Winter can feel like a slow, gray pause in the garden, but this is actually the perfect time to get ahead. While the frost glazes the lawn and the soil is stiff with cold, gardeners who plan carefully now will glide into March with effortless ease. By investing just a little energy in these winter…
Why Stink Bugs Are Suddenly Invading Homes in North Carolina
Autumn is rolling in across North Carolina, bringing cooler temperatures, falling leaves, and an unexpected army of tiny, shield-shaped invaders marching toward your windows. Yes, stink bugs are making themselves at home in places they normally wouldn’t—your living room, kitchen corners, and even the space behind your curtains. For many, it’s an unwelcome surprise: these…
9 Winter Pruning Cuts That Invite Disease in Spring
Winter pruning can feel like a secret art—your hands in the chill air, shears in motion, imagining the perfect shape of your trees and shrubs. But here’s the catch: one wrong snip can turn your cozy garden into a hotbed for disease when the warmth returns. Plants may look dormant, but that doesn’t mean they’re…
The $3 Soil Test That Could Save Your Spring Garden—And It’s Not Sold at Big Box Stores
Spring is in the air, and your garden is begging for attention. You’ve got seeds lined up, compost ready, and dreams of a backyard bursting with color. But here’s the twist: your soil might be plotting against you. Every gardener knows that not all soil is created equal, and a single overlooked nutrient deficiency…
Why You Shouldn’t Trust TikTok’s ‘No-Dig’ Method in Clay Soil
Clay soil does not care about your viral gardening hack. It doesn’t care how aesthetic the video is, how calming the background music feels, or how confidently someone says “trust me.” Clay soil has its own personality—dense, stubborn, slow to drain, and deeply unimpressed by shortcuts. When TikTok’s no-dig method collides with clay-heavy ground, the…
This One Winter Gardening Habit Could Be Spreading Invasive Pests Across the South
Winter in the South often feels like a cheat code: cooler temperatures, slower garden growth, and the chance to rest your green thumbs. But for some gardeners, that cozy downtime is secretly giving a boost to tiny invaders that could wreak havoc come spring. Those bright, leafy, and perfectly pruned clippings you think are harmless?…
This One Winter Gardening Habit Could Be Attracting Rats—Here’s How to Fix It Fast
Cold air, quiet beds, and a garden that finally gets a breather—winter feels calm and harmless. But beneath that peaceful surface, rats are actively apartment-hunting, and your garden may be flashing a giant “vacancy” sign. One common winter gardening habit creates warmth, shelter, and food all in one neat bundle, and rodents absolutely love it….
What USDA Zone 7 Gardeners Should Be Doing Right Now (And What to Skip)
The garden may look quiet, but don’t be fooled—this is one of the most powerful moments of the year for USDA Zone 7 gardeners. While beds nap under winter skies, smart choices made right now can mean the difference between a garden that merely survives and one that absolutely shows off. This is the season…
The $5 Gardening Tool That’s Saving Florida Growers Hundreds This Winter
Cold weather in Florida doesn’t usually sound dramatic—until it is. One night it’s a calm 62 degrees, the next morning growers are staring at wilted leaves and blackened tips after a surprise frost. That kind of overnight damage can wipe out weeks of work and hundreds of dollars in plants. This winter, though, many Florida…
Why Your Raised Beds Might Be Harboring Pests Right Now—Even in Freezing Temps
Winter feels like a reset button for the garden, a clean slate where everything troublesome gets wiped out by cold. Yet raised beds often keep secrets through frost, snow, and ice, and some of them wriggle. While the surface looks quiet and frozen solid, life below can be surprisingly busy. Soil, wood, mulch, and compost…