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Yellowjackets Get More Aggressive Around Food in Fall — Here’s What Gardeners Should Know

You’re harvesting the last tomatoes, picking up fallen apples, or taking a quick drink while cleaning up the garden when suddenly several yellow-and-black insects seem determined to join you. Yellowjackets can become particularly noticeable in late summer and fall, precisely when gardeners are spending hours harvesting produce and preparing beds…

Frugal Gardening · Sep 20

That “Fuzzy” Caterpillar in the Garden Isn’t One You Should Pick Up

Spot a tiny fuzzy caterpillar crawling across an oak leaf and your first instinct might be to take a closer look—or even pick it up. With its thick coat of silky hair, the puss caterpillar can look more like a miniature toupee than an insect capable of delivering an intensely…

Frugal Gardening · Sep 20

Can an HOA Fine You for Letting Your Lawn Go Dormant?

Your grass turns brown during a scorching, rainless summer, so you do what seems reasonable: stop pouring hundreds of gallons of water onto it and let the lawn go dormant. Then an HOA violation notice appears in the mailbox demanding that you restore the green lawn—or face a fine. It…

Frugal Gardening · Sep 20

Before Buying Cheap Seeds From an Overseas Seller, Check These USDA Rules

A packet of unusual flower or vegetable seeds for $2 can look like one of the easiest gardening bargains you’ll find online. But if the seller is shipping those seeds from another country, you’re not simply ordering inexpensive garden supplies—you may legally be importing plant material into the United States.…

Frugal Gardening · Sep 19

5 Plants You Should Never Burn in a Backyard Fire

Fall cleanup can leave you staring at a pile of vines, weeds, branches, and dead plants that seems perfect for the backyard fire pit. Before striking a match, though, take a much closer look at what’s actually in that pile. Certain plants you should never burn contain oils or toxins…

Frugal Gardening · Sep 19

Can an HOA Force You to Grow Grass During a Drought?

Your lawn turns brown during a drought, you cut back on irrigation to conserve water, and then an HOA violation letter arrives telling you to restore the grass. It sounds absurd, but conflicts over HOA drought rules are real enough that states have passed laws specifically addressing what associations can…

Frugal Gardening · Sep 18

Don’t Bring Your Outdoor Plants Inside Until You Check the Drainage Holes

Bringing houseplants indoors before cold weather sounds simple enough: pick up the pot, carry it inside, and find a sunny window. But before that planter crosses the threshold, flip it over and inspect an area that’s easy to forget—the plant drainage holes. Months outdoors can leave pots harboring insects, roots,…

Frugal Gardening · Sep 18

Tomato Blight? Don’t Put These Plants in the Compost Pile

Pulling out tired tomato plants is one of those end-of-season chores that seems straightforward: yank the vines, toss them into the compost pile, and turn this year’s garden into next year’s free fertilizer. But if those plants have brown, spotted, yellowing, or dying leaves, adding them to an ordinary backyard…

Frugal Gardening · Sep 18

Those “Rare Blue Strawberry” Seeds Online Look Amazing — But Do They Actually Exist?

Scroll through online seed listings long enough and you’re almost guaranteed to encounter something that makes an ordinary garden look boring: electric-blue strawberries, rainbow roses, purple watermelons, or another spectacular plant you’ve never seen at a nursery. Photos of so-called blue strawberry seeds are especially convincing because the fruit often…

Frugal Gardening · Sep 18

This Garden Beetle Can Cause Blisters If You Crush It With Your Bare Hands

Gardeners are accustomed to squashing pests between their fingers, especially when an insect is chewing through a prized tomato plant. But there’s one garden visitor you definitely don’t want to crush with your bare hands: the blister beetle. These insects contain cantharidin, a potent chemical that can irritate skin and…

Frugal Gardening · Sep 18