November 2, 2019 - Issue #433

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Submit your favorite photos from your collection, and the members of the site will then vote for their favorites. The winning photos from each category will be pitted against each other in one final, epic vote to determine the ultimate Best of Show winners. Contest opens on November 1st and ends November 29th. Sponsored by Bluestone Perennials with huge prizes for the top winners.

As the weather begins to cool and the days begin to shorten, we look forward to the colorful harvest of pumpkins and winter squash. These sturdy vegetables are emblematic of autumn, whether for seasonal decorating, grinning Jack-o-lanterns, Thanksgiving pies, or warming stews and casseroles. And with proper harvesting and storage techniques, you can enjoy this vegetable bounty long after cold weather has closed the garden down.

With the gardening season winding down, it's time to think about storing and cooking some of your prized harvest

Fall leaves are like a big load of free organic fertilizer strewn about your yard. If those nutrients were bagged and sold, you'd pay money for them. In your yard, they're free -- except for the labor of gathering them.

The leaves have dropped from the trees, the summer vegetable and flower gardens are finished, and Mother Nature is providing an abundance of organic matter for you to make into compost.

Dealing with frost can be a challenge. Let us give you some tips and tricks with this guide.

When the outdoor winter landscape turns drab in most areas of the country, it's nice to have lush, tropical houseplants growing indoors to brighten your mood. Keeping houseplants growing well in winter can be a challenge, especially in cold climates. Many of them have tropical bloodlines; most grow best in areas with warm temperatures and high humidity -- neither of which is in abundance indoors. When a houseplant is struggling in the wrong growing environment, other problems, such as pests, can take over. Insects can thrive on stressed plants, especially where there is a natural lack of predators. Not only are the pests harmful to your plants, the exudates from their feeding can cause damage to rugs, floors, and furniture.