The Savvy Sage

  Article by Peg Smith - For the first time in forty-plus years, our Hachiya persimmon has produced very little fruit. This appears to be anecdotally common this year. The persimmon’s annual seasonal changes are easy to identify: dormant, spring/early summer fruit drop (also called ‘barefoot…

Article and photos by Joy Sakai -  Have you noticed that most native plant gardeners avoid deadheading during the summer and fall? That's because native bees are using the flowers for nectar and pollen, and birds feed on the seeds. For another thing, nobody wants to go out and garden in 100° plus…

Article by Mike Kluk - I recently passed one of those yearly milestones that has left me looking down the road of my seventy-fourth year. I’m hoping to remain active, healthy, and happy next year and for many more. As we age, many of us begin to realize that living better is equally important with…

 Article by Diana Herrera - Winter months can be a challenging time for wildlife as their food sources become scarcer, and they seek shelter from the elements. There are lots of things we can do – or not do - in our gardens to support our local wildlife which play important ecological roles in the…

Ask a Master GardenerThis column is written by the Master Gardeners of Yolo County each month. It provides answers to selected questions recently asked by Yolo County gardeners.Starting this month, the “Ask a Master Gardener” column is fielding questions directly from Yolo County gardeners and other garden…