The Savvy Sage

As a small child, each year I would find in my Christmas stocking, a fresh orange, which was a special treat to be looked forward to amid the English winter. Now living in California there I still experience that delight in picking fresh navel oranges from a home garden tree to eat or juice.

I think of dahlias as plants that can suit any personality. Are you a person who likes to make a splash whenever you walk into a room? You might find that a fire engine red dinner plate dahlia is just the thing for your dramatic garden.

Every year at this time, when my Eureka lemon tree is laden with more lemons than I know what to do with, I invite my friends over and we turn those lemons into limoncello.

If you liveinYolo County, I suggest you plant citrus. I grow navel oranges,caracara oranges, Eureka lemons,satsuma mandarins, and ruby red grapefruits in my backyard. Most of these fruits can be eaten just as they are, and provide abundant winter gifts for family, neighbors and friends.

In this section of my IPM/SPM Series I'd like to discuss a particular pest that we are all familiar with. Pest damage is not restricted to our gardens, they can also affect human well-being.