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Jess, The Garden Coach🌺. Virtual and in-person consultations. See website for info.

11/01/2026

Here are some highlights from October, in chronological order. It’s been a stunning fall in New England but this is always one of my favorite months in the garden. The colors are so vibrant and the light is amazing.🍁

For personalized advice about your property I meet with people in person around the Boston area and virtually anywhere. To book a consultation visit my Linktree or website: https://www.youcandoitgardening.com

You can also subscribe to this account for extra content. This supports the work I do here.

10/31/2026

Much more scary than any ghost or haunted house.😱 There are soooo many more invasive plants—and other invasive species!—to look out for. (This varies by state and there are 74 in Massachusetts alone!)

If you have any of these or any others that are classified as invasive in your state or country, please remove them! They spread all over our properties, into our neighbors’ yards and into wild areas. They outcompete plants that naturally grow there and birds, insects and other wildlife no longer have their food or habitat. And they suck the joy out of gardening. Truly scary!

Do you recognize any of these? See if you can get all of them. Look out for all of them and take action!🥷

Tons on invasive species in the playlists!

10/31/2026

Do you have a few minutes and a shovel in your hand? Do it! Divide and transplant until the ground is frozen. The plants are fine. (This one is Russian sage but I’ve found them all to be them same.)🪏👩‍🌾

Fall is especially good because who cares what it looks like when you’re done? Technically, fall is actually the best time because air temperatures are cooling but soil is still warm and there is usually more rain but weather is all over the place and this should not stop you from dividing and transplanting at other times of year.

Let’s go!!

For hands-on training and advice about your property I meet with people in person around the Boston area and virtually anywhere. To book a consultation visit my Linktree or website: https://www.youcandoitgardening.com

You can also subscribe to this account for extra content. This also supports the work I do.😊

10/30/2026

They don’t give a hoot about us but I sure am obsessed with all of them!🐝

It’s really interesting because having late-season bloomers to provide nectar and pollen to insects is critical but most of that guidance is surrounding native plants. I have aromatic asters which a lot of bees adore but these mums are the main attraction. I’ve had them for years and they divide and spread really easily. Not all mums come back but it’s worth planting them in the ground when you’re done with them for the season, just in case they come back. Sometimes they even make it over the winter in those flimsy plastic pots. Go figure.

For hands-on advice about your property I meet with people in person around the Boston area and virtually anywhere. To book a consultation visit my Linktree or website: https://www.youcandoitgardening.com You can also subscribe to this account for extra content. This supports the work I do.

10/30/2026

This topic is immensely complex and there are a lot of feelings but not always a lot of facts.

I have become more and more passionate about the control of invasive species over the last few years. If we want a thriving ecosystem, we need to take this on. Strategic use of herbicide is one of the tools that can be deployed.🐝🦉

Doug Tallamy and I chatted in the spring. He is the co-founder of Homegrown National Park and is known as the “godfather of the native plant movement.” (He is very much against spraying for ticks and mosquitoes by the way. That kills everything.)

Invasives take resources from and crowd out native species, which have been co-evolving with native wildlife for thousands of years. This negatively impacts the ecosystem by reducing biodiversity, degrading clean water and erosion control, and reducing habitat and pollination, which impacts the food web.

Whether a plant is classified as “Invasive” is determined by each state. For example, Massachusetts now has 74 official invasive species. Please find out what is considered invasive where you live.

We shouldn’t relish the idea of using chemicals but at scale, this is the only practical way to combat invasive species. Also, not all herbicides are the same and some are way more damaging to the environ than others. So many people are worried about glyphosate (formally the active ingredient in Roundup but it is not longer in there because of all the lawsuits) but this has only a “caution” warning in the label for health and stays in the soil the least long if any of the herbicides.

Educate yourself, take precautions and try to see the holistic view that according to experts, often the greatest ecological benefit is through a strategic and targeted use of herbicide for the greater good. We cannot confuse this with persistent, wide-scale agricultural use. They are simply not the same.

If you’re concerned about health risks then wear PPE or outsource.

For more information about invasive plants I recommend University Extension programs wholeheartedly to research whatever you’re struggling with. Just type in the plant you’re looking to manage and “university extension” and pick an article from one closest to your location.

For hands-on advice about your property I meet with people in person around the Boston area and virtually anywhere. To book a consultation visit my Linktree or website: https://www.youcandoitgardening.com You can also subscribe to this account for extra content. This supports the work I do.

10/29/2026

This area has a lot of different names but my favorite is Hellstrip. It’s tough to manage an area like this with high traffic, no irrigation, poor soil, salt and dogs—hence the name.

I started playing planting it in 2014 at the bottom and slowly made my way up, mirroring on the other side of the sidewalk and expanding. Grass was a struggle there. Plants repeat and there are things in bloom from April to November. The season ends with the perennial mums, amsonia and grasses and other than a spring cutback as late as I can stand (when temps get into the 50s reliably) and a little w**ding during the summer, it’s extremely low maintenance. Once plants fill in a space there is less need for mulch and less area to w**d. I leave everything up over the winter.

The area on the other side along the sidewalk all used to be grass but I started killing that off in 2024 above the driveway and last spring below the driveway. Then I expanded to the whole front lawn last fall. Remaining grass in paths will be converted to wood chips either this fall or next spring. (I did a post on why recently if you missed it but the summary is because it’s too much maintenance.)

If you need guidance with your garden I would love to help you. Go to my website to book an in-person consultation in the Boston area or virtual consultation anywhere.https://www.youcandoitgardening.com

You can also subscribe to this account for extra content. This also supports the work I do.😊

10/28/2026

Make it make sense or get rid of it!👍🤣😅💀

If you like help making sense of whatever you have going on in your yard, visit my website for information about how to book an in-person consultation in the Boston area or virtual consultation anywhere. https://www.youcandoitgardening.com
You can also subscribe for only $5/month for exclusive content, behind-the-scenes!

10/27/2026

Planting bulbs is an investment in future spring me. It helps me get through the winter and gives me something to look forward to in the spring.🌷

I usually plant my bulbs right around Thanksgiving or even into December but this may vary based on your hardiness zone. I sprinkle some garlic powder or chili powder on the ground above and repeat periodically until the ground freezes and then again in the spring. That seems to keep the bunnies away for me. If you have a lot of deer or bunnies you may want to avoid tulips and go with daffodils, hyacynths and allium instead. (No guarantees for desperate critters.)

Tulips don’t reliably come back for me so I treat them like annuals but all the other ones do so I leave everything else. When the tulips are done I yank them out and put annuals in their place. I also have perennials in this area and use pots.

You don’t need to worry about the bulbs pointing up or touching each other. I just drop the contents of the bag right in the hole. They find a way. If you’ve never tried this before, go for it!

I just ordered mine over the weekend and it’s getting a little late for that but there are still plenty out there. Think about getting yours soon, either by ordering online or at your local nursery. Most bulbs are from Europe but are widely available here.

Feel free to share any other tips you may have for those new to bulb planting.

For more hands-on guidance, visit my website for information about how to book an in-person consultation in the Boston area or virtual consultation anywhere. https://www.youcandoitgardening.com Please help others with questions if you are able and subscribe for only $5/month for exclusive content, behind-the-scenes and Q&A!

10/26/2026

Since I mentioned “peak” foliage in my last post, I thought I would share a little more from what that felt like to me. It was early October. (I also shared something from that time on October 11 if you missed it and are interested in seeing a little more.)

Elections are almost here. Vote for candidates who have a track record of protecting the environment. Not all democrats do but republicans definitely do not. Anyone who voted for the “Big Beautiful Bill” last year in Congress (all republicans) sold us out and they do not care about the environment at all. They don’t deserve to be re-elected. Shame on all of them. If you’re in Massachusetts please vote yes on ballot question 6!

If you are interested in learning more about that bill and its devastating impact, listen to the podcast. It’s an incredible series and everyone who is even remotely interested in public land and its place in our culture and history should listen to it.. They just won a gold Signal award for the series and it is so well deserved.👏

10/25/2026

A spectacular weekend in southern New Hampshire where we have a cottage. Bathe in the light, foliage, peace and views.🍁

“Peak” foliage is over but there is still some serious beauty to behold.

Mount Monadnock is the second most climbed mountain in the world every year. (The first is Mount Fugi.) I grew up climbing it periodically and will continue to as long as my body allows it. It’s about a 4-hour round trip from the cottage, including lunch at the top.👌 This trip was with my husband and younger daughter.

The view from the lake is very special and offers a whole other perspective. The beavers have been busy building a second dam over the last couple of years but the water was high enough to slide right over.

The garden is in a state of partial disarray—waiting for approval for a big septic project and I ransacked the two areas that will be totally demolished a couple of weeks ago and moved many plants elsewhere temporarily until the project is done and I will start again in the spring. (It’s a hassle but I consider myself very fortunate overall. For more on this I did something on it a few weeks ago called “Radical Acceptance.”)

If you need guidance with your garden I would love to help you. Go to my website to book an in-person consultation in the Boston area or virtual consultation anywhere.https://www.youcandoitgardening.com

You can also subscribe to this account for extra content. This also supports the work I do.😊

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