria dispar), once called gypsy moth. Its caterpillars can strip a tree bare in a bad year. Right now, though, they're just eggs, packed by the hundreds into tan, fuzzy patches on tree trunks and fences. Check sheds and the underside of patio chairs, too. Scrape each patch into a bucket of soapy water – a soft-sided tub like this Tubtrugs one from Walmart works well – and let it soak for several days.

5. Iris Borers

(Image credit: Samantha Locking / Getty Images)

Iris borer moths (Macronoctua onusta) lay their eggs on old iris leaves in late summer and early fall, and the eggs wait there until spring. Then the caterpillars hatch, climb the new leaves, and tunnel down into the rhizome. Wait until after a hard frost, since the moths can keep laying until then, and cut away the old leaves. Dispose of the foliage in the trash rather than adding it to your compost pile.

If you've had trouble with iris borers before, consider keeping a spinosad-based insecticide, such as Bonide Captain Jack's Deadbug Brew, on hand for spring, when newly hatched caterpillars are vulnerable to treatment before they burrow into the rhizomes.

6. Scale Insects

(Image credit: Tomasz Klejdysz / Getty Images)

Scale insects (Coccoidea) stay stuck to the stems and branches of shrubs and trees all winter. They look like small bumps that come off with a scrape of a fingernail. It could be an adult female, a young one, or a cover with eggs under it, depending on the type of scale. Scrub off what you can, and treat the tiny crawlers with Garden Safe insecticidal soap, available on Amazon. Look over potted citrus before bringing it inside, since scale can keep breeding indoors.

7. Aphid Eggs

(Image credit: Natalia Kokhanova / Shutterstock)

Plenty of aphids (Aphididae) get through winter as eggs on rose canes and fruit tree twigs, especially on apples. Those eggs are tiny, black, and shiny, and they're usually near a bud or in a crack in the bark. They're hard to see without a 10x handheld magnifier, like this one with a built-in light on Amazon. Winter pruning gets rid of many, and a dormant oil spray before the buds start to swell can kill more. If some still hatch, a spray of Bonide neem oil from Walmart can help.

Helpful Insects to Leave Alone

Lady beetles, lacewings, mantises, butterflies, and native bees overwinter in the garden too. Don't remove these beneficial insects.

1. Ladybug Clusters

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Lady beetles tend to bunch up in winter, and raking into the leaves at the base of a tree can turn up a whole cluster. Cover them back up and move on. Both adults and larvae eat aphids, and every beetle that survives the winter is one more working the garden next year.

2. Praying Mantis Egg Cases

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Mantis egg cases look like dried globs of tan foam, sometimes as big as a golf ball, glued to a stem or twig. If one is on a stem, you need to cut below the case and tuck the stem into a shrub, off the ground. Mantises do eat helpful insects, too.

3. Lacewing Eggs and Cocoons

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Lacewing eggs are easy to recognize – each one perches on the tip of a hair-thin silk stalk. By fall, you're more likely to find the round, papery cocoons that larvae spin in hidden spots on plants, or adults sheltering in leaf litter. The larvae are voracious aphid predators. Leave both stages in place.

4. Butterfly Chrysalises

(Image credit: Kathryn MacPherson / Getty Images)

Black swallowtail caterpillars spend the summer eating parsley and dill, and the last ones of the year don't leave in fall – they hang on through winter as brown chrysalises, sometimes on the old herb stems. One looks a lot like a scrap of dead plant, so go slowly when you cut those herbs back.

5. Native Bee Nests

(Image credit: Busybee-CR / Getty Images)

Native bees need a winter spot, too. Many of them nest in the ground, and bare soil is easier to dig into than mulch. Leave a patch or two uncovered. Other bees use hollow or pithy stems like raspberry canes, and their young spend the winter sealed inside. Leave those stems standing until spring warms up, then cut them back to about knee height.

A clean garden and a healthy garden aren't always the same thing. Cut the marked twigs, scrape the egg masses, and clear out the old squash vines and iris leaves. Then let the rest of the leaves lie. Next spring should bring fewer squash bugs and more lady beetles.

Pest Control Essentials

Bonide Captain Jack's Deadbug Brew

Garden Safe Insecticidal Soap Insect Killer Spray

Bonide Neem Oil Insecticide Miticide Concentrate

On paper, birth month carnivorous plants sounds... well, a little twisted, especially when you compare it to the usual birth month flowers. Most of us have a side to our personality that we don't show the world every day, though, and these plants are the perfect way to shine a light on our dark side.

These remarkable plants are far from ordinary. From the Venus flytrap's sudden snapping jaws to pitcher plants luring in unsuspecting insects, carnivorous plants have developed some ingenious ways to survive. Some are bold and imposing, others are subtle and deceptive, and each and every single one has its own strategy for getting what it needs.

So how does this tie into you? Well, from birth month birds to birth month animals, nature offers us countless ways to reflect on our character. The lens of carnivorous plants, though? Why, that adds a much more intriguing twist! Behind ambition, for example, there may be a need for control. Sensitivity can sometimes turn into possessiveness, while confidence can tip into arrogance. Even our most admirable qualities can have a less flattering side... and there's no point denying it.

All 12 Birth Month Carnivorous Plants

Now, we’re already familiar with the idea of a birth month owl, birth month tree, and birth month spider (oh yes, I'm deadly serious!), but carnivorous plants perfectly pair with the traits, instincts and impulses that sit beneath the surface of your everyday personality.

You might be determined to the point of stubborn, much like the Venus flytrap; you might, like the bold pitcher plant, have a more domineering side hidden away. Secrecy, perfectionism or an almost obsessive need to prove a point? Well, sometimes it's worth reflecting on the less flattering habits you might not always recognise in yourself.

Read Up On Your Shadow Self:

Atria/Primero Sueno Press The Shadow Work Journal: a Guide to Integrate and Transcend Your Shadows

Atria/Primero Sueno Press Shadow Self: How to Finally Confront Our Failures and Find New Life

Majosta Shadow Work Journal and Workbook for Facing and Owning Your Shadow

Ready to meet your botanical shadow self? Let's dive on in...

January – Venus Flytrap

(Image credit: Oksana Chaun / Getty Images)

January babies like to believe they're in control, but their biggest weakness may be their need to have things go their way. No wonder, then, that the Venus flytrap is their birth month carnivorous plant.

Like this iconic houseplant, you know when to strike, and once you've made up your mind, you can be remarkably difficult to sway. You may have little patience for people who waste your time or challenge your authority.

Your dark side emerges when determination becomes stubbornness and protecting your boundaries turns into shutting people out. You don't always give second chances, especially when you feel someone has crossed you. Why not buy yourself a Venus flytrap from Amazon, then, and spend some time watching it and reflecting on what it says about you?

February – Fanged Pitcher Plant

(Image credit: photo by Alan Cressler / Getty Images)

February belongs to the fanged pitcher plant, which feels wholly appropriate. If this is you, then your imagination is one of your greatest strengths, but it can also help you become someone others struggle to read.

Like your birth month carnivorous plant, you know how to draw people in with something fascinating, unusual or irresistible. You may enjoy being unpredictable, keeping parts of yourself hidden and making others work to understand you. And, at your darkest, you can use charm to get your way, leaving people wondering whether they ever really knew you at all.

March – Cape Sundew

(Image credit: Haydenbird / Getty Images)

March babies notice what other people feel, sometimes before they even say it. That sensitivity can make you compassionate, but it can also give you an advantage you don't always use wisely.

Like the sundew plant, you can appear delicate and harmless while holding on tighter than anyone realises. As such, you may struggle to let go of hurt, replaying conversations and remembering every slight. And, when you're wounded, you might use silence, guilt or emotional distance to make others feel the weight of what they've done.

April – Purple Pitcher Plant

(Image credit: Alexander_N / Shutterstock)

You have a powerful presence and rarely enjoy being told what to do. Indeed, much like the purple pitcher plant, you can draw attention without trying, but your confidence sometimes hides a tendency to rush headfirst into situations you haven't fully considered.

You may mistake resistance for a challenge and disagreement for disrespect. As such, your darker side appears when your need to win becomes more important than understanding others, because you'd rather take a spectacular risk than admit you might be wrong.

Why not treat yourself to a purple pitcher plant from the Ragnaroc Store, then? They're colorful and a cute way to keep pests at bay, not to mention a great way to sit and reflect on the qualities you keep hidden from the world.

May – Butterwort

(Image credit: Shutterstock)

If this is your birth month carnivorous plant, you prefer stability... but that doesn't mean you're always as easygoing as you appear.

Like the butterwort, your strategy is subtle: you don't need to chase what you want when you can let it come to you. No wonder, then, that you hide frustration behind politeness, hold grudges long after an argument has ended or quietly keep score when you feel underappreciated.

Your shadow side emerges when patience becomes a way to avoid confrontation and kindness becomes a silent expectation of loyalty in return. Hey, that's not a bad thing; there's a reason this pretty houseplant is so good at killing fungus gnats. Time to bag yourself some butterwort seeds from Amazon, maybe?

June – Spoon-Leaved Sundew

A post shared by Lucas Brannen (@lucas_2307_)

A photo posted by

Are you a June baby? Say hello to your (very unusual) carnivorous plant!

Always curious about people, you thrive on connection... but you may become restless when the excitement fades. Like the spoon-leaved sundew, then, you attract attention through a delicate and inviting appearance while being far more complicated underneath.

You might tell different people different versions of yourself – not out of malice, but because you want to be understood and liked by everyone. This explains why your darker side appears when the need for validation makes your loyalties unpredictable and your promises easier to break.

July – Cobra Lily

A post shared by Singapore Carnivorous Plants (@singaporecarnivorousplants)

A photo posted by

Born in the height of summer, July babies care deeply about the people they let into your world, but their loyalty can have a dangerous edge.

If your birth month carnivorous plant is the cobra lily, you present a striking warning to anything that gets too close, and sometimes may convince yourself that you know what's best for the people you love, even when they haven't asked for your help.

No surprises, then, that your shadow side emerges when protection becomes control, jealousy disguises itself as concern and you struggle to accept that the people you love have the right to make mistakes without your permission. Time to pick yourself up some cobra lily seeds from Seedville, then, and pour some love into it.

August – White-Topped Pitcher Plant

A post shared by Mobile Bay National Estuary Program (@mobilebaynep)

A photo posted by

August belongs to the white-tipped pitcher plant, which means that you (much like your carnivorous friend here) know how to make an impression, and you rarely enjoy being overlooked. Indeed, much like the white-topped pitcher plant, you have a dramatic presence that naturally draws the eye.

Beneath that confidence, though? Well, you may be more dependent on admiration than you care to admit. You might turn everything into a competition, struggle when someone else takes the spotlight, or dismiss criticism as jealousy. Perhaps, then, your darkest tendency is believing (strike that: knowing!) you're exceptional means you should always get your way.

September – Bladderwort

(Image credit: Mantonature/Getty Images)

September's birth month carnivorous plant is the rabbit-eared bladderwort, which is incredibly fitting. After all, you notice everything: the inconsistency in someone's story, the mistake everyone else missed, the detail that doesn't quite add up.

Like the water-dwelling bladderwort, your most interesting mechanisms operate largely out of sight. You may appear helpful while mentally cataloguing other people's flaws but, when things don't meet your standards, frustration can turn into criticism, and careful planning can become an obsession with controlling every possible outcome.

Your shadow side, then, is the belief that if you can find a flaw in everything, nothing can ever catch you off guard. An oddly comforting notion, right?

October – Bowl Pitcher Plant

A post shared by Singapore Carnivorous Plants (@singaporecarnivorousplants)

A photo posted by

Halloween month (this author's birth month, no less!) belongs to the bowl pitcher plant, a particularly fitting match for anyone who happens to be a little, or a lottle, emotionally evasive.

Oh sure, you know how to keep the peace, but sometimes harmony matters to you more than honesty. Like the bowl pitcher plant, you can thrive in ways that others don't immediately understand; think concealing your real feelings, avoiding difficult conversations or telling yourself that keeping your options open is better than making a decision.

Your darker side emerges when diplomacy becomes avoidance and your desire not to upset anyone leaves others guessing where they truly stand with you.

Shop Carnivorous Plant Essentials:

AREPK Desktop Glass Plant Terrarium With Grow Light for Carnivorous Plants & Moss

PERFECT PLANTS Perfect Plants Carnivorous Plant Soil

HiThrive Tropical Plant Fertilizer for Carnivorous Plants

November – Red Dragon Venus Flytrap

(Image credit: Karin de Mamiel/Getty Images)

November babies get a twist on a classic carnivorous plant, in the form of an all-red variety of Venus flytrap. Why? Well, because you rarely feel things halfway. When someone earns your trust, you can be fiercely loyal; when they betray it, you may find forgiveness far more difficult.

Like the Red Dragon Venus flytrap, your dark coloring conceals a mechanism that reacts decisively when triggered. You might dwell on betrayal, replay old arguments or become fixated on proving that someone underestimated you, which means your shadow side appears when you stop seeking closure and start wanting the other person to feel the same hurt you experienced. Eek.

December – Corkscrew Plant

A post shared by 8 Billion Trees (@8billiontrees)

A photo posted by

Last but not least, December belongs to the corkscrew plant, which means you are something of an escapist as you crave discovery, freedom and the feeling that something exciting is just around the corner.

Like your birth month carnivorous plant, whose unusual traps lead prey through a one-way route, your own curiosity can take you further than you intended. You may chase new experiences whenever life becomes predictable, abandon plans when they start to feel restrictive or use humor to dodge uncomfortable truths.

Occasionally, your darker side emerges when freedom becomes an excuse to run from responsibility, as every new beginning becomes a way to avoid finishing what you started.

Whichever birth month carnivorous plant you are, and whatever shadowy trait it holds bare to the light, rest assured that you are still a wonderful person (just check out all of your amazingly positive traits in your classic birth month flower).

Still, there's no denying that it can be fun to embrace our dark sides every once in a while... especially if it helps us embrace a whole new world of plants in the meantime. All hail, then, the bitey side of the botanical world! Sometimes, it's good to be bad...

Fall is when a lot of homeowners get around to overseeding cool-season lawns. You rake out the thin spots, spread the seed and set the sprinkler going. Two weeks later, plenty of those patches still look like bare dirt, and it's tempting to blame the seed.

Chances are, the seed is fine. Anyone who has spent time seeding a lawn knows some grasses are just slow, and a couple of the usual fall picks can take weeks to show anything. Fall is still a smart time to seed, though. The ground stays warm from summer while the air cools off, and the rain usually picks back up.

Grab the bag and check what's in it. A blend might mix ryegrass, fescue and bluegrass, and those don't keep the same schedule. Ryegrass can be up in about a week, while bluegrass may take a month, so a new blend looks spotty at first. And green doesn't mean done – new grass still needs several more weeks to root in.

The rest happens underground. Cool-season seed generally won't germinate until the soil is above about 50 degrees Fahrenheit, and colder ground can leave it sitting there until spring. Push a soil thermometer (like this one from the Urban Worm Store) in to see where yours is. The seed also has to stay damp and reach dirt, not just rest on dead thatch.

The Best Grass Seed to Sow in Fall

(Image credit: Ratnakorn Piyasirisorost / Getty Images)

Any lawn that slows down and browns a little in July, then greens back up when the nights cool off, is a cool-season lawn. Bermuda, zoysia and bahiagrass are the opposite; those warm-season grasses do better seeded in late spring or early summer, after the soil has warmed up.

Across the upper Midwest and other northern areas, the ground cools early, so the window runs from mid-August to mid-September and has usually closed by October. Farther south, in places like Tennessee, there's room to seed into mid-October. Anything sown late has less time to get established before the first hard freeze.

Perennial Ryegrass (Lolium perenne)

Perennial ryegrass is what you want when a bare spot has to look green before winter – a worn strip by the mailbox, let's say, or the patch where the dog cuts across the yard. It's often up in 5 to 10 days. Sow it early in the fall window. One option is Pennington Fairway Supreme perennial ryegrass from Lowe's, which comes in a 50-pound bag with fertilizer mixed in. It's at its best in cool, moist weather and doesn't take drought well. In the South, it mostly gets sown over dormant Bermuda for winter color, not as a permanent lawn.

Tall Fescue (Festuca arundinacea)

If your USDA Planting Zone is somewhere between Kansas and the Carolinas, your lawn may well be tall fescue already. Bluegrass struggles in those hot summers, but fescue's deep roots carry it through dry spells. Seed usually comes up within a week or two. GreenView turf-type tall fescue seed, available on Amazon, comes in 7-pound bags. Fescue grows in clumps rather than spreading, though, so thin spots won't fill in by themselves and need reseeding in early to mid-fall.

Kentucky Bluegrass (Poa pratensis)

Bluegrass asks for patience up front. It usually takes at least two weeks to sprout and can take closer to a month. Once it's up, it spreads by underground rhizomes into a thick, soft lawn that can fill worn spots back in. It does best where summers stay fairly cool. Get it down right at the start of your fall window. Home Depot stocks a 5.6-pound bag of Scotts Turf Builder Kentucky bluegrass mix.

3 Tried-and-Tested Ways to Speed Up Grass Seed Germination

(Image credit: Owen Thomas Cox / Shutterstock)

Keen for your grass to get a move on? Look this way...

1. Improve Seed-to-Soil Contact

Get down and look closely at a patch that still hasn't come up. You'll often find the seed sitting on top of old thatch or dead leaves instead of on the soil. It dries out between waterings up there; indeed, its first root may never reach the soil. Before you seed, mow the grass you already have down to about 1 1/2 to 2 inches (4–5cm), rake out the loose debris, then scratch up the surface until you can see bare, crumbly soil.

On small areas, a stiff 16-tine steel bow rake like the one Walmart carries will break up a crusted surface. Once the seed is down, rake over it lightly to work it into the top 1/8 to 1/4 inch (3–6mm) of soil, or press it in with the back of the rake. Don't worry if some seed is still showing, since bluegrass actually sprouts better with a little light.

2. Keep the Seedbed Consistently Moist

(Image credit: Irina Petrova / Getty Images)

On a breezy afternoon, soil watered at breakfast can be pale and crusty by the evening. Seed that's begun to swell can dry out and fail. Short, light sprinkles once or twice a day, and one more on days like that, keep the top inch (2.5cm) damp, not muddy. Long soaks can float seed into low spots or waterlog the soil, and an overnight rain counts as a turn.

A pulsing impact head can knock seed loose, but an oscillating sprinkler lays water down in a soft sweep. With the Melnor XT turbo oscillating sprinkler from Amazon, you can narrow the spray so it stays on the seed, not the sidewalk. For days when nobody's home, the Orbit single-outlet hose faucet timer from Home Depot can run short cycles as often as once an hour. Once seedlings have roots, water less often but more deeply.

3. Add a Light Top Dressing

(Image credit: Faba-Photograhpy / Getty Images)

A thin layer of screened compost over the seed helps keep the surface from drying out so fast. That layer gives the seed some protection from heavy rain, too. Spread it no more than about 1/4 inch (6mm) deep. You should still be able to see a little seed and soil through it.

Thicker isn't better. Grass seed carries only a small store of energy, and seed buried too deep can use it up before the shoot reaches light —, and fine bluegrass seed may not sprout under a heavy layer at all.

If you don't have finished compost, a bag of Scotts Turf Builder lawn soil from Home Depot is made for overseeding and top dressing.

Shop Top Soil:

Garden Magic Michigan Peat Garden Magic Organic Potting Top Soil Blend

Scotts Scotts Turf Builder Thick'r Lawn Sun & Shade

Generic Scott's 1 Cu Ft Turf Builder Lawnsoil

So how long should you wait? With ryegrass or tall fescue in soil that's stayed warm and damp, about three weeks is a fair wait. Before reseeding, scrape back a little soil and look. Swollen or split seed is still working, while seed that looks dry and unchanged probably dried out or never touched the soil. Old seed can be the culprit too, so check the packaging date.

Don't count on starter fertilizer to hurry any of this along. Seed carries its own food for germination, and starter fertilizer is there to feed seedlings once roots form – too much can burn tender new grass. If your fall window has closed, it's better to stop than to keep sowing into cold soil. Some people dormant seed instead, spreading it in late fall once the soil is too cold for sprouting but before the ground freezes. Otherwise, early next fall is the more reliable time to try again.

Slow grass seed usually just needs a few more weeks. Choose the right grass for your area, sow it while the soil is still warm, and keep it damp. That will do more than any quick fix. With some patience, those bare spots may be filled in by the time you mow next spring.

Azaleas and rhododendrons paint the spring garden in gorgeous shades of pink, red, orange, and other vibrant colors. But the work of protecting those future flowers starts now. Fall care before winter is essential for keeping these shrubs healthy and ready to bloom abundantly in spring.

Fall azalea care and rhododendron care are all about preparing them for winter dormancy, maintaining healthy roots, and protecting flower buds. Did you know that these shrubs form their buds in summer? Next year’s flowers are already set in buds, so now is the time to preserve and protect them.

Azaleas and rhododendrons are very similar plants with similar care needs in fall. However, keep in mind that there are deciduous and evergreen types with slightly different needs. We’ll point these out here, along with the essential tasks you should be tackling this fall for all your Rhododendron species.

1. Take Care if Pruning – Don’t Trim off Buds!

(Image credit: Future Publishing Ltd)

Fall is not the time for heavy annual pruning of rhododendrons or azaleas. Most spring-blooming members of this plant flower on old growth. This means they set buds over the summer. Trimming too hard in the fall will prune away many of the buds that become next spring’s flowers.

The best time for heavy shaping or pruning is right after spring flowering. But this doesn’t mean you can’t or shouldn’t make any cuts in fall. Inspect your shrubs now for dead, damaged, or diseased branches. Remove these using sharp, clean bypass pruners, such as the Felco 8, available on Amazon, which can cut through woody stems up to 1 inch (2.5 cm) thick. For larger branches, switch to loppers or a pruning saw.

2. Stop Fertilizing for the Season

(Image credit: NinaMalyna / Getty Images)

Fertilizing late in the season can trigger new growth that only gets damaged in winter conditions. That damage can introduce disease. It’s also a waste of energy that should be going into keeping roots healthy over winter.

Most fertilizing for azaleas and rhododendrons takes place in spring, after flowering. At that time, you can use a product formulated specifically for these shrubs or for any acid-loving shrub. Also, consider the fact that your shrubs might not need feeding at all if they are healthy or thriving.

If you suspect your plants need fertilizer, a soil test is the best way to determine their nutrient needs. The MySoil Soil Test Kit measures both soil pH and nutrient levels, helping you identify any deficiencies before deciding whether to feed your shrubs in spring.

3. Water Until the Ground Freezes

(Image credit: Getty Images)

You should keep watering your azaleas and rhododendrons right up until the ground freezes, especially if you’re having a dry autumn. Ideally, the ground will be moist before real winter weather sets in. Check the soil regularly using a moisture meter, such as the Yamron 4-in-1, to see whether water is reaching the root zone. Provide a deep soaking as needed, including one as late in the season as possible before the ground freezes.

This matters because many azaleas and rhododendrons are evergreen, making them susceptible to desiccation, or drying out, over winter. Cold, dry winds leech moisture from the leaves, but roots in frozen ground can’t take up any water. This can result in curled, brown leaves and even damaged buds. Ensuring there is moisture in the ground before winter is less important for deciduous types.

4. Apply Protective Mulch

(Image credit: Jurgute / Getty Images)

Mulch insulates the soil and roots of your flowering shrubs. It helps regulate soil temperature, retains more moisture around the roots, and prevents the root damage caused by soil heaving that occurs during cycles of freezing and thawing.

Organic mulches such as shredded pine bark or partially decomposed, shredded leaves are ideal for mulching azaleas and rhododendrons. If you don't have suitable materials to hand, Garden Pro's shredded pine bark mulch from Home Depot is a good alternative. Layer the mulch around the root zones of shrubs to a depth of 2 to 3 inches (5–8 cm). Keep it a few inches away from stems to prevent trapping moisture that can encourage rot and disease.

5. Ensure the Soil is Draining Well

(Image credit: sergeyussr / Getty Images)

Moist soil is important, especially for evergreen shrubs, but too much moisture can also be damaging. Poorly drained soil can lead to root rot and fungal diseases. Eventually, these diseases can kill shrubs.

Look for signs your shrubs are getting waterlogged: standing water around plants, soggy soil long after rainfall, and wilting or yellowing foliage even when the plants have plenty of water. It’s important to try to remediate soggy conditions. You can clear off compacted mulch and other plant debris, divert runoff from other areas, or regrade the surrounding soil, for instance. If the problem isn’t easily fixed, consider relocating the plant in spring.

6. Protect Evergreen Shrubs from Winter Burn

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Evergreen azaleas and rhododendrons add beautiful color and texture to the winter garden, but they are also more vulnerable to winter damage. Winter burn happens when the leaves lose moisture faster than the roots can draw up water to replace it.

Cold and dry winter wind is a primary cause of winter burn on evergreen shrubs, so creating a windbreak can protect them from much of the damage. Set up a barrier on the side of the shrubs that get hit by winter wind, using natural burlap garden fabric, like this from Home Depot, attached to wooden stakes.

Don’t let the barrier actually touch the leaves. They need some airflow to stay healthy. Young shrubs are more likely to need this kind of winter protection. Established shrubs in more sheltered areas are probably fine without it.

7. Check for Pests and Diseases

(Image credit: Sarah Macor / Shutterstock)

Finally, it’s a good idea to look over your shrubs for any signs of problems caused by common azalea pests or diseases. Managing these issues now can prevent them from carrying over into next year’s growing season. Look for stippling or black specks on leaves, which can indicate lace bugs, a common pest of azaleas and rhododendrons. A 10x illuminated magnifying loupe, like this Carson loupe from Amazon, can help you inspect the undersides of leaves, where these tiny insects and their dark droppings are often found.

An unusual number of dying branches, persistent wilting, and many or unusual leaf spots can indicate fungal diseases and root rot. Keep in mind that some spots are normal and that leaf drop is expected in deciduous varieties.

If you do see issues or unusual damage, remove diseased plant material and dispose of it. If issues persist or you don’t know how to identify or treat a particular pest, check with your local extension office for advice.

Fall azalea and rhododendron care isn’t extensive, but it will help you protect next year’s flowers, safeguard vulnerable foliage, and keep roots healthy. Simple steps now help your shrubs enter winter in better condition and improve the chances of a healthy, colorful spring display.

In Vancouver’s Point Grey neighbourhood, artist and industrial designer Zoë Pawlak has opened a new creative space, welcoming visitors for coffee, conversation and a closer look at her work.

After five years in the city’s Armoury District, Pawlak has moved her practice to a quieter, street-level studio, where familiar faces regularly stop by and informal tours offer a chance to discover the stories behind her paintings.

This move marks a fresh chapter for the Vancouver artist, who is celebrating 20 years as a full-time creative professional.

“I am now situated in an area that is both commercial and surrounded by a few beautiful neighbourhoods. It’s walkable, so I have noticed that many of my past clients, colleagues and acquaintances walk by, pop in and say hello,” she says.

The new space offers a balance of accessibility and privacy, allowing Pawlak to connect with her community while making time for the focused work her practice demands.

The change of surroundings coincides with a shift in Pawlak’s artistic direction. Her newest collection, Under This Strange Sun, comprises six paintings created for the inaugural soft opening of the new Poltrona Frau flagship store in Vancouver.

This collection explores a more fully abstract language of colour, light and atmosphere. “I spent the summer observing and recording the sun at dawn and dusk, fascinated by the haunting, ethereal beauty of the skies and how different they feel from those clear skies of our childhoods,” she says.

The new studio is also part of a broader change in how Pawlak approaches her working life.

Last winter, she decided to give up the larger gallery and studio space she’d maintained for years, reducing overhead and giving herself more freedom to pursue opportunities beyond Vancouver.

That flexibility has already taken her to Los Angeles, where she developed a new body of work at Thomas Hayes Studio, to Baja for a collaboration at Dome Home and to New Mexico, where she taught at Ghost Ranch.

“Also, my children are now grown (18 and 20), so I’m more free to look around at what’s next,” she says.

It’s a shift she welcomes as she reaches an important career milestone. “I feel very much mid-career, which is a wonderful position to be in. You have enough experience to be respected and are also young enough to have the ability to be sharp and innovate,” she says.

Over the past 20 years, Pawlak has established herself as an artist whose curiosity extends well beyond painting. Her distinctive use of colour and form has translated into furniture, rugs, mirrors and sculpture, often through collaborations with designers and skilled craftspeople.

Working with Vancouver designer Jeff Martin, she created hand-painted furniture, some of which was purchased by the Canadian government for use internationally.

Another collaboration took her to a Quebec foundry, where she pursued an ambitious bronze wall sculpture despite initially being told it couldn’t be made.

While Pawlak regularly sells work in New York and Los Angeles and travels to Canadian cities including Toronto, Montreal and Calgary, Vancouver remains central to her creative life.

She’s particularly encouraged by the city’s evolving design scene, from independent galleries to events surrounding IDS West.

“Vancouver has such a supportive and connected design community. There’s a genuine sense of camaraderie and so much love for one another’s work,” she says.

Pawlak has definitely fostered those connections. In 2007, she co-founded a group for female entrepreneurs that went on to organize more than 35 free events and six retreats.

She’s now exploring new markets, including Arizona, Dubai and New Mexico, while expanding her practice through teaching, retreats and private commissions.

Pawlak also recently celebrated ten years of sobriety from alcohol, which has been the most significant change in her career, she says.

“When you’re able to be more clear, the work and all decisions related to the career become more effective, profitable and rewarding. I feel that I have a very clear sense of what I am building this year. This includes more teaching, leading retreats, private clients, and expanding sales of my oracle deck,” she says.

Pawlak’s oracle deck features 40 gold-embossed cards that showcase paintings from her Vessels and Muses collections. A booklet describes the meaning behind each card, with journal prompts and connections to the 12 astrological signs.

“I’ve always been interested in the relationship between art, intuition and our inner lives, and I loved the idea of creating something that people could engage with in a more personal, everyday way,” she says.

Related

• Sofas that make us want to stay in this fall
• Vancouver always the plan for IDS Prototype Judges Choice winner Rupert Jasper

If you haven’t got around to planting spring-flowering bulbs yet, don’t panic because you can plant all these showstoppers in November. From tiny pastel-hued muscari to alliums the size of softballs, many-petalled tulips to intensely scented hyacinths, the range of bulbs to plant in November is just as exciting as those that need planting in September or October, so don’t feel you’re missing out for a second if you're slow off the starting block this fall.

Growing blooms from bulbs couldn’t be easier, because fall and winter rain will provide all the moisture they need. The secret to getting great results when planting bulbs in November is to sit them on a shallow layer of grit to improve drainage, so creating a drier environment to stop bulb bases rotting in wet winter soil. You could use horticultural grit but poultry grit does exactly the same job and costs a lot less. Just make sure you use a product that’s 100% crushed rock like CZ Grain Chicken Grit, available from Walmart, rather than the type made from oyster shells.

My bulb recommendations will brighten up your garden from February all the way into May and beyond, and return year after year. And I’ve skipped right past the common-or-garden varieties to bring you flowers in standout shades and shapes to create a colorful stir in your yard. Grow these beautiful bulbs in the ground, in raised beds or in pots – but do just grow them! Which of these striking bulbs to plant in late fall will skyrocket your spring garden next year?

1. Tulips

(Image credit: Getty Images)

November is the very best month to plant tulips. Waiting until temperatures have lowered reduces the risk of fungal disease tulip fire, and cooler temperatures mean bulbs are less likely to rot. Plant tulips in full sun, burying them at a depth that's three times the height of the bulb. Tulips need excellent drainage so dropping a ½-inch layer of grit into the planting holes first is a smart move. If you’re planting tulips in containers then mix a good handful of grit into the potting soil, too.

If it’s a while since you shopped for these spring flowers, you’ll soon find that tulips don’t have to look like tulips anymore! All these show-off varieties are fully hardy in zones 3-8, blooming in April and May when you can expect lots of curious neighbors asking what they are.

Peony Dupe

10 Blue Spectacle Tulip Bulbs

Tie-Dye Tones

5 Vovos Tulip Bulbs

Huge Blooms

10 Gudoshnik Tulip Bulbs

2. Crocus

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Spring-flowering crocus are incredibly hardy so can be planted in November but pick wisely for the best results. Botanical crocus flower early in January or February so have little time to grow roots from a November planting. Crocus vernus, however, blooms February to April, and their bigger bulb-like corms are tougher and store more energy.

While botanical crocus have tiny blooms, the goblet-shaped flowers of Crocus vernus grow to a far more noticeable 5 inches high. And, whether you want to welcome spring into your garden with pristine white petals or drifts of carnival color, there’s a variety to suit. Plant Crocus vernus at a depth that’s equal to three times the corm’s height, in sun or partial shade in zones 4-8, adding ¼ inch of grit to the bottom of each hole, and the bulbs will quickly naturalize. A favorite spot for these crocus is under deciduous trees where bare branches give them the early spring sunshine they need to flower well.

Snow White

25 Jeanne d'Arc Crocus Bulbs

Quirky stripes

25 Pickwick Crocus Bulbs

Intense purple

15 Flower Record Crocus Bulbs

3. Dutch Iris

(Image credit: Getty Images)

These little lovelies only grow 18-24 inches tall but they really punch above their height with orchid-like flowers in saturated colors, and florists prize them highly. Dutch iris are better planted in November as any earlier and the bulbs can start sending up their green shoots prematurely, when the tender growth is quickly knobbled by cold weather.

Because these spectacular flowers sit atop a single slender stem, Dutch iris bulbs look better planted in groups, which makes them easier to bury, too. Dig a hole around 6 inches deep in full sun, mix a handful of grit into the soil, and add the bulbs 3 inches apart. In containers, you can pack them more closely at 2 inches apart.

Iris x hollandica bulbs are hardy in zones 5-9, but in zone 5 they benefit from a mulch of shredded leaves thrown over the top to keep them cozy. You can also plant these bulbs in zones 3 and 4 in pots in an unheated greenhouse, ready to move outside when the worst of the winter is over. Dutch iris is a little later to flower than most spring bulbs from May into June, providing a seamless transition into summer.

Beautiful blues

25 Sapphire Beauty Dutch Iris Bulbs

Elegant Display

25 Van Zyverden White Van Vliet Dutch Iris

Standout Shape

25 Van Zyverden Miss Saigon Dutch Iris Bulbs

4. Alliums

(Image credit: Getty Images)

These ornamental onions are very relaxed when it comes to when they’re planted and, although most folk get their alliums into the ground in October, as long as the soil isn’t frozen solid, they’ll flourish from a November planting. There are dozens of allium varieties with flowers ranging from small pom poms to huge spheres, lasting for up to a month then drying into structural seedheads.

As the size of the bulbs ranges as much as the blooms, use the usual rule of thumb to plant bulbs at a depth equivalent to three times their height. All alliums need full sun, where they’ll thrive in zones 4-9, and be sure to line holes with a layer of grit. While there are alliums that flower in summer, all my recommendations are late spring varieties that bloom from April into June.

Golfballs

25 Roseum Allium Bulbs

Baseballs

10 Purple Sensation Allium Bulbs

Softballs

4 Gladiator Allium Bulbs

5. Hyacinths

(Image credit: Getty Images)

There’s one big reason why you should add hyacinths to your garden, and that’s their incredible scent. As the flowerbuds open, their perfume is fresh, reminiscent of cut grass. In full bloom, an intense and intoxicating floral fragrance takes over, warm with vanilla and spicy with clove. Then as the flowers fade, the aroma deepens and becomes more musky. The scent profile can differ by color, too, with purples and blues typically boasting the strongest perfume, while whites and pinks smell a little sweeter, and yellows and oranges spicier.

Emerging in late February, hyacinths add an extra dimension to crisp, cold spring days when their scent hangs in the air. Hardy in zones 4-8, hyacinths prefer to be planted once soil temperatures have dropped, so the bulbs remain dormant but still get the deep chill they need to flower. Choose a sunny spot and plant bulbs at a depth of three times their height, dropping a ½ inch layer of grit into the hole to prevent them rotting. Hyacinths also thrive in a pot, where you can pack bulbs so they’re almost-but-not touching for a fabulous fragrance cloud on a patio or front porch.

Don’t reach for the standard pink, white and blue colors as there are now all sorts of tempting hyacinth tones to choose from.

Dramatically dark

5 Dark Dimension Hyacinth Bulbs

Terracotta tones

10 Gipsy Queen Hyacinth Bulbs

Pastel hues

10 Sky Jacket Hyacinth Bulbs

6. Grape Hyacinths

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Muscari are such tough cookies, they’re wholly unphased by a late-fall planting just as long as the ground isn’t frozen or waterlogged. And don’t fret if you’ve had issues with grape hyacinths spreading a little too enthusiastically before. While the classic blue Muscari armeniacum does indeed take over, newer cultivars have been bred to focus their energy on growing densely-packed blooms rather than invading borders so spread far more gently.

‘Delft Blue’ does naturalize but gently, and you easily prevent it from travelling far by snipping off faded flower spikes before they set seed. ‘Fantasy Creation’ has sterile flowers so only spreads very slowly through underground division. And Muscari latifolium has a clumping habit so will stay exactly where you put it. All are suitable for zones 4-8 and flower March or April into May.

Ombre blues

18 Delft Blue Mix Grape Hyacinth Bulbs

Bizarre blooms

25 Fantasy Creation Grape Hyacinth Bulbs

Two tones

25 Muscari Latifolium Grape Hyacinth Bulbs

Helpful Bulb Planting Tools

The more bulbs you buy, the cheaper they get, so if you end up filling your borders with beautiful spring flowers, speed the planting with a labor-saving tool.

adjustable diameter

Miracle-Gro Adjustable Steel Bulb Planter

The diameter of this bulb planter adjusts to fit different-sized bulbs. It automatically releases soil and is marked with measurements to make getting the correct depth easy.

no kneeling

Jardineer Long Handled Bulb Planter Tool

This long-handled bulb planter with a serrated base is sturdy enough to perform well even in hard ground, and the raised pedal makes it simple to release the excavated soil plug.

drill holes

2 Auger Drill Bits for Planting Bulbs

Let your drill do all the work with these garden auger bits that fit a standard ⅜” hex shank. The 1.6” bit is perfect for tulips while the 3.5” can handle the biggest allium bulbs.

As fall edges forward, strawberry patches can often look like they have finished their seasonal duties. The berries are long gone, creeping runners have tangled across walkways, and older foliage is beginning to bronze. It is tempting to simply walk away and leave the beds until spring. However, neglecting your patch in late autumn is one of the most common reasons for more disappointing crops the following year.

What happens to your strawberry plants in October has a massive impact on next year's crop. A few simple fall tasks now can help them get through winter in good shape, which directly leads to more berries that taste yummy next summer. Anyone who grows strawberries knows how much rides on the crown – the thick stem at the center of each plant, where new leaves and flowers start. It sits at the soil line, which makes it easy to damage in winter. Most of these fall jobs come back to protecting it.

Whether you cultivate June-bearers like Honeoye or Jewel, everbearing varieties like Ozark Beauty, or continuous day-neutral types like Albion, this next week is a critical window to protect strawbs. Time is short before the ground freezes solid. By taking a few quick steps now, you protect those delicate crowns and lay the foundation for a riot of sweet, juicy fruit next year. So don't skip these fall care essentials…

Best Strawberry Care in October

These strawberry tasks bridge the gap between active growing and total winter dormancy. Because strawberries have shallow root systems that rarely penetrate deeper than 6 inches (15cm) into soil, it’s good to check in with conditions both on and in the ground. Checking your patch's moisture, ambient temperature, and foliage health this month ensures plants enter dormancy with maximum energy reserves.

A steady cold at this time of year isn't always the biggest problem for strawberries. A sunny thaw followed by a hard freeze can heave plants right out of the soil and tear their roots. So where you live changes the following strawberry game plan a little bit. In colder USDA hardiness zones (zones 3-6), October is mostly about getting ready for winter and priming beds and containers before freezes strike. In warmer southern regions (zones 8-10) it can be a great time to plant new runners.

(Image credit: Vitalii Marchenko / Getty Images)

Strawberry care this month also varies according to whether you are growing in the ground or in containers. In-ground matted rows benefit from the relative continued warmth of surrounding earth, while strawberries grown in raised beds, terracotta jars, or vertical planting towers may face a tougher time now. Performing targeted checks on both border beds and container plants ensures that every strawberry crown remains healthy and protected through the cold months ahead.

Before you start these strawberry jobs, quickly check the soil with a good diagnostic tool like the budget-friendly Raintrip 4-in-1 Soil Meter from Amazon. This will help you to get a good sense of current root moisture and temperature levels ahead of any extra soil treatments or mulching extras. With that in hand, follow these simple steps…

1. Clean Up Foliage and Clear Weeds

(Image credit: Mariia Zotova / Getty Images)

One of the simplest ways to prime your strawberry plants is to quickly check for weathered, damaged or diseased foliage. This will eliminate overwintering pests and fungal pathogens before cold weather sets in. Walk your rows with sharp snips and trim away foliage that looks brown, decayed, or has reddish-purple spots (the telltale sign of strawberry leaf spot). Use spring-action snips like Fiskars Micro-Tip Pruning Snips, available from Amazon, or Fiskars SoftGrip Handle Bypass Floral Hand Pruning Shears, from The Home Depot, to make any smaller targeted cuts.

Don’t leave the clippings on the ground, as pests can still overwinter in the old growth. Rake up the trimmings and get them off the bed, placing them in the trash rather than your compost heap. However, avoid aggressive cutbacks. The healthy green leaves are still feeding the crown, and June-bearing plants set next year's flower buds as the days get shorter. Save hard shearing for post-harvest renovation.

Another part of tidying up strawberry beds involves timely weeding. Weeds that get settled in during fall are usually harder to get rid of in spring, and they will actively compete with strawberries for water and nutrients. Remember, your strawbs have shallow roots, so avoid deep hoeing or aggressive tilling. After a spell of rain, pull the weeds by hand. Damp soil lets go of roots more easily. Work methodically around each crown, taking care not to accidentally loosen or heave plants from the soil.

2. Prune or Root Trailing Runners

(Image credit: Alamy)

Strawberry plants continue producing runners right up until the first hard frost. This can be exciting in terms of the potential for new plants, However, left unchecked, excessive runners can drain energy away from the mother plant. In established rows of June-bearers, you can keep a few runners and direct select healthy daughter plants into bare gaps. Pin them down using landscape staples or small soil mounds. Once the daughter roots, snip the connection with the mother.

Keep an eye on plant density, though. Thin any excess plants so that the crowns sit roughly 6-8 inches (15-20cm) apart. For everbearing and day-neutral varieties, it’s best to snip off all fall runners completely. Repeat-blooming cultivars produce higher spring yields when all that late-season energy stays focused inside the crowns. Day-neutral types make far fewer runners, and in cold regions a lot of them won't survive winter, though mulching them might give them a chance.

In warmer zones 8-10, October can be a good time to plant bare-root crowns and plugs. Work a balanced feed into well-drained, slightly acidic soil. A good organic option is Espoma Organic Berry-tone Fertilizer, available in budget-friendly packs from The Home Depot to condition your beds. Set new plants 12 inches (30cm) apart. Make sure the crown is at soil level, as a buried crown can rot. Keep a frost cloth handy for vicious cold snaps. In colder zones, it’s best to plant in spring.

3. Water Deeply Until the Ground Freezes

(Image credit: Crispin la Valiente / Getty Images)

Fall weather often brings more rainfall, prompting many of us to abandon our watering cans. However, rain is rarely sufficient for shallow-rooted strawberry patches. Because strawberry roots are shallow, they can dry out rapidly during crisp, windy afternoons. Keeping strawberry crowns in dehydrated soil as they enter winter can stress plants and invite winter kill. New plants are especially vulnerable, since their roots haven’t spread far yet. This task is so easy to keep tabs on. Your plants just need one deep weekly soaking, roughly an inch (2.5cm) of water per week.

Water your strawberries early in the day so the foliage can dry before nighttime chills. Use a soaker hose or watering wand if you can, and aim for the base of the plants. Moist soil holds thermal heat better than bone-dry earth. Keep watering until the ground freezes. For a light nutrient boost, add a diluted seaweed drench every 2 weeks until the ground is frozen solid. A splash of Neptune’s Harvest Fish & Seaweed Organic 2-3-1 Fertilizer, available from Walmart, is a great root tonic to help see your strawbs through winter.

4. Apply Mulch After the Ground Chills

(Image credit: PJjaruwan / Getty Images)

Winter mulching is vital for strawberry survival, but timing is everything. Mulching strawberries too early in October, while daytime temperatures remain mild, can trap warmth and moisture against the crowns. This seeming act of kindness can create more problems, preventing plants from hardening off and inviting crown rots. So wait until the plants have been through several hard frosts and the leaves start to look gray or red, which usually lines up with a few nights around 20-25°F (-4 to -7°C). This signals that plants are dormant.

Once the ground begins freezing, spread a loose, airy 3 to 4-inch (8-10cm) blanket of clean, weed-free straw (such as oat, wheat, or barley) or clean pine needles over the entire planting bed. Straw bales cover plenty of ground. You can grab some Bell Nursery Straw Bales from The Home Depot for an airy yet cozy blanket over wintering strawberry beds. Skip fallen leaves, which can mat down into a soggy blanket and trap moisture. Unprotected crowns can die at around 15°F (-9C). Just wait for a real cold snap before tucking everything under straw.

5. Protect Container-Grown Plants

(Image credit: Grazziela Bursuc / Getty Images)

Container-grown strawberries face higher winter risks than those in beds. Pots don't give the roots much protection, and in a hard freeze the soil inside can get nearly as cold as the air. This can expose roots to brutal freeze-thaw cycles that can crack containers and kill sleeping strawberry crowns. So once your container plants enter full dormancy in late October, extra protection is necessary in zones 7 and colder.

The easiest fix is to carry the pots into an unheated garage or shed for the winter. As long as temperatures remain around 25-40°F (-4 to 4°C), they will be fine. If indoor shelter is unavailable, push the pots together against a sheltered, south-facing wall. Surround the outside pots with some burlap or insulating bubble wrap, and mound loose straw over the crowns.

Before tucking pots away for winter, water and refresh the upper layer of potting soil with some organic compost. For a simple soil refresher, add a sprinkle of Espoma Natural Mushroom Blend Compost, available from Walmart, to your containers. Top-dressing winterized containers will help to prime your strawbs for spring growth.

(Image credit: Westend61 / Getty Images)

October strawberry care is all about thoughtful, timely preservation. By cutting away the worst of the leaves, managing trailing runners, keeping roots well watered, adding a timely straw mulch, and protecting container-based strawbs, you can shield your plants from the harshest winter weather. Tackle these simple tasks today, and you look forward to an abundance of homegrown berries next year.

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!

As homeowners, we tend to be proud and possessive. My house, my lawn, my trees. But don’t make the mistake of thinking you can chop down those trees just because you feel like it. Owning a tree doesn’t necessarily give you the unrestricted right to remove it.

We tend to think of trees and plants as our personal property, and in many cases that is true. If you plant a hydrangea bush on property you own this year, you can take it out the following summer. The same goes for a rose bush or a cherry tree. But that principle doesn’t apply to every single tree. In fact, removing trees without doing your research can leave you open to legal liability.

Some trees are legally protected under a variety of laws, ranging from municipal ordinances to HOA restrictions to environmental and wildlife protections. As a former attorney, I advise on issues like this in my Gardening Lawyer series. Read on for the whole scoop.

What Legal Protections Apply to Trees?

Everyone knows that certain animals are protected by national and state laws in this country. The animals are often endangered species, such as whales, dolphins, and manatees, protected under the Marine Mammal Protection Act. But many people don’t realize that laws also protect some types of trees. Most protections are at a local level, but a few national protections exist too.

Laws relating to tree removal are generally handled at the city or county level. Local municipal ordinances may require a homeowner to obtain a permit to remove a mature tree or a protected species. The types of trees most often protected include heritage trees or native species.

If your property is part of a Homeowners Association community, your landscaping rights are governed by HOA rules, also called CC&Rs – Covenants, Conditions, and Restrictions. These rules can forbid tree removal without approval by the HOA architectural committee. And this doesn't depend on whether your town requires a permit.

Property laws may also affect your right to remove a tree. If the tree is planted in the center of your yard, property laws probably will not be a concern. But if the tree trunk sits on the property line, it is jointly owned, and you and your neighbor must agree before you can remove it.

Finally, you’ll want to check both federal and state environmental rules before taking out a tree if you live in an environmentally fragile area like a wetland. This can also be an issue if the area is a site where birds nest.

(Image credit: BrandtDiLauro / Getty Images)Can an HOA Actually Stop You From Cutting a Tree?

If you are asking this question, you are fairly new to a Homeowners Association (HOA). Yes, if your home is part of an HOA, you agreed to follow the CC&Rs.

Most HOAs require you to request and obtain board approval before pruning or cutting down a tree on your property. The Covenants, Conditions, and Restrictions are legally binding rules that are part of the price you pay to be part of the HOA. The administration has every right to stop you from cutting down or even trimming a tree on your property if the action violates the community's recorded CC&Rs.

What Can Happen if You Cut a Tree You Shouldn’t?

There are those risks you can’t afford to take but also risks you can’t afford not to take. The choice is always yours – to follow the laws or to close your eyes to the legalities and chop chop chip. (I mean, George Washington cut down a cherry tree and look how far he went!) But know your risks before you decide.

The average fine for cutting down a tree in a city without getting a permit is $10,000. That’s the fine in San Francisco too. In NYC, it’s $15,000. In Visalia, California, cutting down a protected valley oak without a permit is a cool $20,000.

What about HOA fees? Homeowners Association fees vary from one HOA to the next. But they typically charge administrative fines of up to $1000 plus tree replacement costs that run into the thousands of dollars. If the tree is in a protected common area or protected by local laws, fees can go up quickly to over $20,000.

If you cut or damage trees on federal public lands without federal protection, you can face criminal fines or up to one year in prison. Municipal and county governments impose direct administrative fines of up to $10,000 per tree for removing protected or wetland-adjacent trees without a local permit.

(Image credit: Marina Troynich/Getty Images)How to Determine if Your Tree is Protected?

It would be nice if a homeowner could contact one agency to determine whether a tree is protected. But alas, that is not the case. You’ll have to do a little research or hire someone to do it for you. Here are some tips to get you started.

First, consider the tree's origin. Did you buy it as a young sapling from the garden store? That probably means that it is not an endangered species. Is it still a young tree, slender and only half its full height? You probably won’t be impeded by city permitting requirements, since these often apply only to mature trees of a certain height and girth. A call to city hall can confirm this.

Second, is your home part of an HOA community? If not, HOA rules won’t apply. If so, you'll likely have to jump through hoops, so review the CC&Rs.

Third, is the tree on the property line? If not, you won't need the neighbor’s permission. If so, you’ll need to arrange a conversation about the tree. Put any agreement in writing.

Fourth, is your tree on a public right-of-way or sidewalk strip? You will probably need a permit to remove it. Ask your town’s City Hall.

Last, is your property part of a wetland, a riparian buffer, or a bird nesting zone? You may not know. If you aren’t sure, start by asking your City Forester or Urban Forestry Department for direction.

How About Dead, Damaged or Diseased Trees?

Every rule has exceptions. Many local governments allow you to remove a tree without a permit if it is dead, severely diseased, or dangerous. For example, if the tree is leaning or uprooted and poses an immediate threat to your home or to passersby, the odds are good that you can remove it. Call city hall first to confirm.

This is probably also an exception in HOA restrictions. Read your CC&Rs or just call the office and ask.

(Image credit: photovs / Getty Images)How to Remove a Tree Legally

• It isn’t that difficult to take steps to remove a tree legally. Follow this checklist:
• Check rules and regulations to see if the tree is protected or permitting is required under HOA, city, state or national laws.
• If the tree requires a permit to remove, apply for and obtain one.
• If the tree is a safety risk, document the hazardous status and provide the proof to the appropriate agency.
• Hire a tree removal professional to do the job. Make sure they are qualified, experienced, licensed and insured.

We all dream of a perennial that keeps the garden looking good long after summer has packed its bags, don't we? You know, the kind that keeps producing beautiful flowers just when you think the growing season has nothing left to give.

It's fair enough; as temperatures dip and fall settles in, even the prettiest garden can start looking a little lackluster. The summer blooms start fading, the flower beds lose their sparkle, and you're probably wondering whether it's time to call it a year.

Thankfully, there's one unusual perennial that can bring a welcome splash of late-season color just when you need it most... and, despite its rather unflattering name, it looks seriously beautiful while doing it.

The Late-Season Perennial Everyone Should Know About

The toad lily (Tricyrtis), a shade-loving perennial with intricate, orchid-like flowers covered in colorful spots. Blooming in late summer and fall, it offers a surprisingly exotic display at a time when many other plants are winding down.

And despite its rather unflattering name, this little-known garden gem has plenty going for it. With delicate blooms that look more at home in a tropical greenhouse than a shady backyard, the toad lily is the sort of plant that makes you stop, take a closer look, and wonder why you aren't growing it already.

Shop Toad Lily Plants:

Generic Miyazaki Toad Lily Seeds

Generic 30 Tricyrtis Flower Seeds

Carpet Creeping Toad Lily Flower Seeds

Let's get one thing straight: the toad lily isn't actually an orchid, no matter how much it might look like one. Rather, as the name suggests, it's a member of the lily family, and its botanical name is Tricyrtis.

Depending on the species or variety, the blooms may feature white or pale lavender petals, deep purple freckles, and contrasting yellow or purple centers. Some have a star-shaped appearance, while others look more like tiny funnels. Either way, though, their delicate details are best appreciated up close, rather than from the other side of the yard, as they look almost as though someone has taken a miniature paintbrush to every flower.

In other words, this isn't just another pretty perennial that relies on enormous flowers to make an impression; it's all about the details. And those details are exactly what make it such a charming addition to a shady garden.

(Image credit: Billy_fam / Getty Images)

Spring and summer get most of the attention when it comes to flowering perennials. By the time fall rolls around, many gardeners are left with attractive foliage, fading blooms, and a growing collection of plants preparing for winter.

The toad lily, however, usually begins flowering in late summer or early fall, with some continuing into October and, under favorable conditions, even November. (The exact timing depends on the variety, local climate, and when the first hard frost arrives in your USDA Planting Zone).

If you're looking for a plant that helps bridge the gap between summer color and the quieter months of winter, then, this is one of those flowers you've never heard of that's worth considering, especially as many varieties prefer partial to full shade, making them particularly useful beneath trees, along woodland borders, or in those awkward shade garden corners where sun-loving flowers struggle.

Shop The Best Fall Perennials:

Plants That Work Grape Crush New England Aster

Nature Hills Nursery Spintop® Orange Halo Blanket Flower

Proven Winners Fall in Love® Sweetly Japanese Anemone

Despite their exotic appearance, toad lilies aren't especially demanding when planted in the right conditions. Pop yours somewhere it won't get too much direct sun, as this can scorch the foliage (particularly if the soil dries out), and keep the soil consistently moist.

That being said, make sure excess water can drain away because, while moist soil is good; persistently waterlogged roots are another matter. Many toad lilies spread gradually through creeping underground stems or rhizomes, forming attractive clumps over time, so they appreciate a bit of space, too.

There's something especially satisfying about discovering a fall flowering perennial that offers something different from the usual lineup of autumn mums and asters, especially one that brings delicate orchid-like flowers, attractive foliage, and a welcome burst of color just when the garden might otherwise be winding down.

Honestly, if anyone asks why you've planted something called a toad lily, simply invite them over for a closer look. Once they see those extraordinary little blooms, the name might be the last thing on their mind.

Self-seeding flowers initially seem like a delight, particularly in a cottage garden border. There’s an effortless charm to volunteer blooms filling bare gaps between perennials, softening hard edges, and lending an organic, spontaneous feel. However, what starts out as a free-flowering companion can sometimes become an aggressive garden interloper. Left unchecked, enthusiastic self-sowers can quickly wind up in walkways, lawns, vegetable patches, and even your neighbors’ yards.

As their blooms fade, seed heads get ready to burst, scatter, or get carried away by animals to fill new areas. Once the seeds disperse, you’re facing a lot of cleanup in spring. The real danger with these prolific self-seeders lies in their competitive vigor. When permitted to drop seeds in fall, they naturally get a head start on anything you might add in spring, hogging nutrients, and casting shade over slower-growing sunseekers. So fall is an important time to keep key self-seeding flowers in place.

By intervening now to deadhead mature capsules, sever seed stems, and clear away dropped seed heads, you prevent billions of viable seeds from ever hitting the soil. And if there are any standout heirloom varieties you want to keep, you can save their seed for controlled sowing in spring, keeping all the beauty while sparing yourself lots of backbreaking pulling and digging next year. Here are the key culprits you need to control now, with insights on what to do with seed heads so you can still continue to enjoy them on your terms.

Manage Invasive Self-Seeders

Some self-seeders are more aggressive than others, so you need to focus your efforts. Try the strategies that work best for your climate, yard and gardening goals, as well as your USDA hardiness zone. In colder zones 3-5, severe early frosts can sometimes halt late-forming seed heads before they mature. In milder southern and coastal regions (6-9), extended warm falls can give plants weeks of extra time to disperse seed capsules, making rapid intervention vital. Wind patterns and heavy rain can also transport tiny seeds across garden beds in a single afternoon.

The primary defense is regular deadheading. While removing spent flowers in summer promotes reblooming, autumn deadheading is about containment. As petals drop and seed heads swell, snip them away before they turn dark brown, dry out, or split. Always carry a deep bucket or paper sack with you. Tossing cut seed heads onto the ground or moving bare stems across the yard will inadvertently broadcast thousands of seeds hither and yon. Bag up seed heads and discard them in the household trash, never into home compost heaps, which rarely sustain the high internal temperatures required to destroy persistent weed seeds.

(Image credit: Stanley45 / Getty Images)

Not all self-seeders deserve eviction, however. Native wildflowers like purple coneflower (Echinacea purpurea) and native black-eyed Susans (Rudbeckia hirta) produce sturdy seed cones that feed foraging goldfinches and native songbirds through winter without becoming overly thuggish. Choose this option for an area where you don’t mind some seed dispersal or with flowers that are less aggressive.

Additionally, selective seed saving is a great way to hang onto more unusual or heirloom bloomers. Harvest mature, unopened seed pods on a dry sunny afternoon. Use snips like Fiskars Micro-Tip Pruning Snips, available from Amazon, to remove the heads. These spring-action blades give targeted deadheading without dropping loose seeds. Spread your collected seeds on paper towels to cure, then store them in labeled paper envelopes in a cool, dark drawer for measured sowing next spring.

1. Cosmos

(Image credit: Toloren / Getty Images)

With their feathery foliage and cheerful daisy blooms, cosmos (Cosmos bipinnatus) add delicate color and movement to beds and borders. However, beneath their dainty features lies a fierce capacity for uninvited propagation. A single plant can produce dozens of flower heads from midsummer through frost, each maturing into a cluster of needle-like seeds with barbed tips that catch on fur, gloves, and clothing.

To prevent cosmos from transforming into an unruly forest next year, inspect the fading flower heads now before the central florets turn black and stiff. Cut off spent blooms while the seed heads are still green or pale tan, or shear the entire plant to ground level once the first frost blackens the stems. If you wish to save seed, snip off a few brown heads on a dry day, strip the spiky seeds into paper envelopes, and store seeds in a cool, dark drawer for sowing next spring. For a good storage tin, try the Pethiy Green Storage Seed Tin, available from Walmart, which I love for its rustic appearance and enduring, airtight reliability.

2. Spider Flowers

(Image credit: ImageBROKER Harald Biebel / Getty Images)

Also known as cleome, spider flowers (Cleome hassleriana) produce spidery floral globes with extra-long stamens for brilliant late-season drama in borders. Yet few cottage annuals reseed with as much ruthless efficiency. As petals drop along the lengthening flower stalks, they leave behind long, slender, bean-like seed pods held on wiry pedicels. As these mature from green to brown, they dry out, crack open, and fling dozens of seeds across the yard.

Tackle your cleome before the seed pods reach the brittle stage. However, take care, as mature stems develop sharp spines and sticky hairs. Wear heavy gauntlet gloves and long sleeves. If you need a good pair of long-lasting gauntlet gloves, I love the Womanswork Arm Saver Garden Gloves, available from Anthropologie, with their gorgeous floral pattern and comfy fit. Snip off those green pods and bag them, or sever the entire stalk. If you love their height, keep a few ripe, unopened pods in a paper bag to dry, ensuring you dictate where they grow next season.

3. Forget-Me-Nots

(Image credit: Albert Fertl / Getty Images)

Pretty, delicate forget-me-nots (Myosotis sylvatica) are cherished for their sea of sky-blue flowers, creating a romantic underplanting beneath tulips and flowering shrubs. However, their common name carries a double meaning: if you forget to remove their seed heads, you will spend years pulling up unwanted seedlings from rockeries and paving cracks. Each spent flower produces tiny nutlets with barbs that cling to animal fur and shoelaces, scattering those seeds far and wide.

Ideally, it’s wise to deadhead right after flowering, but this month is the deadline to scout your beds for lingering plants that set seed during late summer. Rake through mulch with a hand cultivator to expose any dry, brown seed clusters that escaped summer snipping. Sever any remaining seed stems, bag the debris, and apply a 2-inch (5cm) layer of clean mulch where needed. Go for an organic wood-based option such as team favorite Back to the Roots Organic Premium Wood Mulch, available from Amazon. This smothers new seeds by depriving them of the sunlight and winter chilling triggers they need to germinate in spring.

4. Purpletop Verbena

(Image credit: Flower_Garden / Shutterstock)

Revered by landscape designers for its airy stems topped by vivid violet and pinky-purple blooms, Verbena bonariensis (aka tall verbena or purpletop vervain) is a pollinator magnet that butterflies adore. However, in zones 7-10, this designer darling can be an invasive self-seeding powerhouse. Just a single plant produces tens of thousands of dust-like seeds capable of surviving freezing winters. These germinate with wild abandon in spring.

The challenge lies in how easily mature seed heads shed. The moment the blooms turn from purple to a dull brown, the tiny seeds loosen and scatter at the slightest brush of a breeze or sleeve. Cut back the flowering stems now, while flower clusters still hold a hint of lilac, or cup a bucket beneath the stems as you snip to catch dropping seed heads. Use wipes, such as Clorox Disinfecting Wipes 3-Pack from Walmart, to protect your snips and shears from clinging micro-seeds. Bag cut stems immediately to prevent contaminating lawn edges.

5. Love-in-a-Mist (Nigella)

(Image credit: QueSeraSera / Shutterstock)

This vintage cottage garden annual is admired for its blue, pink, and white blooms nestled within a fluffy ruff of misty green bracts. Following bloom, love-in-a-mist (Nigella damascena) flowers transform into intriguing striped seed capsules that look like paper lanterns. While these pods look stunning in dried floral arrangements, it’s risky to leave them in the garden. Once they burst, they will shed hundreds of seeds across your yard like demented pepper shakers.

So, as soon as you see their green lanterns developing dark striping and they start to feel papery to the touch, harvest them with snips before the top horns split. Cut the stems long and tie them upside down inside a paper sack. The seeds will drop into the bag as the capsules dry. Save these in airtight tins for controlled springtime planting. If you need seed-saving envelopes, Artrylin Self-Seal Seed Envelopes (150-Pack) from Walmart are great for labeling, dating, and organising your seeds.

6. Calendula

(Image credit: RM Floral / Alamy)

Also known as pot marigold, calendula (C. officinalis) is a hardworking cool-season annual that brightens borders and edible gardens, and continues blooming late into fall. However, each spent bloom forms a dense ring of seeds with hooked backs, which cling to tools, garden clothing, and pet fur, hitchhiking to new corners of your yard. If left undisturbed, fallen seeds create thick mats of seedlings that can choke out early spring bulbs. Deadhead those spent blooms the moment the petals wilt, snipping just below the green seed ring before it gets rigid.

If self-sown seeds have already scattered across the topsoil, lightly skim the surface with a hand rake to collect the seeds. Then cover the area with compost or shredded bark mulch to prevent early spring calendula germination. If you fancy adding some compost but don’t have enough of your own, The Home and Country USA Store do lovely little Mushroom Compost Pails from Amazon, to help you create a good soil blanket after sorting out your seed heads.

7. Mexican Sunflowers

(Image credit: Mauritius Images GmbH / Alamy)

Few annuals provide the explosive vigor of the Mexican sunflower (Tithonia rotundifolia). Reaching 6-8 feet (1.8-2.4m) tall with brilliant orange blooms, it can draw monarchs and hummingbirds from miles around. However, that size poses a major problem when it self-seeds. Spring volunteer seedlings grow with ferocious speed, quickly developing thick stems and umbrella-like leaves that cast deep shade over surrounding perennials and crops.

By October, spent blooms transform into dark seed heads packed with dozens of stiff, pointed seeds that shatter outward at the slightest bump. Cut fading flowers back promptly before the centers turn dry and brittle. Once frost claims the foliage, chop down the hollow stalks and take them to the municipal waste. If you need strong debris sacks, Lowe’s Heavy Duty Debris Bags hold coarse stalks and seedheads securely for curbside yard disposal. Never toss mature heads into your home compost, or you will see hundreds of giant seedlings in beds next season.

(Image credit: Jacky Parker Photography / Getty Images)

Self-seeding can bring dynamic energy to the landscape, but if you want to prevent unwanted thuggish invasions (and all the gardening chores that go with that) then take timely fall action. The trick is deciding which flowers to allow to spread, which to manage, and how extensively to manage them.

By snipping off ripe seed heads and clearing away loose seed clusters, you can eliminate hours of weeding next spring. It might take a little trial and error, but don’t ignore your self-seeders or you might well regret it come spring. Harvest the seeds you want to keep, dispose of the rest, and enjoy a beautifully balanced and better behaved space next year.

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!

Feeding garden birds in winter is such an easy way to support wildlife, and growing berry-bearing shrubs is a great way to supplement birdseed and fatballs. So many avian species depend on berries to survive winter, so planting a berried shrub to feed birds is a great way to attract feathered visitors to your yard. Waxwings and American robins gather into berry-seeking flocks once temperatures drop and, once insects become scarce, many rare garden visitors such as bluebirds, warblers and woodpeckers can be tempted in with a feast of plump berries.

Not all shrubs with berries are created equal when it comes to winter food, however. Some berries are incredibly high in fat, carbohydrates or anti-oxidants, offering birds highly nutritious, energy-rich fuel to stay warm, and stay alive. Others are the equivalent of avian junk food. It’s good to offer a variety of berries, too: some super-tasty treats to be gobbled up in fall, and some that are too tart to eat before the freeze-thaw of deep winter sweetens them up to provide a late-season larder.

All these shrubs grow energy-dense berries for winter birds, so they’ll bring feathered garden friends flocking. All are well-behaved ornamental plants you’ll welcome in your garden, as they don’t take much looking after but easily earn their yard space with plenty of color. And all are best planted right now in fall so they have time to grow their roots deep into the soil before winter arrives. So which will you choose to feed birds in winter?

1. Berry Poppins Winterberry Holly

Berry Poppins Winterberry Holly

Ilex verticillata ‘FarrowBPop’ tops our list of berried shrubs for birds, producing a profusion of red berries rich in nutrients. It’s a dwarf cultivar of a native deciduous holly so it drops its leaves in fall to create a highly visible feast of berries that will act as a magnet for over 40 species of birds including waxwings, robins, bluebirds and northern cardinals. As it’s a compact and grows berries all along its stems, foraging birds like thrushes and sparrows will benefit, too.

Berry Poppins winterberry holly is a great asset to any garden as its berry-packed branches are an eyecatching sight for us humans, too. Because the berries start off firm and tart, it's an enduring display as the fruit only gets eaten up in January or February once it's sweetened up into a late-season lifeline for birds.

Growing to just 3-4 feet high and wide in zones 3-9, this is a neat, disease-resistant shrub that’s easy to grow. There’s one catch, however! Berry Poppins is a female plant, and needs a male plant nearby to produce berries. Mr Poppins winterberry holly, also available from Plant Addicts and a similar size, is the ideal choice of male plant to partner Berry Poppins. While Mr Poppins doesn’t produce berries, it’s a pleasant zero-maintenance foliage shrub and can be planted up to 50 feet away; one male plant will service up to five females, too.

(Image credit: Getty Images)2. Brandywine Viburnum

Brandywine Viburnum

Next on the list of shrubs for winter birds is Viburnum nudum ‘Bulk’, sold as Brandywine. There are so many berry-bearing viburnums to choose from but this cultivar wins hands-down for its abundant high-fat berries and incredible garden beauty.

Green berries start forming in late summer then, in fall, shift into stunning pink and blue shades, often with different-hued fruit in the same cluster. As the days grow darker, so do the berries, turning a glossy purple-black as the surrounding foliage takes on fiery red hues. Brandywine viburnum is another late-winter pantry for birds as the berries only sweeten once the deepest winter weather sets in.

Hardy in zones 5-9, this low-maintenance shrub reaches 5-6 feet high and wide in five or so years, and you will need to let it grow to its natural height as it flowers and fruits on 2-year-old wood. But then you can expect to see waxwings, robins, bluebirds, thrushes and even woodpeckers feasting on its berries.

3. Berry Box Pyracomeles

Berry Box Pyracomeles

If you don’t have the garden space for a Brandywine viburnum, then Berry Box Pyracomeles is a smart choice. Staying compact at just 2-3 feet high and wide, this evergreen shrub looks good year-round and while its berries are small, they start out a bright orange in late summer before transitioning to a vibrant red in winter, and the sheer number creates an impressive display. Because of its small size, Berry Box thrives in a container, making it a lovely choice for colorful fall planters that last into winter. Growing this shrub in a pot also means that if you’re a little outside its growing zones of 7-9, you can keep it in a sheltered spot.

Pyracomeles is a cross between Pyracantha and Osteomeles and has inherited the high-nutrient berry and heavy-fruiting genetics of the former and the compact nature of the latter. With fruit persisting on the branches well into winter, Berry Box berries are a valuable food source for robins, waxwings and thrushes, and small birds will find shelter in the shrub's dense evergreen foliage.

4. Chokeberry Bush

Viking Aronia Chokeberry Bush

Aronia shrubs create a valuable winter resource for birds with dense growth offering shelter as well as long-lasting berries that offer a life-saving pantry when most other food has been gobbled up. Chokeberries have a high level of tannin which gives them a bitter taste but also acts as a preservative, so they last all through fall and early winter. Freezing weather breaks up those tannins, however, so these berries bring an emergency food supply high in antioxidants through the coldest days of late winter.

Chokeberry’s fire-engine-red fall foliage makes these low-maintenance shrubs fabulous plants for the garden, too, and this native shrub is a great substitute for invasive burning bush. And whatever the size of your yard, there’s an Aronia to suit.

If you have the room then Aronia ‘Viking’ should be your go-to as it was originally bred as an orchard crop so has big black berries and lots of them, that will attract American robins, eastern bluebirds, cedar waxwings and even blue jays; it grows to 4-6 feet high and wide in zones 3-8. Turn chokeberries into jam, jelly and syrup to enjoy the health benefits of these anti-oxidant-rich berries yourself, too. Berry Scape Chokeberry, available from Plant Addicts, is more ornamental with pretty bright red berries, growing to 4-5 feet high and wide in zones 4-9. If you’re short on space, then LowScape Mound Chokeberry, available from trees.com, only reaches 1-2 feet high and wide but still produces plenty of purple-black berries that ground-dwelling birds will appreciate.

(Image credit: Getty Images)5. Proud Berry Pink Coralberry

Proven Winners Proud Berry Pink Coralberry

Another useful emergency supply of late-winter berries is Proud Berry Pink coralberry. Symphoricarpos orbiculatus is a close native relative of the snowberry and, like chokeberry, has berries high in tannins that only become palatable after many freeze-thaw cycles. That’s a bonus for gardeners as well as birds because the large pink berries, that gradually become more vibrant as temperatures drop, are so decorative. Coralberry's arching branches and rounded blue-green leaves are pretty, too.

Ornamental coralberry, also known as Indian currants, grows to 3-4 feet high and wide but because it fruits on new wood, it’s easily kept smaller without sacrificing the berry supply. Hardy in zones 3-7, plant this shrub now for berries next year.

6. Pearl Glam Beautyberry

Pearl Glam Beautyberry

Of course, you need some berries for birds to scoff through fall and early winter, and Callicarpa is the garden-worthy beauty to pick. But don’t just plump for the native American beautyberry. Pearl Glam offers all the same nutritional, high-moisture berries that cardinals, robins and bluebirds love, but has a much tighter, upright habit, reaching 4-5 feet high and 3-4 feet wide in zones 5-8. As well as a profusion of violet-purple berries, Pearl Glam also boasts deep purple foliage (the native beautyberry has regular green leaves).

While Plant Addicts stocks Pearl Glam in a garden-ready #3 container, if you’re on a budget and have a little patience then Lowe’s offers the same Proven Winners shrub in a great-value gallon pot.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Any or all of these shrubs will give your feathered friends a feast and help them survive through winter. They'll attract birds into your yard, too, so be sure to plant them in view of a window. All well as adding winter color to your backyard, these beauties are easily smart and low-maintenance enough to work as front-yard shrubs that add curb appeal, too. They'd also make welcome Christmas gifts for bird-loving friends. And don't forget, it's also perfectly acceptable to gift your garden birds the best-ever present of a berry-bearing shrub!

Planting bulbs is a beautiful act of faith – and a classic act of delayed gratification. Tucked in cool soil, they are packed with the promise of spectacular blooms months down the road. Yet, while spring-flowering hardy bulbs like tulips, daffodils, and crocuses require freezing winter chill to trigger their bloom cycles, many summer bloomers originate in tropical and subtropical climates and won’t survive the cold.

When left in cold, sodden winter earth, tender bulbs, corms, tubers, and rhizomes face catastrophic cell damage, and wet winter soil causes rot. Combined with cold winter rain and melting snow, unlifted tender bulbs can quickly succumb to fungal rots long before spring arrives. Knowing how to store bulbs over winter, and knowing which need storage, can save your time, effort, and flowers.

Depending on your hardiness zone and bulb variety, lifting and overwintering these tender beauties is a rewarding fall ritual. Southern growers might be able to get away with leaving their bulbs in the ground beneath a thick mulch, but if you live in zones 7 and colder, you are strongly advised to dig them up and store them indoors. By acting now, you can protect your summer favorites from winter freezes, saving money while ensuring your yard is more floriferous next summer.

Tender Bulbs to Lift

Before grabbing your spade, it’s worth identifying whether you are handling bulbs, tubers, corms or rhizomes. These are all often lumped together under the umbrella term of bulbs, but the following summer bloomers represent a fascinating variety. True bulbs like lilies consist of layered scales. Dahlias grow from swollen tuberous roots or tubers. Gladiolus form solid, disc-shaped corms, while cannas and callas expand via fleshy horizontal rhizomes. That said, all tender summer rootstocks share identical winter vulnerabilities and require careful fall lifting.

Timing is key to lifting successfully. For most tender varieties, the ideal window opens immediately after your region's first light frost blackens top foliage, signaling the plant to transfer energy into underground storage. However, don’t delay until the ground freezes solid, as frozen crusts make excavation tough and expose tender root crowns to sub-surface chill. In hardiness zones 3-5, lifting typically peaks around mid-to-late October. In mid-Atlantic and transitional zones 6-7, late October through early November provides the ideal window.

(Image credit: Maryviolet / Getty Images)

Use a garden fork, like the Trooper D-Handle Garden Fork from Walmart, to lift your bulbs, tubers and corms cleanly. Insert the tines 8-12 inches (20-25cm) from the main stems. Gently lever the clump out, brush away loose dirt, and allow them to cure in a dry, ventilated, frost-free location for several days to a few weeks.

Once outer skins toughen, pack them in breathable cardboard boxes or plastic crates cushioned with dry vermiculite, perlite, wood shavings, or peat-free coir. Store in a cool, dark space maintaining 40-50°F (4-10°C), such as an unheated basement or insulated garage. Check them monthly for signs of rot or shriveling.

1. Dahlias

(Image credit: Alex Manders / Shutterstock)

Dahlias (Dahlia spp.) can be the jewels of a fall border. However, their fleshy tuberous root systems originate from the warm mountain highlands of Mexico and cannot tolerate freezing soil. Leaving prized varieties like Café au Lait or Kelvin Floodlight in the ground in zones 7 or colder can be a death sentence. Wait until the first frost nips the plant, turning the leaves brown or black. This shock signals the plant to go dormant and pull its final starches into the roots.

Using sharp bypass pruners, cut the stems down to 4-6 inches (10-15cm) above the soil. Carefully fork beneath the clump, lifting the tubers whole. Gently wash off heavy clinging soil and let the tubers dry in an airy, shaded spot for 2-3 days. Dust cut stem ends with sulfur powder or cinnamon to prevent fungal rot, then pack the tubers in crates of coir or dry vermiculite like Sta-Green Vermiculite from Lowe’s, storing them at 45-50°F (7-10°C). Check periodically and if tubers wrinkle, mist lightly with water.

2. Gladiolus

(Image credit: Irina Dobrolyubova / Getty Images)

Loved for their vertical flower spikes, gladioli (Gladiolus × hortulanus) grow from corms. While miniature Byzantine gladiolus can tolerate mild chills, large-flowered modern hybrids lack cold hardiness and turn into watery rot when left in frozen ground across zones 7 and below. You can begin lifting gladiolus corms once the foliage turns yellow, or immediately after the first light frost – whichever comes first.

Use a hand fork to loosen the soil around the base of the stems, gently pulling the corms upward by their leaf bases. Cut the foliage back cleanly with some shears or snips such as Fiskars Micro-Tip Pruning Snips, available from Amazon, which can trim stalks without tearing skin. Leave an inch (2.5cm) of stem attached to the corm.

Curing is essential, so place the corms in a warm, dry, well-ventilated room (70-75°F / 21-24°C) for 2-3 weeks. Once cured, the new, plump corm separates easily from the spent mother corm. Snap off and discard the old bottom corm along with loose, papery tunics, saving tiny cormels for propagation. Store clean corms in breathable mesh bags or open cardboard cartons in a cool, dark room at 40-45°F (4-7°C).

3. Canna Lilies

(Image credit: Aimintang / Getty Images)

With their paddle-shaped leaves and fiery blossoms, cannas (C. indica) bring lush drama to patios and borders. Striped purple-and-gold Tropicanna or dark-leafed Australia make striking centerpieces. However, the rhizomes cannot endure freezing temperatures. In zones 7 and below, frost turns them into mush if left unprotected. Allow the first killing frost to blacken the foliage. Cut the thick stalks back to 3-4 inches (8-10cm) above ground level. Cannas produce dense roots, so dig wide around the clump using a sturdy fork, gently levering the rhizome mass from the soil.

Unlike other bulbs, canna rhizomes benefit from keeping a light layer of dry soil clinging to the outer skin, which cushions dormant eyes and prevents moisture loss during storage. Allow the lifted clumps to dry in a protected, frost-free shed or garage for a couple of days. Pack them snugly into cardboard boxes lined with damp peat moss, shredded paper, or vermiculite, maintaining temperatures around 45-55°F (7-13°C). Nourish the planting site with a little mushroom compost once cannas are lifted. Some Espoma Organic Mushroom Blend Compost from Walmart can help to replenish the ground ahead of next year’s plantings.

4. Tuberous Begonias

(Image credit: Danita Delimont Creative / Alamy)

Tuberous begonias (B. × tuberhybrida) produce dazzling, rose-like double blossoms through summer and early fall. But under their succulent stems lie cup-shaped tubers that are sensitive to cold, wet conditions. Leaving them in freezing soil causes swift rot. Begin the overwintering process when nighttime temperatures dip toward 45°F (7°C), before heavy frosts. Withhold watering to encourage the plant to wind down naturally. As moisture declines, the succulent stems will loosen. Gently cut or snap the stems back to an inch (2.5cm) above the tuber. Carefully lift the round tubers using a trowel, taking care not to gouge the skin.

Spread the tubers out in a single layer on newspaper in a warm, dry, frost-free room for 2-3 weeks until the stem stubs shrivel and drop. Once cured, brush away dried soil and store the tubers hollow-side up in shallow trays filled with dry peat moss, perlite, or sawdust. Keep them in a dark, dry space at 45°F to 55°F (7°C to 13°C), checking monthly to discard any soft or rotting tubers. A 10x stand magnifier such as the Carson LumiLoupe 10x Power Stand Magnifier from Walmart is ideal for closely inspecting delicate tuber indentations for early mold or soft rot before storage.

5. Caladiums

(Image credit: Gina Kelly / Alamy)

With their heart-shaped leaves splashed in luminous shades of white, pink, rose, and emerald green, caladiums (C. × hortulanum) are native to South America. Evolved in warm tropical soils, their tubers are more sensitive to chilling than dahlias or cannas. Exposing their tubers to soil temperatures below 55°F (13°C) can prevent them from sprouting again. Don’t wait for frost to lift your caladiums: lift in early fall as soon as night temperatures consistently drop below 60°F (15°C) and leaves lose their hues. Lift the tubers gently using a fork, keeping the foliage attached to the tuber clumps.

Curing with the foliage intact allows your caladium to draw remaining moisture and vital nutrients back into the tuber. Place plants in a warm, dry, shaded room (70°F or 21°C) for 2-3 weeks. Once the leaves are crisp, snip them off at the tuber neck. Store the knobby tubers in dry peat moss or vermiculite, keeping them warmer than other bulbs, between 60-65°F (15-18°C), in an interior closet or heated utility room. Add a sprinkle of Down to Earth Crab Meal, from Amazon to the planting site before replanting caladiums to boost disease resistance against soil-borne nematodes.

6. Elephant Ears

(Image credit: Blightylad-infocus / Getty Images)

Nothing creates a jungle-like aesthetic quite like elephant ears. Whether you grow wetland-loving Colocasia esculenta (such as near-black Black Magic) or upright alocasia, these foliage giants form thick corms that hate winter mud. Hardy in zones 8-11, gardeners in colder regions must lift them before freezing weather strikes. Lift either immediately after your first light frost blackens the leaf margins or as soon as fall soil temperatures drop below 50°F (10°C). Use sharp loppers or bypass pruners to cut the stalks to 3-6 inches (815cm) above the crown. Using a fork, dig around the base of the plant to pry the heavy corm out of the earth without severing offsets.

Wash away excess soil using a hose and trim stringy roots with snips. Allow the corms to cure in a warm, ventilated spot out of direct sunlight. Cure for 2 weeks until the outer surface feels dry. Wrap individual corms in newspaper or store in crates of dry wood shavings, such as CZ Grain Wood Shavings from Walmart, or peat-free coir. Keep them in a cool, dark location between 45-55°F (7-13°C), checking occasionally to ensure they remain dry. As a side note, hardy garden bergenia shares the nickname elephant's ears. While pink-flowering bergenia (B. cordifolia) is winter-hardy down to zone 3 and stays safe in the ground, tender tropical colocasia and alocasia must be lifted before freezing temperatures arrive.

7. Calla Lilies

(Image credit: Steve Handy / 500px / Getty Images)

Adored for their sculptural spathes and speckled foliage, calla lilies (Zantedeschia spp.) bring sultry elegance to patio containers and garden borders. While common white callas display modest cold tolerance in mild coastal climates, colorful hybrid callas (yellow, flame-orange, lavender, and deep burgundy) grow from tender, flat rhizomes that rot when subjected to prolonged freeze-thaw cycles. Lift rhizomes once the foliage turns yellow and withers, or immediately following the first light frost. Gently lift with a hand trowel or small fork, taking care not to scratch or bruise the surface. Cut away remaining foliage stems 1-2 inches (2.5-5cm) above the crown.

Lay the rhizomes out in a single layer on slatted trays or cardboard. Leave in a warm, dry, well-ventilated space (65-70°F / 18-21°C) to cure for 2 weeks. Once cured, pack the rhizomes in dry peat moss, vermiculite, or shredded newspaper inside breathable cardboard boxes. Store in a dark, dry space between 50-55°F (10-13°C), keeping the packing material dry to prevent premature sprouting. Next spring when potting up cured calla rhizomes, add a diluted seaweed or kelp drench such as GS Plant Foods Organic Liquid Kelp from Walmart to jumpstart root growth.

(Image credit: Alex Manders / Getty Images)

Taking a little time in October to lift and store your tender summer bulbs is one of the most rewarding investments you can make for next year’s blooms. By lifting these tender classics before winter freezes hit, you protect them from cold and ensure an even more spectacular return next summer. Always label them clearly with the plant variety and flower color as you pack them away: this will make mapping out your dream borders in spring a breeze.

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!

I think we're all big enough to admit that burning bush has spectacular autumn foliage, but there’s actually a native shrub deserves a place in the fall color spotlight... one that doesn't come with all the same problems.

As I'm sure many readers know already, burning bush is considered invasive in many states, as it can escape cultivation and spread into natural areas, where it fights with other plants (and usually comes out on top). So, yes, it's well worth looking at native shrubs that deliver that same bold fall foliage without the headache.

And is it too much to ask for more than just that? After all, I'm always drawn to plants that can do more than one job in the garden, so a native shrub that looks beautiful in fall, produces flowers for pollinators, and fruits that can feed birds? Why, it's an absolute must in my books!

Swap Out Burning Bush For This Native Shrub

So, which native shrub am I waxing lyrical about? Why, it's black chokeberry (Aronia melanocarpa), a native of eastern North America that is almost criminally underrated by gardeners all over the country... making something like the Viking Black Chokeberry from Nature Hills a brilliant investment for your space!

(Image credit: IV Serg / Getty Images)

With its crimson-red to burgundy fall color, black chokeberry typically reaches around 3 to 6 feet tall and wide, making it a useful option for home gardens where a large shrub or small tree might be impractical. It can be planted in a mixed border, used in a native shrub planting, or incorporated into a wildlife-friendly landscape.

Better still? Unlike the pesky burning bush, which is primarily grown for its foliage and compact shape, black chokeberry (as mentioned already!) offers flowers and fruit, making it a standout beauty all season long.

Shop Black Chokeberry:

American Beauties Viking Black Chokeberry

Amazon Aronia Melanocarpa

Proven Winners Low Scape Mound® Chokeberry

This native shrub is a happily adaptable one, growing in full sun to partial shade and tolerating a range of soil conditions. It's also generally hardy across USDA zones 3 to 8, although I'd still be sure to check the requirements of a particular cultivar and confirm that it's suitable for your local climate.

In terms of maintenance, it generally doesn't need much intervention once established in a suitable location; just stick to the Three Ds rule when pruning as needed to keep its shape manageable. And otherwise? Well, just sit back and enjoy as its red and burgundy leaves bring the seasonal drama, its white flowers get minibeasts (including your birth month bug) buzzing, and its black berries attract birds like cardinals, waxwings, finches, robins, and more!

Oh sure, burning bush may feel more familiar, but familiarity isn't the only reason to choose a shrub. If I wanted brilliant fall color with the added potential to support local critters, black chokeberry would be at the top of my list... especially if I didn't want to land myself in hot water for planting an invasive beast of a shrub!

If you’ve got snakes in your garden then I don’t need to tell you that it’s not the snakes themselves that are the biggest problem, but the constant worry that you might be about to encounter one. Only a quarter of native snake species in the USA are venomous and most – like garter snakes and corn snakes – are helpful garden visitors, eating rodents as well as slugs and bugs. But even if you’re happy to tolerate them as part of a healthy garden ecosystem, it’s smart to set some boundaries and deter snakes from yard areas you regularly use.

October is the very best time of the year to make your yard inhospitable to snakes, if you don’t fancy your garden becoming their permanent winter home. As fall temperatures drop to around 60°F, reptiles will start scouting out a frost-free space to brumate (like hibernating, but not as deep), so now is the time to take action. By making these areas scarce in your garden, snakes will likely move out of your yard to find somewhere to stay. Snakes are also exceptionally hungry in October as they need to store body fat to survive months of winter brumation, so removing food sources will also drive them out of your garden.

And if you need any more motivation to keep snakes out of your garden this month, know that they frequently breed in the exact same space they brumate. A typical female produces 10-30 babies, so if you don’t want a heap more slithering around your garden next summer, here’s your 8-step plan that explains how to deter snakes this fall.

1. Identify Likely Hiding Spots

(Image credit: BOKEH STOCK / Shutterstock)

Snakes like cool, damp, dark and undisturbed areas so take a look around your garden to identify probable hiding spots. If you’ve got a large yard and like to share your yard with wildlife, then by all means leave shelter in unused corners. However, in areas of the garden you frequent, clear yard clutter, trim vegetation and bag up fallen leaves. If you have a firewood stack or compost pile, consider moving them further away from the house.

When you’re clearing an area that may already be providing cover for snakes, always use tools rather than your hands. Don’t think that even leather gauntlet gardening gloves will protect you, either, as the single layer of fabric is easily pierced by a snake fang. Gloves are a smart move, but you’ll need animal-handling gloves such as these from Amazon for any worthwhile protection.

2. Keep Grass Mown Short

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Snakes hate spending time in open spaces where they’re visible from the sky and could become easy prey. Especially in October when snakes are highly mobile, keep all grass mown to a length of 3 inches or less and you’ll strongly deter snakes from slithering across it. Be sure to trim transitional zones too, where a mower can’t reach, as these can become favored travelling routes for snakes. A pair of shears with a 90° blade action such as these lightweight Hand Grass Shears from Walmart make short work of trimming lawn edges, or use cordless clippers like this Rechargeable Grass and Hedge Trimmer, also from Walmart.

3. Raise Shrub Height by Pruning Lower Branches

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Dense shrubs provide welcome cover for snakes but it’s an easy task to trim off lower branches to expose the ground and make them less inviting. You can also prune a shrub into the shape of a small tree. Use a pair of pruners – and do sharpen them first with a tool such as a Sharpal, available from Amazon, as cuts made with sharp blades heal much quicker – to cut unwanted branches flush with the main trunk. For bigger branches, a pruning saw like Fiskar’s Power Tooth Pruning Saw, available from The Home Depot, is a better bet.

4. Mulch With Fine Compost Not Bark or Straw

(Image credit: Tanapon Kongbunrak / Getty Images)

We often mulch our garden beds in fall but a cosy, damp layer of pine straw or chunky bark chips offers snakes the ideal spot to regulate their body temperature. Use fine compost to mulch beds and borders instead, which snakes will find far less appealing. If you make your own compost then a rotary sifter such as the Mikiotto Soil Sifter, available from Lowe’s, makes short work of sieving the larger chunks out. Otherwise use a pre-made manure-free compost such as Back to the Roots Organic Compost, stocked at Walmart, as a mulch.

5. Eliminate Easy Food

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Bird feeders are a prime reason why snakes hang around in gardens. While they don’t eat the dropped seed itself, the reptiles are drawn to the plentiful supply of mice, voles and insects it attracts. And how many of us resume feeding garden birds in fall, just as snakes reach peak appetite?

Getting rid of this easy food source is a key part of the plan to keep snakes out of a garden. The solution is to switch to a waste-free bird food such as Kaytee No Mess Wild Bird Seed, available from Amazon. Hook a seed catcher like this hanging tray from Walmart to the base of hanging bird feeders too, to catch any discarded seed husks.

6. Seal Gaps

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Fix any gaps that give snake access to a shed, summerhouse or your home. If you need a temporary closure then steel wool is the best way to create a sturdy, weatherproof but non-permanent barrier and bulk packs are available cheaply, such as this steel wool from Amazon. In October, snakes are highly mobile and need the heat of the sun to be mobile, so you’re far more likely to block them out of a hole than seal them in. Do your repairs in the middle of the day when the sun is at its warmest and you can be confident a snake is out basking, hunting or scouting for winter digs.

7. Use Essential Oils as a Deterrent

There are plenty of urban myths that promise mothballs, crushed eggshells and even marigolds deter snakes, but extensive research has proven otherwise. What a study by the USDA National Wildlife Research Centre does show to be an effective snake deterrent is essential oils that are rich in eugenol, namely cinnamon and clove. The research found that this compound irritates the snake’s scent receptor in its mouth and triggers its escape response. So if you're wondering how to keep snakes out of gaps that can't or shouldn't be blocked, here's your solution.

Add 15-20 drops of pure clove oil and the same of pure cinnamon oil to a quart of water in a spray bottle. Add a teaspoon of dish soap to help the oil bind with the water and shake well to mix. Spray this blend around ground vents, woodpiles and decking or porch voids, or anywhere else that gives access to a dark space that can’t be blocked.

Outdoors, oil disperses quickly so reapply after heavy rain or every 2-3 weeks. Once temperatures fall consistently below 50°F, it’s safe to stop as snakes will be holed up in their winter dens.

Munusna Cinnamon Essential Oil 3.38 Fl Oz

Handcraft Blends Clove Essential Oil 4 Fl Oz

Chemical Guys Professional Spray Bottle 32 Oz

8. Encourage Natural Predators

(Image credit: Scott Suriano / Getty Images)

Snakes are terrified of birds of prey, and one of the easiest ways to deter snakes is to attract owls into your garden. Whether you DIY an owl box or opt for a ready-made design like the Aoibox Large Owl House from Lowe's, October is a prime time to invite owls into your yard as they're actively looking for nesting sites between September and March.

Almost every year in my house, when the porch plants come inside in October, scale insects often come in with them. Adults don't move. Each one sits on a stem or the back of a leaf under a hard or waxy cover, and most people mistake them for rough spots on the bark until the leaves start to yellow.

The best time for controlling scale insects is before the pots come inside. Outdoors, cold nights slow scale down, and lady beetles and tiny wasps eat a share of it. Indoors, the pests have nothing to stop them. They just keep breeding through the winter on whatever plant they came in on.

An adult's waxy shell keeps most sprays from reaching it, making scale harder to get rid of than aphids or spider mites. Newly hatched crawlers have no shell yet. They're the stage sprays work best on, and new ones keep hatching, so treatments have to be repeated.

What Are Scale Insects?

(Image credit: Tomasz Klejdysz / Getty Images)

All scale insects feed through a thin, straw-like mouthpart sunk into a stem or leaf. Brown soft scale (Coccus hesperidum) is rounded or slightly domed, and its covering is part of its body. Armored types such as fern scale (Pinnaspis aspidistrae) are smaller and flatter. Pry one up with a fingernail and the cover usually comes away by itself, leaving the insect behind.

Only the young get around. Crawlers are about the size of a speck of dust, usually yellow or orange, and they spend a day or two wandering before they settle down to feed. Indoors, they cross from pot to pot wherever leaves touch and ride along on hands and pruners. There isn't one hatch to wait out – new ones keep turning up all winter.

How to Identify Scale

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Look for small bumps on stems, along leaf veins, and on the undersides of leaves. They can be brown, tan, white, or black. Black scale (Saissetia oleae) is dark, while oleander scale (Aspidiotus nerii) has a pale, nearly round cover. Use a magnifying glass to check plants properly; Carson's TriView folding loupe, available on Amazon, magnifies up to 15x.

Soft scale leaves sticky honeydew on the leaves and on the table under the pot. Black sooty mold, a group of fungi that includes Capnodium species, often grows on it. Badly infested plants show yellowing leaves, leaf drop, and stunted growth. Dead scale can stay stuck for months – press a bump with a toothpick; if it leaves a wet smear, it's alive.

Which Plants Are Most at Risk?

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Citrus, jade plants, hibiscus, ficus, bay laurel, oleander, and orchids are some of the most common hosts. Plenty of other tropical houseplants get scale as well, from peace lilies and pothos to palms and snake plants.

Plants that spent the summer outside need the closest look, especially ones that sat close together on a deck or patio. Edible plants like citrus and bay laurel need extra care during treatment, since some products aren't labeled for anything you plan to eat.

Isolate Infested Plants Immediately

(Image credit: Olpo / Shutterstock)

An infested plant needs its own spot, starting the day you find scale on it. A spare room is ideal. Otherwise, a windowsill on the other side of the house will do. Wash your hands and tools after touching it.

Leave the plant on its own until several weekly checks in a row turn up nothing new. One crusted with scale from top to bottom is often better off in the trash.

Remove Scale by Hand

(Image credit: Svetlana Parnikova / Getty Images)

If you only find a handful of scales, there's no need to spray. A cotton swab dipped in isopropyl alcohol loosens them as you rub, and cheap Equate 70% isopropyl alcohol from Walmart is fine for it. Stick with isopropyl, but test it on one leaf first and wait a day or two to see if it leaves marks.

Scale that won't budge usually gives way to a fingernail, a toothpick, or an old soft toothbrush. You can wipe tougher leaves with a soft cloth and a weak dish soap solution, which also removes the honeydew. The shells need to come off, not just get wet. Alcohol doesn't reach the eggs a female keeps under her cover.

Treat Heavy Infestations

(Image credit: Valeriy_G / Getty Images)

Heavier infestations call for a spray. Horticultural oil smothers scale, and insecticidal soap kills the young on contact. Bonide's All Seasons horticultural oil, available on Amazon, comes ready to spray, and for soap, there's Garden Safe insecticidal soap. Coat every stem and both sides of the leaves.

Adults under a thick shell often survive a spray; crawlers don't. More eggs hatch after the first round, so one spray won't finish the job. A common schedule is two or three rounds spaced 10 to 16 days apart, though the label has the final word. Test any spray on a few leaves first, and skip soap on jade plants and ferns, which it can damage.

Broad-spectrum insecticides rarely need to come indoors. Hand removal followed by oil or soap is usually enough.

Monitor Throughout Winter

Keep checking all winter, once a week, and include plants that never had scale. Go slowly over new growth, the leaf joints, and the undersides of leaves. A strip of double-sided tape wrapped around a stem catches crawlers on the move. Under the loupe, they're easy to tell from dust.

Sticky traps won't tell you much about scale. The yellow cards target flying pests, whiteflies (Trialeurodes vaporariorum) and fungus gnats (Bradysia species), both of which turn up indoors in winter. These Safer Brand houseplant sticky stakes from Walmart push straight into the potting mix.

Protection Plan

Start outside, before nights turn cold. Go over each plant with the loupe, and treat anything with scale while it's still outdoors. Mix Garden Safe neem oil extract concentrate from Home Depot at the label rate in a Chapin trigger sprayer.

Once plants are inside, keep the ones that summered outdoors apart from the rest for a few weeks. Leave enough space that leaves from different pots don't touch. Check any new plant before it joins the others, too.

Plants that went in clean in October should come out clean in spring. Any that needed treatment can go back outside once nights stay warm. Lady beetles and tiny parasitic wasps live out there, and both attack scale.

Scale Treatment Essentials

Smother

Bonide All Seasons Horticultural & Dormant Spray Oil

Kill

Garden Safe Insecticidal Soap Insect Killer Spray

Protect

Bonide Captain Jack's Neem Max Concentrated Cold Pressed Neem Oil

George Harrison may be best remembered as a Beatle, but away from the stage and recording studio, he found another creative outlet in the garden. His historic Friar Park estate in Henley-on-Thames became a lifelong labor of love, with its sprawling grounds offering a retreat from the outside world.

For Harrison, gardening was more than a hobby: it was a way of finding peace, getting his hands dirty and nurturing something over time. That passion is now inspiring a new wave of garden-inspired design, thanks to a collaboration between the Friar Park estate and Japanese gardening brand Niwaki, developed with Harrison’s son, Dhani.

The collection brings together gardening tools and accessories, but it’s the jacket that’s catching everyone's eye... and for good reason! It's taken things well beyond the normal realm of gardening clothes, in the best possible way.

George Harrison's Gardening Jacket

The Friar Park and Niwaki Meditation Jacket (as seen above) is just stunning, isn't it? With its Japanese silhouette, chic denim material, oversized hood, relaxed cloak-like shape and thoughtful detailing, it’s the sort of jacket that makes pottering among the plants feel a lot more stylish.

Think practical workwear with a distinctly design-conscious twist – and it’s easy to imagine wearing it well beyond the garden, too.

There’s just one catch: it costs $875, which is a substantial investment for a jacket you might wear to prune roses, turn the compost or nip out to check on your seedlings. Thankfully, you don’t have to spend nearly a thousand dollars to capture some of that same style, as these alternatives offer different takes on the trend, from a traditional Japanese-style jacket to an everyday barn coat and a practical hooded layer.

Shop 3 Cost-Friendly Alternatives:

Dizoon Winter Kimono Cotton Jacket

A hanten is a traditional Japanese jacket style, and this one offers a more traditional silhouette rather than a direct copy of the long Niwaki design. Consider it a relaxed layer for pottering around the garden or throwing on over everyday clothes.

Walmart Longline Barn Jacket

Practical, easy to layer and rooted in classic workwear, this longline style offers the utilitarian feel of the Harrison-inspired jacket, while the contrast collar and color-blocked details give it a slightly more fashion-led finish.

BLTIBY Japanese Cargo Rain Jacket

If the oversized hood and practical pockets are what caught your eye, this hooded cargo jacket is worth considering. It won’t replicate the original’s cloak-like shape, but it brings some of the same functional details into a more casual category.

If you love the George Harrison-inspired Meditation Jacket but can’t quite justify spending $875, Niwaki’s Engei Lightweight Garden Jacket is worth a look. It has the same garden-minded, Japanese-inspired sensibility, though at $320, it’s hardly an impulse buy either.

The beauty of the original Friar Park x Niwaki jacket is that it doesn’t look like conventional gardening gear. It’s practical, yes, but it also has a distinctive shape and enough style to wear well beyond the garden gate.

Of course, you don’t need to spend hundreds of dollars to give your gardening wardrobe a little more personality. Whether you go for a Japanese-inspired hanten, a classic barn jacket or a relaxed denim layer, there are plenty of ways to borrow the look without breaking the bank.

And as the Beatles once sang, money can’t buy you love – but it might just buy you a rather good gardening jacket.

Turning fruit and vegetable seeds and peelings into new plants on your kitchen windowsill is such a satisfying process, for us adults as well as kids. Grow plants from lemon seeds and you could raise a citrus houseplant with glossy, aromatic leaves, or root a pineapple top for a striking pot of spiky foliage. Or how about growing a feast of fabulous foliage from an avocado stone? Seedlings grown from apple and pear seeds can be shaped into stylish bonsai trees, too.

If you like the idea of free food as well as free plants, then cabbage bases will grow a tasty supply of cut-and-come-again leaves for salads and stir-fries, while carrot tops produce herby foliage that’s so flavorful blended up into a pesto.

Propagating is a great way to get plants for free and, as well as creating garden plants with cuttings in October, a spot of indoor plant-baby-making is just the thing for rainy fall days. Got a little free space on a sunny kitchen windowsill? Then let's make a start on your soon-to-be-favorite gardening project…

1. Lemon, Lime, Orange and Grapefruit

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Creating houseplants from citrus seeds is a relatively quick process and with the right care, a seed will grow into a foot-tall plant by its first birthday. While you'll have to wait a decade or so for fruit, citrus trees make beautiful foliage-first houseplants with glossy leaves that release a fresh, aromatic fragrance when rubbed. Lemon and lime plants will have pointy oval leaves, while orange and grapefruit foliage is rounder. All can be grown the same way so, if you've always dreamed of growing a lemon tree, why not try a whole citrus selection?

First wash the seed so it’s free of any citrus pulp. Carefully scratch off the outer shell with your fingernail to reveal the brown seed inside – though this step isn’t essential, it will speed germination. Sow the seed ⅓-inch deep in a small container of moist potting soil and use a clear cover to lock heat and moisture in.

You could use an old yoghurt pot with a drainage hole poked into the base and a clear plastic bag fixed over the rim with an elastic band, or make life easy with domed propagation pots like these 4" Nursery Pots from Amazon. Using a tailored potting mix like Gardenera Citrus Potting Soil, also available from Amazon, will support good germination and strong root growth. Stand the pot on your sunniest south-facing windowsill and remove the cover once you spot growth.

2. Avocado

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Growing an avocado stone into a tropical tree-let is straightforward, and fast growth makes this a great project if you're gardening with children, but it's fun for adults too. While you can absolutely let your avocado grow tall, it’s easy to keep smaller by pruning, and the 8-12-inch leaves mean this is a standout houseplant.

First, clean the stone. It’s best to sprout avocado seeds in water rather than soil, with just the bottom, broader third sitting in the water. You can do this with a jam jar by pushing three or four toothpicks into the sides of the stone so it sits on the jar rim, or use a purpose-made avocado vase and skip the toothpicks.

Musicozy Wooden Avocado Growing Vase

Moonoom Avocado Seed Starter Vase

2-Pack Avocado Seed Starter Vase

Stand the jar in a bright spot with plenty of indirect sunlight – an east- or west-facing windowsill is ideal – in a warm room as avocados are tropical plants. Change the water every 2-5 days and wash the jar as needed, and keep levels topped up so the seed base remains wet and the top stays dry. Rainwater is best but tap water is fine, but do make sure it’s at room temperature so as not to shock the roots.

Once the stone has cracked open (this can happen very quickly, but be patient as it can sometimes take up to two months), there are a couple of inches of roots and you can see leaves forming on the top stem, move the plant into a pot of potting soil. Avocado plants need good drainage so use an all-purpose houseplant mix like Miracle-Gro Indoor Potting Mix, available from Lowe's.

Your growing avocado will naturally form a single stem with a canopy of big leaves at the top – which gives a great architectural look. If you want a bushier, leafier houseplant however, simply prune off the top set of leaves once the stem reaches 6 inches high to force the plant to grow multiple branches.

3. Apples and Pears

(Image credit: Getty Images)

An apple or pear tree grown from a seed can produce an attractive garden tree – but don’t expect to be eating its fruit! The genetics of apple and pear trees are complex and seeds almost always revert to a wild ancestor with small, acidic fruit. However, apple and pear trees make great candidates for bonsai trees as they have lots of small fibrous roots and flexible branches that are easy to wire. If you fancy a little long-term gardening project, growing a bonsai fruit tree for your garden is so rewarding, and the spring blossom is so pretty.

Drop the seeds into a jar or water and slosh them around to clean. Ignore any seeds that float to the surface – these won’t germinate – but save the plumpest ones that sink to the bottom. Wrap these in a just-damp piece of kitchen paper inside a sealed zip-lock bag and pop them in the fridge to mimic winter, which is essential for germination. Check the kitchen paper is just-damp every week and, by around the sixth week, you’ll likely spot a white root protruding from the seed.

Then fill small pots or old yoghurt pots with a seed-starting mix like Back to the Roots Organic 3-in-1 Seed Starting Mix, available from Amazon. Use your little finger to poke a ½-inch hole, pop in the sprouted seed with the root downwards and gently push the soil over to cover. Pop this on a warm, sunny windowsill, keep the compost just-damp and in a couple of weeks you’ll see a green shoot.

In a few months, you’ll need to snip off the taproot and move your tree into a bonsai starter pot like this from Walmart and begin pruning branches and wiring into shape with training wire like this, also from Walmart. You can keep your mini apple or pear tree indoors over its first spring or summer but by autumn, move it outdoors.

4. Pineapple

(Image credit: Getty Images)

It’s a hoot to grow a plant from a pineapple top, and as they're part of the bromeliad family, pineapples make good-looking houseplants with striking leaves. It’s unlikely to fruit, but so exciting if it does!

Rather than slicing off the pineapple top, hold the fruit in one hand and the leaves in the other and twist firmly in opposite directions. The top stem should pop out cleanly. Strip off the lower 5-8 layers of leaves until you have around an inch of naked stem. Let this dry – just leave it on a kitchen counter top – for 3-5 days until the base scabs over.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Treat the stem like you would an avocado stone, using toothpicks and a jar, an avocado vase or even a large wine glass to submerge the bare stem in water but keep the leaves dry.

Place this set-up on a warm, sunny south-facing windowsill, change the water every 2-3 days and, within a month, you should see roots. When roots are 2-3 inches long, move into a pot of potting soil tailored for cacti like Back to the Roots Organic Succulents & Cacti Mix, available from Amazon to grow your pineapple houseplant on.

5. Cabbage

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Save the base of a cabbage and it’s easy to regrow fresh cut-and-come-again leaves to toss into salads and stir-fries. Slice the bottom 2-3 inches from a fresh cabbage and peel away outer leaves to expose the bare inner stem. Set this, cut side up, in a shallow bowl of water – or, if you want to make your cabbage crop into a fancy feature on a sunny kitchen windowsill, pop into margarita glasses like these from Amazon!

Keep the bottom edge of the cabbage base submerged and the top rim dry. It’s vital to change the water every day to prevent rotting, but you'll be well rewarded with new shoots that grow from the core within days. Crop only the outer leaves to prolong the harvest.

6. Carrots

(Image credit: Getty Images)

You can use the same method to grow leafy greens from carrot tops, which taste rather like parsley and are delicious as a herby garnish or blended into a pesto. Simply cut the top inch from the carrots, trimming any green stems off, then pop cut-side down into a shallow saucer of water. It’s vital that the water doesn’t cover the top of the carrot stub where the leaves emerge, and that you change the water every day.

Your kitchen windowsill will soon be full of all sorts of lovely leafy greens, and I hope you enjoy your plethora of new plants!

(Image credit: Getty Images)

By October, a jade plant (Crassula ovata) is heading into its slow season. Days are shorter, the sun rides lower in the sky, and the heat comes back on in many homes. Growth slows way down through winter, and the same routine that kept the plant plump all summer can start causing trouble if nothing changes.

Good jade plant care in fall is mostly about pulling back. Too much water is the most common problem, and the risk climbs as the weather cools, as soil in a cool room stays wet longer and a slow-growing plant takes up less of it. Fertilizer and big pruning jobs can wait too, while light is the one thing plants need more of.

There's a small reward for getting the season right, as jade plants do well with cooler nights. A mature plant given a cool, fairly dry rest sometimes produces clusters of small white or pale pink, star-shaped flowers in winter. Indoor blooms are fairly uncommon, but a plant kept in bright light with cool nights has a better chance than one kept warm all winter. Get these seven things right for healthy, happy plants.

1. Move It Into the Brightest Spot You Have

(Image credit: Getty Images)

A jade plant needs four or more hours of direct sun a day, and in October there's less of it to go around. Low light shows up in the stems – they stretch, the gaps between leaf pairs get longer, and the plant grows leggy and weak. Put the pot in a south- or west-facing window if you have one, but keep leaves off the cold glass at night, and well away from any radiator or heat vent.

If you don't have a good window, you'll need to use a grow light. The Sansi Clip-On Gooseneck LED Plant Light, available on Amazon, has the option of 1–4 flexible lights.

2. Reduce Watering Significantly

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Let the potting mix dry all the way through, or close to it, before watering again. The surface dries well ahead of the soil around the roots, so a dry top inch (2.5 cm) doesn't prove much. Push a wooden chopstick to the bottom of the pot and pull it out. If damp soil clings to it, wait. Or use the probe on a soil moisture meter, like the XLUX moisture meter from Amazon, which gives a more definite reading.

When the mix is finally dry, soak the pot until water runs out the bottom, then let it fully drain. Soft, yellow leaves that fall at a touch mean the roots have stayed too wet; wrinkled, deflated-looking leaves mean the opposite.

3. Stop Fertilizing Until Spring

(Image credit: Danica Jakovljevic / Getty Images)

Fertilizer doesn't do a jade plant much good this time of year. The plant hardly grows from fall through late winter, and whatever the roots don't take up gets left in the potting mix as salt. That buildup can make it harder for the roots to pull in water, and in bad cases it burns the root tips. Hold off until you see fresh growth in spring. When you start again, use a targeted liquid feed that's suitable for jade plants and other succulents, like Miracle-Gro Succulent Plant Food.

4. Bring Outdoor Plants Indoors Before Cold Nights

(Image credit: Shutterstock)

Jade plants do best with nights around 50–55°F (10–13°C). A plant that summered outdoors can stay out through the first cool nights. Bring it inside once nights regularly drop below 50°F (10°C). Colder nights can damage the leaves, and temperatures much below 40°F (4°C) can kill the plant.

Indoors, place the plant in front of the sunniest window in the house. If it sits lower than the glass, use a plant stand to raise the height, like Walmart's Mainstays metal plant stand. Some leaves may drop after the move, but firm, green leaves that fall off now are usually a reaction to the change, not a sign of disease.

5. Rotate the Pot Regularly

(Image credit: South_agency / Getty Images)

Jade stems bend toward the window, and in weak winter light the lean shows up faster. A plant left facing one way from now until March can end up noticeably lopsided. Turn the pot a quarter turn every time you water so a different side faces the glass. It won't pull a badly stretched plant back upright; it just keeps new growth from piling onto one side.

Old jade plants get heavy, too, and a hard lean can tip a light plastic pot right over. A wide clay or ceramic pot is steadier, but switching pots is a spring job.

6. Inspect for Pests

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Inspect the plant before bringing it inside, since outdoor pests spread quickly indoors. The most common culprits are mealybugs and scale. Start with the stems and leaf joints, then turn a few leaves over and check the undersides.

• Mealybugs look like small bits of white cotton packed into those joints and the forks between branches. Rubbing alcohol (available cheaply at Walmart) on a cotton swab takes them off. Test it on one leaf first. Skip insecticidal soap, because it can damage jade leaves.
• Scale is harder to see. Its bumps are flat and tan or brown, stuck tight along the stems and leaf veins, and the leaves or the soil underneath often feel sticky. A fingernail or a toothpick works to remove them.

7. Hold Off on Major Pruning or Repotting

(Image credit: JulieK2 / Shutterstock)

Heavy pruning and repotting are easier on a jade plant once it's actively growing again, so save both jobs for spring. There's rarely any rush – these plants can live happily in a snug, root-bound pot for years. Rot or a broken branch is the exception.

Cut soft or damaged stems back to healthy tissue with clean tools. Fiskars micro-tip pruning snips, available at Home Depot, have a narrow, curved blade that fits into tight branch forks. Come spring, a jade that needs a bigger home does well in a clay pot with a drainage hole, like this Vigoro terra cotta clay pot from Home Depot. Fill it with cactus mix, like Espoma Organic Cactus Mix from Walmart, for fast drainage.

Jade Plant Care Essentials

Sansi Clip-On Gooseneck LED Plant Light

Miracle-Gro Succulent Liquid Plant Food

Espoma Organic Cactus Mix

By March, a jade plant that spent the winter dry and in good light should look a lot like it did in October. That's a good outcome. Every so often a mature plant does more than that and blooms, with small clusters of white or pale pink flowers opening at the branch tips after a run of cool nights for an even better show.