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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Photo of a bushtit bird.
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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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Photo of a bag placed over the apple and stapled at the bottom.
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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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Photo of the cover of the book The Light Eaters - How the Unseen World of Plant Intelligence Offers a New Understanding of Life on Earth by Zoe Schlanger
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The Light Eaters by Zoe Schlanger – A Fresh Look at the Other Kingdom

May 30, 2025
 Article by Mike Kluk - This is Part I of an article that will be published over two months. Scientists currently estimate that one billion years ago, plants and animals diverged from a common ancestor to form separate kingdoms. Since then, plants and animals have evolved radically different…
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Spanish lavender 'Javelin Forte Deep Purple'
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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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Lady beetle nursery
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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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