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UC Master Gardener Program of Yolo County

purple Spanish lavender flowers
Article

Landscape Transitions Part 1 - Focal Points

June 12, 2025
Article by Kate Bear -   Nearly three years ago, my husband and I moved to Davis. The house we bought for our retirement life had a yard that included drip irrigation and no lawn, two positive attributes. The landscape was neat and easy to maintain, but didn’t satisfy my desire for variety, color,…
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The Case for Succession - Planting for Fall in June

June 4, 2025
 Article by Lorie Hammond - Did you plant your summer garden in April or May, and think that you are finished? But do you have spaces in your garden where something did not grow, or where an early crop is now finished? You might be happy to know that June is a great time to plant flowers and other…
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June Garden Tips

May 30, 2025
Article by Peg Smith -  When working in the garden, it is wise not to presume that what looks like a collection of garden debris on a branch or limb is of no consequence. It may be of great value to a non-human cohabitant of the garden. Bushtit nests, from a casual look, appear as a collection of…
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Apple Bagging Made Simple

May 30, 2025
  Article by Kathy Hill -  Nearly seven years ago at the beginning of fall, I thought to myself “today is the day.” The apple tree had been lovingly watered, fertilized, pruned, and the fruit had been thinned. It was harvesting time. The excitement was palpable. I had carefully picked…
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Growing Lavender

May 30, 2025
Article by Joy Humphrey -  Before I developed an interest in gardening, I thought there was only one type of lavender—just, you know, lavender—and that it made a really nice scent for hand lotion. After I became a gardener, I discovered there is a whole world of lavender out there in numerous…
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Dirty Stories

May 30, 2025
 Article by Cheri Meyers - As a recent graduate of the UC Master Gardener Program of Yolo County, this is my first attempt to share my gardening experiences in the Yolo Gardener Newsletter and Savvy Sage Blog. I hope you find it worth the read.It’s a lovely but warm spring day here in West…
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A Spring Walk in the UC Davis Arboretum and Public Garden

May 30, 2025
  Article by Lorie Hammond - A friend and I walk the UC Davis Arboretum every week. Each time she comments: “How can it be so different?” And every time, we are amazed. There is never a bad time to see this ever-changing collection of plant communities. Always beautiful. Always different. But…
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The Nature Cure

May 20, 2025
Article and photos (adapted) by Tanya Kucak, UC Master Gardener, Yolo County Spending time in gardens and parks can not only make you healthier and happier, it can also make you more resilient and “a better member of civilization,” Florence Williams said in a keynote talk at the 2023 Wild Wonder…
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May Garden Tips

May 7, 2025
Tips by Peg Smith, UC Master Gardener-Yolo May is the month to get all these wonderful summer vegetables planted: tomatoes, peppers, corn, eggplant, and squash. We are all familiar with ‘summer squash’ such as zucchini, crookneck, and patty pan. But don’t be fooled by the term ‘winter squash’ (butternut…
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An Interview with a Plant Whisperer-UCD's Dr. Richard Karban

April 30, 2025
Article by Mike Kluk, UC Master Gardener, Yolo CountyThe Department of Entomology and Nematology is not the place you would normally expect to find a research scientist who is developing a completely new understanding of how plants relate to their environment. But Dr. Richard Karban, formally trained in…
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Photo of a table filled with bowls of different varieties of tomatoes.
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2025 Tomato Seedling Sale - Fifteen New Varieties!

February 24, 2025
Every spring, Yolo Master Gardeners sell tomato seedlings the first two Saturday mornings in April. This year, the sale features thirty-five varieties, fifteen of which are new to the sale. With rapid climate change, summers are getting hotter and heat waves longer.
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Photo of a parent Washington navel orange tree and historical marker in Riverside, CA
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March Garden Tips and Vegetable Planting Guide

February 24, 2025
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.
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Photo of dalhias.
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Growing Dahlias

February 24, 2025
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.
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Photo of lemons on Lorie's Eureka lemon tree.
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Lemons: Sweet and Savory

February 21, 2025
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.
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Photo of an adult western malaria mosquito.
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IPM/SPM Series: Mosquitoes

February 20, 2025
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.
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Shelves of various consumer pesticides in a retail store.
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IPM/SPM Series: Pesticide Use

February 13, 2025
Before considering pesticides, Integrated Pest Management (IPM) teaches us to identify the pest or disease process before taking the actions of least harm. The IPM website has tools that you can use to identify the pest.
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Welcome

The UC Master Gardener's Website provides University of California research-based information and assistance to home gardeners. Ask a question, attend a public class, or find information through our free publications. Enjoy! 

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Jennifer Baumbach
Program Coordinator, UC Master Gardeners of Yolo 
UC Cooperative Extension office-Yolo
2780 E. Gibson Road Woodland, CA 95695
work/cell: 707-389-0645-texts ok, fax:530-666-8736, jmbaumbach@ucanr.edu

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Upcoming Events

June 21, 2025

Lowes' Question and Answer Desk

The UC Master Gardeners of Yolo County will be available to answer your gardening questions from 10am until noon at their twice monthly gardening "Questions and Answers Desk."
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Office Locations

UC Cooperative Extension office-Yolo

2780 E. Gibson Road
Woodland , CA 95695
United States

Phone
(530) 666-8737
you can leave a message and the MGs will get back to you.
Fax Number
(530) 666-8736

Mission Statement

The UC Master Gardener's Website provides University of California research based information and assistance to home gardeners.