The Savvy Sage

two purple sage flowers with a green background of foliage

A Master Gardeners blog to: Educate, Inspire, and Ignite Knowledge.

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Helleborus argutifolius (Corsican hellebore).
The Savvy Sage: Article

December Garden Tips and Vegetable Planting Guide

November 24, 2025
 Article and photos by Peg Smith - Amongst all the hustle and bustle of the winter holiday season, we often fall into a reflective mood as the calendar year-end approaches. An ideal time to look back on your year in the garden, not to harshly judge gardening efforts that may not have equaled your…
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Foxtail fern is not a fern; note the berries.
The Savvy Sage: Article

Ferns

November 24, 2025
 Article and photos by Peg Smith - As a young child, my experiences with ferns included long walks across Derbyshire moorland where the bracken was twice as tall as I was. Other moorland ferns indicated boggy areas to avoid. Then there was the almost compulsory maidenhair fern house plant that…
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The Savvy Sage: Article

Planting Native Annual Flowers for Earliest Spring Blooms

November 15, 2025
 Article and photos by Megan Smith -  I have to say, fall could be my very favorite time of year. Not necessarily because the garden is bursting with abundance and color, in fact quite the opposite. Plants are shutting themselves down, ending their life cycle or going dormant. Most everything…
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Ask a Master Gardener

November 12, 2025
 “Ask a Master Gardener” fields questions directly from Yolo County gardeners and other garden enthusiasts. Questions for this column can be sent to the authors at jmbaumbach@ucanr.edu, with “Ask MGs” in the subject line. People submitting questions will remain anonymous, if desired. When emailing a…
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Powdery mildew covering leaves and stems on a plant.
The Savvy Sage: Article

Ask a Master Gardener

November 10, 2025
 “Ask a Master Gardener” fields questions directly from Yolo County gardeners and other garden enthusiasts. Questions for this column can be sent to the authors at jmbaumbach@ucanr.edu, with “Ask MGs” in the subject line. People submitting questions will remain anonymous, if desired. When emailing a…
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