In Your Backyard October Newsletter

Fabulous Fall Tractor Display by Ray and Kathy Roberts, owners of Central Florida Fern & Foliage in Zellwood, FL

October in the Garden: Black Is the New Orange

 October has arrived, bringing cooler mornings, longer shadows, and the annual reminder that black really is the new orange. This month’s In Your Backyard celebrates the colors, flavors, and occasional frights of Fall gardening, with practical advice, inspiring plants, and just enough mischief to keep your landscape from becoming frightening for all the wrong reasons.

We’ll begin with What to Do in Your Backyard, your October checklist for keeping the garden healthy, productive, and ready for the season ahead. Then we’ll step over to the dark side with Black Plants, those dramatic burgundy, maroon, purple, and chocolate beauties that only look black but bring very real sophistication to the landscape.

Next, Lizzie Steele, the talented producer behind Better Lawns and Gardens, shares another installment of Lizzie’s Garden Adventures. You’ll also discover Teresa’s Plant of the Month and a new Teresa’s Landscape Design Tip to help you create a garden that is both beautiful and thoughtfully designed.

And because October deserves at least one good scare, Landscape Malpractice: How to Know When to Fire Your Landscaper, #48 reveals another landscaping offense that should have homeowners reaching for the pruning shears, or perhaps a termination letter.

Better Lawns, Better Gardens and Better Weekends

For nearly three decades, the award-winning radio show, Better Lawns and Gardens, has helped listeners cultivate healthier landscapes, solve perplexing garden problems, and enjoy life in their own backyards. With expert guests, timely advice, and lively garden conversation, the show proves every week that gardening education can be practical, entertaining, and occasionally uproarious. Listen every Saturdays from 7am - 9am EST on WFLA- Orlando. Call in with your garden questions and text messages on 1-888.455.2867 and 23680, Miss the live broadcast? Listen on Audioboom podcast 24/7.

Join me on Facebook, Instagram.

Come See What’s Blooming in 2027

Our 2027 Art in Bloom Garden Tours will take fellow garden lovers beyond the backyard for unforgettable horticultural and cultural adventures. From the artistic gardens of France and the celebrated Chelsea Flower Show to the grand landscapes of Scotland, Newport, and Martha’s Vineyard, each journey will offer carefully curated gardens, architecture, history, and plenty of inspiration to bring home.

Harvest the Goodness

As October settles in, I hope you’ll harvest all the goodness your garden has to offer. Perhaps that means gathering cool-season vegetables for a comforting pot of Fall soup or stew. Perhaps it means cutting a bouquet of beautiful flowers to brighten your home and warm your soul. Maybe it’s the satisfaction of preventing those winter weeds trying to work their way in your yard.  In every way, the garden continues to nourish us, one harvest, blossom, and peaceful moment at a time.

Thank you for subscribing to my In Your Backyard newsletter. Please leave a comment and let me know what’s going on in your backyard. May your October be colorful, your harvest plentiful, and your landscape only the right kind of spooky.

Kathy Roberts’ She-Shed garden, spooky full moon vignette with her lantern trellis. Moon and raven courtesy of my imagination.

Some landscapes grab my attention because they're beautiful. Others catch my eye because they're a master class in what not to do. What caught my attention wasn't the well-designed landscape, the handsome boulders, or the thoughtful screening. This landscape made me step on my brakes for a reason... and unfortunately, it was all because of a skinny row of tropical shrubs demanding attention they hadn't earned.

The project started with several advantages. There was clearly a healthy budget, enough trees and shrubs to soften and visually screen the very long parking lot fence, and a collection of boulders appropriately sized for the scale of the landscape. Too often, designers scatter undersized rocks like decorative breadcrumbs and call it a day. These boulders actually belonged there.

So what did I notice while driving past at 45 miles per hour?

Not the attractive screening plants. Not the well-proportioned boulders. Not the thoughtful layout.

What caught my attention was the stark strip of evenly spaced 3-gallon tropical shrubs marching across the front of the bed like they had just arrived from the "Mobile Home Landscape Starter Kit."

It's a classic mistake. The larger landscape elements were doing the heavy lifting, but the thin row of undersized tropicals became the visual focal point because they created a hard, repetitive line that practically waved at passing motorists. Instead of enhancing the planting design, they distracted from it.

Good landscape design should draw your eye toward the strongest features. Unfortunately, those little shrubs have the attention-seeking persistence of a lost kitten, but unfortunately not the charm that usually comes with kittens. If the landscaper wanted to have a separate strip to mow around, then this landscape bed needs more plants, more boulders, (shorter but wider), and some ornamental grasses to soften the strip edges.

Here's my idea of a design fix that would visually anchor the landscape and better connect the fence plantings to the foreground. Adding more plants, ornamental grasses, and a few short, wide boulders would create the scale and rhythm this space is missing.

But honestly, I still wouldn't have chosen these particular plants.

Why? Because crotons and ixoras are practically on Florida's annual freeze-replacement program. Every winter, we know what's coming. Temperatures dip, leaves burn, branches die back, and commercial properties are left wondering why they have to replace their landscape each year.

That's not good landscape design. That's job security for the landscape company.

A landscape of this size deserves plants that provide year-round structure and beauty, not plants that spend part of every winter trying to recover from the last cold snap. With so many Florida-friendly shrubs and ornamental grasses available, there are better choices that would deliver color, texture, and reliability without turning seasonal damage into an expected maintenance expense.

It's a shame, because the bones of this landscape are excellent. The budget was there. The boulders are appropriately scaled. The screening is effective. Yet the plant palette feels like the weakest link in an otherwise well-executed design. A great landscape should mature and improve with time, not require an annual shopping trip to replace freeze-damaged plants.

Some people have rose gardens; but I would rather have a hibiscus garden. These tropical beauties seem to be showing off their bright colors like they’re competing in a flower fashion show. Every morning feels like a surprise party hosted by nature. Their vivid reds, pinks, yellows, whites, and oranges instantly brighten the landscape and lift the spirit. Sometimes I think the hibiscus wakes up happier than I do! What a wonderful reminder of God’s creativity and generosity. Through these beautiful blooms, He adds color, joy, and a little tropical laughter to our everyday lives. 

Remember, life can be a joyful journey. Enjoying all moments is up to YOU!  

Updates through “Lizzie Said What” socials.   

Creating Your Dream Landscape One Phase at a Time

by Teresa Watkins, Landscape Designer

Creating a dream landscape rarely happens overnight. In fact, many homeowners aren't exactly sure what they want their landscape to become when they first begin. Others may have a vision but not the budget to complete everything at once. And sometimes, taking a giant leap can feel a little intimidating. What if you invest all that time and money and then realize it's not quite what you imagined?

That's why designing a landscape in phases is often the best solution.

This lakefront landscape is a perfect example. While the property already featured a beautiful Florida lake view, it also came with a few challenges. The homeowners were concerned about stormwater runoff, felt there was too much turfgrass, and wanted to create a landscape that would attract butterflies, birds, and other wildlife. (See Before 2019)

Fortunately, there's an easy way to approach these challenges: follow Mother Nature's example.

Nature transforms landscapes gradually through a process of evolution and succession. A natural habitat may begin with only a few small plants, or even bare ground. Over time, birds, wildlife, wind, rain, flooding, fire, and even human intervention introduce new plants. Shrubs mature, trees grow taller, and plant communities become established. Within a decade, a landscape can look completely different from where it started.

The same approach works beautifully in our home landscapes.

With a thoughtful plan that considers site conditions, drainage, current needs, and future goals, you can create a landscape that evolves into exactly what you've envisioned. Whether you tackle the work yourself or partner with a landscape professional, small steps can produce dramatic results over time.

In this project, the original landscape consisted of large expanses of turfgrass. While turf can be practical and relatively low maintenance, the homeowners wanted more color, variety, and wildlife activity. Because the property sits on a lake with a naturally high water table and an irrigation system available when needed, reducing the lawn area was a workable option.

The first phase focused on adding definition and function. Garden beds were installed around the pool and along the backyard borders. River rock was added to improve drainage near the home's gutter discharge area, and the landscape began its transformation. (Phase 1, 2021)

As the homeowners enjoyed the changes, they became even more excited about the possibilities. During Phase Two, they decided to reduce the lawn area further and expand the gardens. We enlarged planting beds and incorporated low-maintenance, pollinator-friendly plants such as thryallis, pentas, and Lomandra 'Platinum Beauty.' The drainage area was also transformed into a rain garden, helping manage runoff while adding beauty and habitat value.

The results have been remarkable. The homeowners now enjoy more butterflies visiting their landscape than ever before, along with greater seasonal color and interest throughout the yard.

The lesson is simple: it's okay to dream. Your ideal landscape doesn't have to happen all at once. With patience, planning, and a phased approach, you can turn your backyard into the landscape you've always wanted.

And we're not finished yet. We're currently working on Phase 3: creating a spectacular butterfly garden in the front yard. Follow my Facebook page to see the latest Phase 3 "after" photos and watch this dream landscape continue to evolve.

Photo of spider plants, spider graphics: Teresa Watkins

Spider plants (Chlorophytum comosum) are among the most recognizable and forgiving houseplants around, especially for anyone who remembers the 1960s and 70s when they seemed to occupy every college dorm room, hippie hideaway, and macramé hanging basket in America. Today, there are more than 200 named varieties, ranging from solid green selections to the white-striped 'Variegatum' and the reverse-variegated 'Vittatum', all known for producing arching foliage and their famous dangling "spiderettes." My favorite is the Curly Spider Plant, Chlorophytum comosum 'Bonnie'. Instead of long, straight leaves, 'Bonnie' sports playful green-and-white curls that look as though they just came from a garden salon. Its compact, whimsical form adds texture and personality to containers and hanging baskets while maintaining the spider plant's well-earned reputation as one of the easiest, most carefree houseplants you'll ever grow.

Teresa’s Note: The planter featured in the graphic is one of my client installations, showcasing Curly Spider Plant 'Bonnie' paired with colorful impatiens.

My garden tours last month infused a love of the color orange, and at just the right time of year: Fall, with all its pumpkins, persimmons, and Halloween charm. But while orange may be the season's star, black is the new orange in my landscape designs.

Or perhaps I should say "sorta black," because nature never quite gives us a true black plant. Those dramatic foliage plants and blooms we admire are actually deep shades of burgundy, maroon, purple, or chocolate brown that appear black, especially when the light hits them just right.

Unlike animals, plants don't produce melanin, the pigment responsible for true black coloration. Instead, their dark, mysterious appearance comes from high concentrations of anthocyanins, pigments that create rich red and purple hues. When layered with chlorophyll and influenced by factors such as cool temperatures, low light, or even a little environmental stress, these pigments absorb most visible light and reflect only the deepest reds and violets.

The result is one of nature's most enchanting illusions: foliage and flowers that look almost black. That's why I love incorporating these near-black beauties into garden designs. They provide striking contrast against silver foliage, make chartreuse leaves glow, and give bright flowers an extra pop. While true black may not exist in the plant kingdom, these dark gems prove that black is the new orange when it comes to adding drama, depth, and sophistication to the landscape.

5. Color Is Deep and Even

A ripe pumpkin has a rich, even color all over. Traditional carving pumpkins turn a deep orange with no green spots. Other types will have their own mature colors, such as tan, gray-blue, or white. The spot resting on the ground also changes from pale green or white to a creamy yellow or light orange as the pumpkin ripens.

 4. The Skin Is Hard

Press your thumbnail into the pumpkin's skin. If the skin is hard and doesn't puncture easily, the pumpkin is ripe. If your thumbnail leaves a deep dent, it needs more time on the vine.

3. The Stem Is Brown and Dry

A ripe pumpkin has a stem that is dry, hard, and woody. The stem changes from green to brown or gray when the pumpkin is ready to harvest.

2. The Tendrils Are Brown and Dry

Look at the small curly tendrils near the pumpkin's stem. When they turn brown, dry, and brittle, the pumpkin is usually mature. Green tendrils mean the plant is still feeding the fruit.

1. The Vine Is Dying Back

When the leaves and vines begin turning yellow or brown and start to wither, the pumpkin is often fully mature. This is a natural sign that the growing season is ending.

Best Tip: Don't rely on just one sign. Look for at least two of these signs before harvesting. Pick pumpkins on a dry day and leave 3 to 4 inches of stem attached to help them store longer.

What To Do In Your Backyard in October

Average temperatures High 85 Low 65

Average rainfall is 2.73 inches

Time Change happens October 31st. Change your irrigation system to 1x a week watering.

October plantings

Vegetables: Beet, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, carrot, cauliflower, celery, collards, kohlrabi, lettuce, mustard, onion, peas, potato, radicchio, radish, rhubarb, roquette, rutabaga, spinach, strawberry, Swiss chard and turnip

Flowers: African daisy, alyssum, angelonia, ageratum, begonia, black-eyed Susan, blue daze, calendula, candytuft, celosia, chrysanthemums, cleome, coleus, cornflower, cosmos, dianthus, dusty miller, gaillardia, gazania, geraniums, gerbera, heliotrope, hollyhock, impatiens, larkspur, lobelia, nicotiana, pentas, petunia, salvia, snapdragon, sunflower, sweet pea, verbena and zinnia.

Herbs: Anise, basil, bay laurel, borage, cardamom, chervil, chives, coriander, dill, fennel, garlic, lavender, lemon balm, lovage, mint, nasturtium, oregano, rosemary, sage, sweet marjoram, tarragon, thyme and water cress.

Bulbs: African lily, agapanthus, amaryllis, anemone, bulbine, calla, crinum, day lily, gingers, gladiolus, pineapple lily, rain lily, society garlic, spider lilies, walking iris, watsonia. Refrigerate crocus, daffodils, hyacinth, narcissus, and tulips for forcing.

Grasses: Lomandra Breeze, Miscanthus ‘Adagio’, Muhly Grass, Dwarf Fakahatchee, White Fountain Grass, Lemon Grass.

Lawn care

• Get a soil test from the UF Soil Laboratory before fertilizing to know what nutrients to apply.

• Have the soil acidity tested.

• Apply a phosphorus-free lawn fertilizer to regreen the turf, (15-0-15)

• When applying fertilizer, follow label instructions.

• October is the last feeding for Bahiagrass, centipede, and zoysia lawns this year.

• Apply fertilizers, herbicides, after a rain event, not before.

• Apply fertilizer and herbicides as separate treatments. Skip weed-and-feed products for more effective, targeted applications.

• Regreen lawns that continually have a yellow look with an iron or minor-nutrient application.

• Herbicide-only products may be used following label instructions for your lawn type.

• Herbicides may not control all weeds; pull, dig or use non-selective spot sprays as labeled.

• October through April is a good time to install sod.

• Fill bare spots in lawns left from summer pests with sod or plugs.

• Seeding time for Bahiagrass is over.

• Delay rye seedings until temperature highs are in the low to mid-70’s.

• Chinch bugs and sod webworms can linger into Fall; control as needed

• Time Change happens October 31st. Change your irrigation system to 1x a week watering.

• Water turf when it shows signs of moisture stress.

• Use soil aeration in older, compacted, and poorly-drained soils to encourage better root growth.

• Continue mowing to maintain proper turf height; keep mowing height the same year-round.

• Sharpen & balance mower blades to give a smooth cut to leaf blades.

• Change the oil and air filters of gas-powered equipment for Fall.

• Use mulch or ornamental ground covers in areas where turf won’t grow.

 Vegetable and fruit tree care

• Harvest pumpkins this month. Look for dying leaves and vines, deep color, and hardened stem and rind.   

• Use large transplants of tomatoes, peppers, and eggplants to get a Fall crop.

• Stake or trellis tall or vine crops to keep the edible portions off the ground.

• Feed gardens every 3 to 4 weeks with a traditional fertilizer or use a slow-release product.

• Tomatoes begin setting and holding their fruits early to mid-month.

• Add flowers to vegetable gardens to attract pollinators.

• Prevent spray damage to pollinators; apply sprays when they are not active.

• Caterpillars feed on cucumbers, melons and tomatoes; control with a natural spray.

• Begin plantings of cool season vegetables around mid-month.

• Gardeners cramped for space can grow vegetables in containers.

• Start seeds for transplants of broccoli, cauliflower, and similar vegetables in containers.

• Add a mulch to the surface of the soil to conserve moisture and keep vegetables dirt free.

• Groom Summer-weary herb plantings and start new ones that prefer the cooler weather.

• Most vegetables & herbs need a moist soil; water when the surface begins to dry to the touch.

• Fruit splitting on citrus trees is normal and may continue into the Fall.

• Help prevent citrus fruit drop and splitting, water once or twice a week during dry weather.

• Give citrus the final feeding of the year during early October.

• Till new garden sites and enrich sandy soils with garden soil, organic matter and manure.

• Remove offshoots from pineapple plants to start new beds.

• Start papaya seedlings for late winter transplants.

• Add strawberry plants to a garden or build a pyramid for planting.

• Delay pruning all fruit plantings until mid to late winter.

• Speed up the composting process by turning the piles monthly.

• Harvest maturing chayote, cocoyam, dasheen, and gourds.

• Dig in the soil to check sweet potato plantings; most have roots ready to harvest.

  Landscape chores

• Recycle dead shrubs and branches in your Halloween landscape.

• Many plants produced late summer growth; prune to remove out of bounds shoots.

• Major pruning time is over for azaleas, bougainvillea, camellias, gardenias, and poinsettias.

• Shield poinsettias and holiday cactuses from nighttime light starting mid-month.

• Shrubs, ground covers, and perennials, are ready for a final Fall feeding.

• Use a slow-release fertilizer that can feed in-ground and container planting for months.

• Most ornamental and shade trees do not need a special feeding

• Give palms a final feeding of the year with an 8-0-12-4mg fertilizer or similar product.

• Palm diseases are prevalent; clean and sterilize pruners between palms.

• Be smart and only remove the brown fronds and flower stems from palms.

• Give hedges a final trimming.

• Remove suckers and low limbs from trees.

• Weeds are plentiful in ornamental plantings; hand pull or spot kill to prevent seeding.

• Whiteflies and mealy bugs are major pest; systemic insecticides offer good control.

• Drier weather lies ahead; water when the surface soil begins to dry.

• Most established trees and shrubs can go a week or more between waterings.

• Trim away limbs and weeds blocking the operation of sprinkler systems.

• Check container plantings for plugged drainage holes; repotting may be needed.

• Maintain mulch under trees and shrubs; start the mulch several inches from trunks.

• Determine tree needs and plant smaller growing wind resistant species.

• Check tree and palm supports to make sure they are secure but not damaging the plants.

• Add Fall plants to hanging baskets and container gardens.

• Edge sidewalks and plant beds.

• Replace soil in problem flower beds and planters.

• Replant flower beds with cool season annuals and perennials; delay pansies until November.

• Start Pansy and other winter annual seeds now for planting in November and December.

• Divide perennial and bulb plantings.

• Give water lilies and bog plants a monthly feeding.

 House & foliage plant care

•  Order gift amaryllis to be delivered in December for Xmas.

• Plants reduce pollutants and create a pleasing atmosphere when added to homes and offices.

• Foliage plants are often a good buy at garden centers during Fall; replace declining plants.

• Many foliage plants have grown too large for their containers; repot as needed.

• Groom outdoor foliage plants and begin moving them to a warm location.

• Most foliage plants need a bright light location but out of the direct sun.

• Feed plants in bright light monthly; less often in low light.

• Control insects on plants before moving them indoors.

• Water holiday cactuses only when the surface soil dries

• Begin forcing amaryllis and paper white narcissus for indoor displays and discontinue feedings.

• Make sure indoor poinsettia, holiday cactuses and kalanchoes receive no nighttime light.

Teresa Watkins Receives:

Two 2026 GardenComm Media Awards Silver Laurel Medals of Achievement

Orlando, FL — July 20, 2026 — Teresa Watkins has received two 2026 GardenComm Silver Laurel Medals of Achievement in Speaking & Broadcast presented by GardenComm: Garden Communicators International. The international awards program recognizes individuals and companies that achieve the highest levels of talent and professionalism in garden communications. The 2026 competition drew 146 entries across 43 categories.

Watkins earned the Silver Laurel Medals for Speaking & Broadcast for her radio show, “Better Lawns and Gardens - How to Grow Caladiums” and “Speaking & Broadcast: Radio program: Better Lawns and Gardens - Fall Prep for Winter.”

“The Silver Laurel Medal recipients represent the creativity, skill and professionalism that strengthen garden communications,” said Kathy Jentz, president of GardenComm. “Their work informs, inspires and connects audiences with gardening in meaningful ways, and we are proud to recognize their achievement.”

Since the early 1980s, the GardenComm Media Awards program has recognized outstanding garden-focused work across writing, photography, publishing, digital media, broadcast, podcasting and other communications disciplines.

The 2026 Silver Laurel Medal recipients were announced July 20 during the GardenComm Silver Laurel Media Awards Live Stream. The full list of 2026 winners are available at gardencomm.org/awards/2026-winners. For more information about the awards, contact Chris Sabbarese at info@gardencomm.org.

Teresa Watkins is a landscape designer, horticulturist, and garden author who hosts Better Lawns and Gardens, Florida’s most widely syndicated garden radio show. She broadcasts live every Saturday from 7–9 a.m. EST on WFLA-Orlando, iHeart Radio, on Florida radio stations, with full podcast episodes available on all major platforms. Her show blends Florida‑friendly landscaping, water conservation, sustainable gardening, and monthly how‑to advice, along with interviews, listener Q&A, and her signature “Dirty Word of the Day.

About GardenComm

GardenComm, Garden Communicators International, is an organization of professional communicators in the green and garden industry including book authors, bloggers, staff editors, syndicated columnists, freelance writers, photographers, speakers, landscape designers, television and radio personalities, consultants, publishers, extension service agents and more. No other organization in the industry has as much contact with the buying public as GardenComm members. Learn more at www.gardencomm.org.

Afternoon Tea at King Charles III's home? Brilliant!

One of the exclusive highlights of our 2027 Chelsea Flower Show & Best of English Gardens tour is a memorable afternoon tea at King Charles III's Highgrove gardens, accompanied by an intimate guided visit through his renowned royal gardens. Experience the finest English hospitality, including exceptional dining at a Michelin Guide One-Star restaurant featuring modern British farm-to-table cuisine set within the stunning Elizabethan manor of Gravetye Manor

Discover some of England's most inspiring and celebrated gardens, including the historic Garden Museum, Great Dixter, Sissinghurst Castle Garden, Iford Manor, the charming cottage gardens of the Cotswolds, and the world-class RHS Wisley Gardens. This extraordinary journey combines royal elegance, horticultural excellence, and quintessential English charm. https://tinyurl.com/4t9u5e5e

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