Garden

Container and backyard gardening, lawns, houseplants, pests, seasonal planting, composting.

Seen from above, three potted herbs on a weathered wooden deck, a grey-green bushy plant in a large white pot between a small terracotta pot and a third pot at the edge.

When to Bring Potted Plants Inside Before Frost

Tropical plants need to come in when nights reach about 50°F, well before the first frost. Check them for pests and let them adjust first, or the move does the damage.

Three potted houseplants lined up on a windowsill against a lit blind

How Often to Water Houseplants, and How to Tell

Water on a schedule and you will kill something. Check on a schedule and water on what you find.

A hand pressing a young seedling into dark, mulched soil in a garden bed

How to Prepare Garden Beds for Winter

A tidy bed in November is a poor habitat in February. Cut back what is diseased, leave the hollow stems standing.