Sacramento gardener's best friend is still just $10

Now available: The 2023 Gardening Guide & Calendar.

2023 Gardening Guide and Calendar on sale now 

Harvest Day this month was so busy that the debut of the 2023 Gardening Guide and Calendar may have slipped under the radar. But with summer winding down, and fall planting ahead, now is the perfect time to buy a copy -- and several more for friends and family.

The Gardening Guide and Calendar is produced by the Sacramento County master gardeners, with a different theme each year. (Full disclosure: I wrote some pieces for and helped proof the publication.) Master gardener Laura Cerles-Rogers wrangles many articles and photos into the single most helpful guide for Sacramento-area gardeners that I've ever run across. The price, including tax, is still just $10.

March features bok choy. (Photo: Kathy Morrison)

"Edible Gardens: Veggies" is the theme for 2023. The calendar part of the publication includes gorgeous pictures of the featured vegetables as well as notes on each month's garden chores, pests to watch out for, lists of UC ANR online resources and other seasonal tips.  There is plenty of space to take notes on planting dates, weather events and fertilizer reminders, to name a few things I keep track of on mine.

The back portion is a gardening magazine in itself: An extensive story on tomatoes, ideas for small-space gardening, a look at vegetable pests, an explanation of the Scoville scale of pepper hotness, and a host of other informative pieces. The so-helpful annual Planting Chart rounds out the pages.

The publication is available online at https://sacmg.ucanr.edu/Gardening_Guide/ for mail delivery, and also will be sold in person at master gardener events the remainder of the year. (Coming up: Open Garden Day on Sept. 10.) Several nurseries in the region also typically carry it during the fall, although the price could be a little higher. 

Proceeds from the sales benefit Sacramento County master gardener programs.

-- Kathy Morrison