Author: Taylor Adams

Blackberry harvest may be over, but the canes left behind still have an important job to tell you. Knowing which stems produced fruit changes what you should do next. That distinction matters because blackberry canes do not all follow the same schedule. Some canes have finished their productive cycle, while newer growth is preparing for…

September can bring one of the final opportunities to catch a glimpse of a painted bunting before seasonal movement carries many farther south. Their brilliant colors make even a brief backyard appearance difficult to overlook. That timing makes every sighting feel a little more special. Painted buntings that spent the warmer months around coastal Georgia…

That stubborn weed in your lawn may need more than a quick pull. Using the wrong technique can actually leave you with an even bigger problem. Some weeds are surprisingly good at turning your cleanup efforts against you. Small pieces left behind can be enough to keep the trouble going. Before reaching down and yanking,…

Hydrangeas can be beautiful, but keeping them happy in the wrong spot can become frustrating fast. Some yards simply need a tougher shrub that asks less from you throughout the growing season. That is where one native alternative starts looking especially appealing. Georgia gardeners searching for easier landscaping can find plenty to like about a…

Fall color does not have to come from towering trees that take years to fill your yard. Fothergilla brings that seasonal display down to an easier size. Georgia gardeners may know this native shrub for its white spring flowers, but autumn reveals another side. Its foliage can develop striking shades as cooler weather settles in….

Woodland edges can look perfectly natural while one unwanted shrub slowly takes up more space each season. That quiet spread is exactly why this plant deserves closer attention. Across Georgia, invasive shrubs can establish along roadsides, forest borders, and disturbed areas before many homeowners recognize them. Once established, some can form thick growth that crowds…

September can bring a surprising change to your yard when orange wings begin appearing around flowers more often. Those monarch visits are worth noticing because many butterflies are beginning a seasonal journey. Georgia sits along routes used by monarchs moving south toward their wintering grounds in Mexico. Your garden can become a useful stopping place…

Spotting an opossum wandering across your yard after sunset can make you wonder what brought this unusual visitor so close. Its appearance usually has a simple explanation tied to what the property offers. Georgia homeowners may see opossums searching through yards while moving between places that provide food, water, or shelter. Their nighttime habits mean…

That stubborn patch of dollarweed may be telling you something important about your lawn. Pulling the leaves repeatedly will not change the conditions helping it return. Georgia homeowners often notice this weed where the ground stays wetter than surrounding turf. Its round leaves can quickly become familiar when the same patch keeps filling back in….

That soggy corner of your yard does not have to remain an empty space where shrubs keep struggling. Some plants are simply better prepared for soil that stays damp after rain. Boxwoods prefer good drainage, so constantly wet ground can leave them stressed and performing poorly. Instead of fighting the site, choose something that naturally…

Look up as evening settles in, and you might notice something unusual moving through the sky. Common nighthawks are becoming easier to catch in action right now. Late August brings a seasonal shift for these birds. Georgia offers opportunities to notice them as their movement becomes more visible overhead. Watch for long, pointed wings and…

October cleanup can make a Georgia yard look satisfyingly finished in a single morning. Brown stems come down. Seedheads disappear. Leaves get bagged. Beds suddenly look neat enough to forget that plenty of insects and birds are still using them. That is where a little restraint pays off. Georgia’s mild fall keeps bees, butterflies, and…

August is where Georgia gardens start playing tricks with the calendar. The afternoons still feel like full summer. Okra keeps producing. The soil can feel hot enough to cook an idea before you finish it. Yet the fall garden is already on the clock. Some crops have only days left. Others are just reaching their…

A Georgia lawn can change its mood in less than a week. One morning, the grass looks green enough to brag about. A few hot afternoons later, pale straw-colored patches appear like somebody quietly switched off sections of the yard. The obvious reaction is panic. Disease gets blamed. Fertilizer comes out. A spray bottle suddenly…

Freshly disturbed soil beside a porch, shed, or quiet corner of the yard can leave you wondering what moved in. Sometimes the answer is a striped skunk searching for a sheltered place. Late summer brings changes in wildlife behavior that can make these normally secretive animals more noticeable around homes. Certain spots suddenly offer exactly…

Fireflies can make a Georgia yard look enchanted for a few June evenings, but the real work happens long before the first flash. Most of their lives unfold close to the ground. Larvae spend months in damp soil, rotten wood, and leaf litter, where they hunt slugs, snails, and other prey. Adults need dark enough…

Your crape myrtles have worked hard all summer, and August is not the time to forget about them. Before the month ends, give these flowering favorites some attention so they can finish the season in better shape. Georgia heat can leave plants under stress, even when those blooms make everything look perfectly fine from the…

You might be making your yard more inviting to coyotes without realizing anything has changed. One ordinary backyard habit can give these curious visitors a reason to come closer. Coyotes are adaptable and quickly notice places where an easy meal may be available. Around Georgia homes, small everyday choices can make a yard worth checking…

Those long flower clusters have finished their show, but your crape myrtle can still give you something new before summer slips away. Late August opens a useful propagation window. Healthy shoots from this season can become the beginning of entirely new plants with surprisingly little plant material today. This is where Georgia gardeners can turn…

Few backyard visitors are as easy to hear yet surprisingly difficult to spot as the yellow billed cuckoo. Its secretive nature makes an appearance near your home feel especially worth noticing. Listen carefully when a strange call comes from thick summer foliage. The bird may remain hidden even while something fascinating is happening among the…

Late August can bring plenty of hummingbird activity, and one native flower can make your garden especially inviting. Its bright blooms arrive when these tiny visitors are actively searching for reliable food sources. You might notice hummingbirds returning to the same flowering patch throughout the day. That repeated attention is exactly what makes this plant…

August can make a Georgia garden look overdue for a hard reset. Flower spikes lean, vines wander, leaves show heat stress, and a pair of pruners starts looking very persuasive. Hummingbirds have other priorities. Ruby-throated hummingbirds are still abundant across Georgia in late summer, and many are building energy reserves or moving south during migration….

A gray fox slipping through your yard can leave you wondering what made your property worth a visit. Chances are, something nearby has caught its attention. These secretive animals often move quietly and may disappear before you get a good look. In Georgia, yards can sometimes provide useful resources as foxes travel through their surroundings….

A Georgia hydrangea can look healthy from the sidewalk while something pale is already changing across a few hidden leaves. The first clue may be no larger than a fingertip. It can sit inside the canopy, cling to tender new growth, or appear where shade holds humidity longer after sunset. From a distance, the shrub…

A Georgia garden can look generous in June and suddenly feel stingy by late July. The lawn fades. Clay hardens. Containers need constant attention, and many familiar flowers stop offering much to bees and butterflies right when summer heat is at its worst. Pollinators notice that gap. They still need nectar and pollen, even when…

Georgia weather can make a shrub border feel like it is being tested from opposite directions. One stretch brings hard ground, wilted lawns, and weeks without meaningful rain. Then summer storms arrive and leave clay soil holding water around roots for days. Boxwood does not always enjoy that swing. Several Georgia-native shrubs are better equipped…

Heavy summer rain can be great for a thirsty garden, but your fig tree may tell a different story. Too much moisture can leave behind changes worth noticing. In Georgia, downpours can keep soil wet and put extra pressure on fig trees. The tricky part is knowing which changes deserve your attention. Take a closer…

Seeing a painted bunting once feels special, but spotting one around the same yard repeatedly is even more interesting. These bright little birds can be surprisingly selective about where they spend their time. Across parts of Georgia, certain yards offer conditions that fit what painted buntings need during this season. The difference often comes down…

A sloped yard can lose more than a little soil after a strong summer downpour. Watch the same spot after several storms, and the change can become hard to ignore. Instead of leaving that bare ground exposed, put plant roots to work. The right native choice can help hold soil where you actually want it….

Georgia fall planting can feel like a prank. The calendar says autumn is close. The garden says absolutely not. Soil still holds August heat, raised beds radiate warmth, and red clay can feel like it spent the afternoon under a broiler. Cool-season seeds do not care that you bought them with good intentions. That leftover…