The Savvy Sage

two purple sage flowers with a green background of foliage

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

The Savvy Sage: Article

The Monarch Butterfly: A Pollinator that Galvanized an Army

December 19, 2025
 Article by Kathy Polkinghorn - When I applied to become a UC Master Gardener in 2015 after a few years of retirement, I was not sure what to expect. Although my career took me in a different direction, I had a midwestern farm family background and a lifelong affinity for plants. As a child, I…
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The Savvy Sage: Article

Ask A Master Gardener

December 17, 2025
This column is written by the Master Gardeners of Yolo County each month. It provides answers to selected questions recently asked by Yolo County gardeners. Question: My five-year-old grapefruit has yellowing leaves. It has not bloomed. I water it every day. What should I do? Answer: A five-year…
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The Savvy Sage: Article

Ask a Master Gardener

December 17, 2025
This column is written by the Master Gardeners of Yolo County each month. It provides answers to selected questions recently asked by Yolo County gardeners.. Question: What fungal diseases are commonly seen in fruit trees in the Sacramento Valley? What treatments do you recommend?Answer: Fruit trees in…
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Helleborus argutifolius (Corsican hellebore).

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.

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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