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Brandon Marcus

Brandon Marcus is a staff writer for FrugalGardening.com at District Media, Inc., where he delivers practical gardening advice with a relatable, no-nonsense style. An avid amateur gardener, he holds a BA degree and with over ten years of professional writing experience, he is also an award-winning published author whose first book, Questions For Deep Thinkers, was released by Adams Media. His work has appeared in major publications including Fandom.com, CHUD.com, TheColdWire.com, and Fansided.com.

Why Shorter Days Trigger Better Root Growth

October 8, 2025 by Brandon Marcus Leave a Comment

Shorter days trigger better root growth

Ever notice how plants seem to come alive underground just as the days start getting shorter? It’s not your imagination—nature has a secret rhythm, and autumn is when roots do their real heavy lifting. While leaves fade and flowers drop, the real action is happening below the soil line. The shorter days and cooler air…

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Filed Under: plant growth Tagged With: best soil, growth, photosynthesis, plant, plant growth, plants, root, roots, seasons, shorter days, soil

10 Shrubs That Should Be Pruned Before Winter

October 8, 2025 by Brandon Marcus Leave a Comment

Some shrubs should be pruned before winter.

There’s a special kind of chaos that happens in your garden when fall fades and winter looms—leaves crunch underfoot, branches sag from the last storm, and suddenly your once-tidy shrubs look like they’ve been through a wind tunnel. It’s tempting to ignore them until spring, but here’s the truth: a few strategic snips before winter…

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Filed Under: plant growth Tagged With: butterfly bush, Growing vegetables in winter, hydrangeas, lilac, potentilla, prune, pruning, rose of sharon, shrubs, spriea, winter, winter gardening, Winter Gardening Tips, Winter Plant Care, Winter plants

How Frost Can Sweeten Certain Vegetables Overnight

October 8, 2025 by Brandon Marcus Leave a Comment

Frost can sweeten certain vegetables overnight.

You wake up to a sparkling frost coating your garden, a glittering sign that winter has finally shown up for work. The grass crunches, the air bites, and your poor veggies look like they’ve been through an icy apocalypse. But here’s the twist—some of those cold-bitten plants are actually sweeter because of the frost. It’s…

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Filed Under: garden tips Tagged With: backyard garden, backyard gardens, Beginner Gardening, frost, growing vegetables, Purple Vegetables, vegetable gardening, vegetables, winter vegetables

8 Root Vegetables That Sweeten After Frost

October 8, 2025 by Brandon Marcus Leave a Comment

Some root vegetables sweeten after first frost.

Picture this: a crisp autumn morning, your garden glistening with frost, and beneath that chilly surface—nature’s secret candy factory is hard at work. Believe it or not, some of your favorite root vegetables actually get sweeter when the temperature drops. It’s nature’s quirky chemistry trick—turning starches into sugars as a defense mechanism against the cold….

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Filed Under: garden tips Tagged With: artichokes, backyard garden, backyard gardens, beets, beginner gardeners, carrots, celeriac, cold weather, Cold weather vegetables, Cold-weather plants, frost, Frost-tolerant crops, gardening, parsnips, radishes, rutabagas, turnips, vegetable gardening, vegetables, winter vegetables

9 Plants That Attract Pollinators in the Cool Months

October 7, 2025 by Brandon Marcus Leave a Comment

Some plants attract pollinators in cool months.

When the temperatures drop and the world seems to go quiet, you might assume that bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds have all packed up and headed for warmer climates. But here’s the truth—some pollinators are still out there, braving the chill in search of food. And if you’re a gardener who loves keeping life buzzing year-round,…

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Filed Under: plant growth Tagged With: best plants, camellias, cold weather, cool weather, heather, hellebores, mahonia, plant growth, plants, pollination, pollinator, pollinators, snowdrops, winter jasmine, witch hazel

The Science Behind Fall Color Changes in Plants

October 7, 2025 by Brandon Marcus Leave a Comment

There is science behind fall color changes in plants.

Every autumn, nature puts on a show that rivals any fireworks display—trees burst into flames of red, orange, gold, and purple, transforming entire landscapes into kaleidoscopes of color. But as you crunch through those vibrant leaves, you might wonder: what actually causes this magical transformation? Is it just the cold? The shorter days? Some secret…

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Filed Under: garden tips Tagged With: autumn, autumn gardening tips, best plants, carotenoids, chlorophyll, colorfast plant dyes, fall, fall flowers, fall garden, fall planting, plants

7 Composting Tricks That Only Work in Autumn

October 7, 2025 by Brandon Marcus Leave a Comment

Some composting tricks only work in Autumn.

Ah, autumn — that magical time of year when the air gets crisp, your neighborhood smells like pumpkin spice, and your yard looks like a confetti explosion of red and gold leaves. It’s also the best time to supercharge your compost pile. While most people think composting is a spring or summer project, fall holds…

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Filed Under: composting Tagged With: apples, autumn, autumn gardening tips, compost, compost tips, composter, composting, Composting Tips, DIY compost bin, fall, fall composting, fall garden, leaf, leaf piles, leaves, pumpkins, rainwater

How to Turn Fallen Leaves Into Black Gold Compost

October 7, 2025 by Brandon Marcus Leave a Comment

You can turn fallen leaves into black gold compost.

Every fall, yards across the country transform into seas of crunchy, colorful chaos. Homeowners grab rakes, sigh deeply, and start bagging leaves like it’s some kind of seasonal punishment. But what if you knew that all those “useless” leaves were actually hiding a secret treasure? Spoiler alert: they’re not yard waste—they’re nature’s version of buried…

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Filed Under: composting Tagged With: compost, composter, composting, Composting Tips, fall composting, leaf, leaf mold pile, leaf piles, leafy greens, leaves, piles

Why Fall Pruning Sets Trees Up for Spring Growth

October 7, 2025 by Brandon Marcus Leave a Comment

Fall pruning sets trees up for Spring growth.

There’s something magical about autumn. The air gets crisp, leaves turn into fiery mosaics, and your yard suddenly looks like it belongs on a postcard. But behind that seasonal beauty, your trees are quietly preparing for their next big act—spring growth. Here’s the kicker: how you care for your trees in the fall can make…

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Filed Under: garden tips Tagged With: autumn, autumn gardening tips, fall, fall flowers, fall garden, fall planting, Garden, prune, pruning, pruning plant roots, spring, spring garden, spring gardening, springtime, winter

9 Garden Tools You’ll Use More in Fall Than Summer

October 7, 2025 by Brandon Marcus Leave a Comment

You use some garden tools more in the fall than the summer.

Summer might get all the gardening glory—lush lawns, bright blooms, and hours spent basking in the sun—but real gardeners know that fall is where the magic happens. Once the temperature drops and the air gets crisp, your yard transforms into a whole new kind of project zone. From prepping the soil for next year to…

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Filed Under: garden tools Tagged With: Affordable Gardening, cheap garden tools, Cheap Gardening Tools, cheap tools, free mulch, garden tips, garden tools, gardening, leaf, leaf blower, mulch, mulching, pruning, rake, raking

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Can You Grow Saffron Crocus in an Ordinary Backyard?

Can You Grow Saffron Crocus in an Ordinary Backyard?

An ordinary backyard can produce saffron, and the plant does not require a sprawling estate, greenhouse, or secret handshake with a professional spice farmer. Saffron comes from Crocus sativus, a fall-blooming perennial corm that can grow in garden beds, raised beds, and containers when gardeners give it the conditions it wants. The catch comes at…

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6 Ways to Use August Garden Clippings Without Sending Them to the Curb

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August can turn a garden into a leafy crime scene. Tomatoes have sprawled across paths, zucchini leaves have swallowed nearby plants, spent flowers have piled up, and the hedge suddenly looks like it needs its own postal code. Before stuffing all those clippings into bags for the curb, take a closer look because much of…

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Is It Too Early to Prepare Amaryllis for Winter Bloom?

Is It Too Early to Prepare Amaryllis for Winter Bloom?

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5 Low-Cost Ways to Add Vertical Interest After Vines Fade

5 Low-Cost Ways to Add Vertical Interest After Vines Fade

Vines can make a garden look like it has hired a professional stylist, right up until they finish blooming, turn brown, or retreat for the season. When that happens, all that wonderful vertical space can suddenly look awkwardly empty, but a faded vine does not mean the garden has to collapse into a flat sea…

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