2025 Gardening Guide celebrates the passion for gardening

What are your garden passions? Do you particularly love tending succulents? Growing fragrant plants? How about showing children the wonders of vegetable gardening?

Every gardener has a favorite aspect of gardening, something they particularly dig into. That idea is behind the theme of the Sacramento County master gardeners’ 2025 Gardening Guide & Calendar: “Passionate About … what we love about gardening.”

The Gardening Guide & Calendar is an annual publication of the master gardeners, and it debuted for sale at Harvest Day earlier this month. It will be sold at all Sacramento master gardener events through the remainder of 2024, and into the new year. By September it should be available at several local nurseries, too.  The price is $12 including tax if purchased from the master gardeners; cost at retailers may be slightly higher.

It also may be ordered online here. And do note: It makes a great gift.

As with every year, the 2025 version is packed with monthly tips and reminders, as well as stories and pictures related to the theme. The publication is written by local master gardeners, including me, and most of the photographs are from the group, too. Editor Laura Cerles-Rogers pulled together and organized the many pieces of this information-packed guide.

The pages for August, for example, feature a restful photo of a shade garden by master gardener Gail Pothour. Below the picture are columns of advice on August chores such as pinching back basil flowers to keep the plant producing fresh leaves. There are tips on fruit trees, ornamental plants, irrigation, and potential pests, all tied to the Sacramento region and climate.

At the bottom of the calendar page is one of my favorite features this year: Quotes from various (unnamed) master gardeners about their gardening passions and fascinations. (Mine’s the second one on the July page, if you’re curious.) 

The back pages of the calendar feature larger articles on topics such as herbs, wildflower meadows and container gardening. This last article is especially useful for anyone with a only tiny place to garden — or someone who has filled up their available space!

The final inside page includes an ultra-useful chart, “A Seasonal Guide to Vegetable Planting.”  Let’s see: Latter half of August, a good time to get the chard, kale, leeks and turnip seeds planted.

For more information on the 2025 Gardening Guide & Calendar, go to https://sacmg.ucanr.edu/Gardening_Guide/