A home, a yard, a never-ending adventure

A home, a yard, a never-ending adventure

Blackberries are early this year FRESH PICKED Sonja sunflower

FRESH AT SAGE’S ACRE

See More

FRESH AT SAGE’S ACRE

HOME & GARDEN

More Garden

HOME & GARDEN

More Garden

PHOTO GALLERY

There’s always some strange, interesting, beautiful or fun going on here at the Acre, so I carry a camera. Just in case.

More Photos

PLANTS

I grow sub-tropicals, California natives, and lots of vegetables then share my experience and thoughts

More Plants

FOOD & RECIPES

More Recipes

FOOD & RECIPES

More Recipes

AROUND THE ACRE

Live Video Stream

What do chickens and ducks do when no one is watching? Find out with ChickenCam! Camera feed is live on weekends from 9AM to 4PM Pacific.
Visit the ChickenCam »

Make a live backyard or wildlife camera just like Chickencam It’s easy!

Weathercam

live weathercam

Live camera shot facing west toward the Pacific Ocean, about 7 miles away.

→ Live Camera →Wunderground

Running Projects @sagesacre

Sage’s Acre on Instagram

For privacy reasons Instagram needs your permission to be loaded.
For privacy reasons Instagram needs your permission to be loaded.
Blackberries are early this year. Normally we would see them ripening in early June, but the unusually warm winter woke them up in February and had them blooming by March. Unfortunately, the bees weren't out in force yet so a lot of flowers went unpollinated. Probably won't harvest more than a pound or two so we won't be making blackberry jam this year. But, at least we have fresh berries for the next few weeks. #zone9 #californiagarden #sandiegogarden #blackberries #spring berries #ediblegarden
For privacy reasons Instagram needs your permission to be loaded.
Look what was hiding under the last of the winter veggies in the keyhole garden 🌱✨! Mid-spring and what's left of the late winter herbs and veggies are pretty much played out. Spinach, cilantro, peas, and lettuce have either all died out or bolted into their final stages. Clearing out the spent plants I was pleased to find several tomatillos in there quietly doing their thing. Now that they have some extra sun they're really starting to fruit and flower. I haven't actually planted any tomatillos in years, so these are volunteers from previous seasons. Because I let both purple and green varieties cross-breed, it's a bit of a crap shoot as to what each year's offspring will be. But once they start to fruit you can easily tell. Green varieties (the type used in salsa verde) have a light green husk with deep green veins. Purple ones, which are sweeter, have a green husk with purple veins. This year, as you can see in the photos, we have both. Fresh salsa is just a few weeks away! Are you a 'clean slate' gardener or do you let the volunteers take over like I do? Tell me the best surprise plant that’s ever popped up in your beds! #GardenToTable, #OrganicGardening, #GrowYourOwnFood, #Homegrown, #VegetableGarden, #SanDiegoGardening, #SoCalGarden, #SouthwestGardener, #Zone9, #CaliforniaGardening, #Tomatillos, #VolunteerPlants, #SalsaVerde, #EdibleGarden, #PurpleTomatillo, #SagesAcre, #GardenSurprises, #KitchenGarden, #UrbanFarming
For privacy reasons Instagram needs your permission to be loaded.
Is the #BentoGarden trend all it’s cracked up to be? 🍱 In #SanDiegoGardening, the answer is… complicated. Eight weeks ago, I planted a "Salsa Bento" in my keyhole bed. The dream? A perfectly partitioned, high-density #VegetableGarden. The reality? Our early spring heatwave turned it into a bit of a #GardenFail. 😅 Here’s the "Live and Learn" breakdown: 🌿 Our cilantro bolted and shaded out the peppers (oops). 🧅 The onion border dried up before it could even start. 🍅 BUT, the ‘Litt’l Bites’ are proving that #ContainerGardening varieties are the real MVPs for small spaces! Nature doesn’t always stay in the boxes we build for it, but that’s the beauty of #OrganicGardening. You pivot, you harvest some coriander seeds, and you wait for the tomatoes. Check the link in our bio for the full "Instagram vs. Reality" update! 🖥️✨ #SagesAcre #SmallSpaceGardening #SoCalGarden #Zone10b #GrowYourOwnFood #UrbanGardening #GardenReality
For privacy reasons Instagram needs your permission to be loaded.
Chickens get the spotlight… but ducks are doing the real work. Slug control, orchard cleanup, and fertilizer you can use the same day. 👉 Full story at the link in bio. #OrganicGardening #SoCalGarden #Zone9Gardening #BackyardGarden #UrbanHomestead #GardenTips #GrowYourOwnFood #SustainableLiving #Compost #Permaculture #Homesteading #GardenLife
For privacy reasons Instagram needs your permission to be loaded.
Gaucho the Rooster passed around this time of year back in 2023. He was 15 years old, but every bit as spry as he was when he was just a chick. An accidental chicken (I sent the girls to the feed store to get laying hens, they came back with bantams), he was small in size only. His glossy feathers and elaborate dance moves made him a favorite of the ladies (like a tiny Antonio Banderas). He used to ride around in the wheelbarrow looking like a tiny orange emperor surveying his empire. Every so often I'll hear a banty crowing off in the distance and think of him. #chicken #rooster #backyardchickens #backyardpoultry #gauchothemagnificent
For privacy reasons Instagram needs your permission to be loaded.
Purple blooms are taking over the hillsides! 🌸 But before you let this Wild Radish (Raphanus raphanistrum) take over your garden, there are a few things you should know. While they’re a favorite for local pollinators and technically edible (yes, all parts are spicy!), they have a hidden "superpower" that might keep your other seeds from growing. 🛑 I'm breaking down why I let them bloom but never let them go to seed at Sage’s Acre. 📍 Read the full guide at the link in my bio! #SagesAcre #Zone9Gardening #SanDiegoGardening #WildRadish #SoCalGarden #InvasivePlants #SpringBloom #UrbanGardening #Permaculture
For privacy reasons Instagram needs your permission to be loaded.
Just a wild cucumber (Marah macrocarpa) growing on the fence in the vegetable garden. Unlike real cucumbers, this one is toxic and a member of the gourd family. It's perennial native to San Diego, growing from a big, woody tuber that can get as big as person (thus the nickname "manroot"). The spiky fruit will dry out, just like a gourd, then crack open and drop seeds everywhere. One of the interesting things about the seedlings is the first growth goes down rather than up. That turns into the tuber from which the plant then grows upward. What I really remember about this plant is when we were kids my friends and I would find them and throw them at each other like grenades. If you were lucky, it'd get stuck in their hair and be really hard to remove without yanking some hair out with it. #boyswillbeboys #californianative #nativeplants #mybackyard
For privacy reasons Instagram needs your permission to be loaded.
THE PRODUCE AISLE PIVOT 🛒➡️🌱 Can you really grow a professional-grade garden from supermarket scraps? Short answer: Yes. Long answer: You need to know which varieties are "Slam Dunks" and which ones are "Genetic Traps." These Roma tomatoes are the 4th generation of a grocery store Roma... but better! 🧪 **The Science:** By the 4th generation, these plants have adapted to my soil, thinned their "shipping armor" skins, and boosted their sugar content. 💡 **Pro-Tip:** If your grocery store carrots turn white by Year 3, don’t panic—it’s a genetic rollback! I’ll show you how to fix it in the kitchen. Check the link in my bio for the "Supermarket Seed Hacker" Scorecard! 🔗 #GroceryStoreGardening #SeedSaving #UrbanHomestead #GardenHacks #Sustainability #SanDiegoGardening #zone9gardening
For privacy reasons Instagram needs your permission to be loaded.
Garden Goal: A literal tunnel of gourds. 🥒✨ Living in San Diego means finding creative ways to deal with the July heat. This DIY hanging gourd garden is my favorite "hack." It creates a cool microclimate for my summer crops and looks incredible under the moonlight. 🌙 In my latest blog post, I’m breaking down: ✅ The $40 budget trellis build ✅ Why gourds beat cucumbers for vertical growth ✅ How to attract Hawk Moths for nighttime pollination Tap the link in my bio to see the growth transformation! 🚀 #SagesAcre #Zone9Gardening #SanDiegoGarden #VerticalGardening #GourdGarden #GardenDIY #UrbanFarming #SouthwestGardening
For privacy reasons Instagram needs your permission to be loaded.
🕵️‍♂️ GARDEN CHALLENGE: How many ingredients for a salad can you spot in this photo? 🥗 The backside of our keyhole garden bed decided to plant itself this year, and the result is a literal accidental salad bar! It’s a beautiful, leafy mess of "volunteer" plants that we just... let happen. How many of the following can you find? 🥬 Lettuce 🥕 Carrots 🌿 Dill 🌱 Celery 🎈 Radishes 🫛 Beans ✨ Snow Peas 🍃 Spinach 🫑 Kale Drop your count in the comments! 👇 Then head to the link in our bio to see how "sowing chaos" became our most productive gardening strategy yet. #GardenISpy #SaladBarGarden #VolunteerPlants #SanDiegoGardening #LazyGardening #SuburbanHomestead #SagesAcre
For privacy reasons Instagram needs your permission to be loaded.
Stop 🛑 pulling your seedlings apart! If you’ve ever lost a tiny tomato or basil sprout to transplant shock, it’s likely because of damaged root hairs. Young plants need every bit of root strength they can get before the heat sets in. 🌵 My article shares a "Lazy Gardener" hack: The Seedling Bath. 🛁 This simple water-soak method: ✅ Untangles roots without tearing ✅ Eliminates transplant shock ✅ Works for tricky plants like carrots and lettuce Tap the link in our bio to see the step-by-step photo guide and a quick video tutorial! 🌿✨ #SouthwestGardening #OrganicGardening #SeedlingTips #Zone8b #CaliforniaGardening #GardeningHacks #SagesAcre #UrbanGarden
For privacy reasons Instagram needs your permission to be loaded.
SO... while many people are still digging out of the snow, it's 95° F in the sun and 89° in the shade. In February. Seems excessive, but I'll take it (as long as it doesn't last too long -- the greenhouse is roasting). #sandiego #latewinter #niceweather
Loading the next set of instagram posts...
Load More

Blackberries are early this year FRESH PICKED Sonja sunflower

FRESH AT SAGE’S ACRE

See More

FRESH AT SAGE’S ACRE

HOME & GARDEN

More Garden

HOME & GARDEN

More Garden

PHOTO GALLERY

There’s always some strange, interesting, beautiful or fun going on here at the Acre, so I carry a camera. Just in case.

More Photos

PLANTS

I grow sub-tropicals, California natives, and lots of vegetables then share my experience and thoughts

More Plants

FOOD & RECIPES

More Recipes

FOOD & RECIPES

More Recipes

AROUND THE ACRE

Live Video Stream

What do chickens and ducks do when no one is watching? Find out with ChickenCam! Camera feed is live on weekends from 9AM to 4PM Pacific.
Visit the ChickenCam »

Make a live backyard or wildlife camera just like Chickencam It’s easy!

Weathercam

live weathercam

Live camera shot facing west toward the Pacific Ocean, about 7 miles away.

→ Live Camera →Wunderground

Running Projects @sagesacre

Sage’s Acre on Instagram

For privacy reasons Instagram needs your permission to be loaded.
For privacy reasons Instagram needs your permission to be loaded.
Blackberries are early this year. Normally we would see them ripening in early June, but the unusually warm winter woke them up in February and had them blooming by March. Unfortunately, the bees weren't out in force yet so a lot of flowers went unpollinated. Probably won't harvest more than a pound or two so we won't be making blackberry jam this year. But, at least we have fresh berries for the next few weeks. #zone9 #californiagarden #sandiegogarden #blackberries #spring berries #ediblegarden
For privacy reasons Instagram needs your permission to be loaded.
Look what was hiding under the last of the winter veggies in the keyhole garden 🌱✨! Mid-spring and what's left of the late winter herbs and veggies are pretty much played out. Spinach, cilantro, peas, and lettuce have either all died out or bolted into their final stages. Clearing out the spent plants I was pleased to find several tomatillos in there quietly doing their thing. Now that they have some extra sun they're really starting to fruit and flower. I haven't actually planted any tomatillos in years, so these are volunteers from previous seasons. Because I let both purple and green varieties cross-breed, it's a bit of a crap shoot as to what each year's offspring will be. But once they start to fruit you can easily tell. Green varieties (the type used in salsa verde) have a light green husk with deep green veins. Purple ones, which are sweeter, have a green husk with purple veins. This year, as you can see in the photos, we have both. Fresh salsa is just a few weeks away! Are you a 'clean slate' gardener or do you let the volunteers take over like I do? Tell me the best surprise plant that’s ever popped up in your beds! #GardenToTable, #OrganicGardening, #GrowYourOwnFood, #Homegrown, #VegetableGarden, #SanDiegoGardening, #SoCalGarden, #SouthwestGardener, #Zone9, #CaliforniaGardening, #Tomatillos, #VolunteerPlants, #SalsaVerde, #EdibleGarden, #PurpleTomatillo, #SagesAcre, #GardenSurprises, #KitchenGarden, #UrbanFarming
For privacy reasons Instagram needs your permission to be loaded.
Is the #BentoGarden trend all it’s cracked up to be? 🍱 In #SanDiegoGardening, the answer is… complicated. Eight weeks ago, I planted a "Salsa Bento" in my keyhole bed. The dream? A perfectly partitioned, high-density #VegetableGarden. The reality? Our early spring heatwave turned it into a bit of a #GardenFail. 😅 Here’s the "Live and Learn" breakdown: 🌿 Our cilantro bolted and shaded out the peppers (oops). 🧅 The onion border dried up before it could even start. 🍅 BUT, the ‘Litt’l Bites’ are proving that #ContainerGardening varieties are the real MVPs for small spaces! Nature doesn’t always stay in the boxes we build for it, but that’s the beauty of #OrganicGardening. You pivot, you harvest some coriander seeds, and you wait for the tomatoes. Check the link in our bio for the full "Instagram vs. Reality" update! 🖥️✨ #SagesAcre #SmallSpaceGardening #SoCalGarden #Zone10b #GrowYourOwnFood #UrbanGardening #GardenReality
For privacy reasons Instagram needs your permission to be loaded.
Chickens get the spotlight… but ducks are doing the real work. Slug control, orchard cleanup, and fertilizer you can use the same day. 👉 Full story at the link in bio. #OrganicGardening #SoCalGarden #Zone9Gardening #BackyardGarden #UrbanHomestead #GardenTips #GrowYourOwnFood #SustainableLiving #Compost #Permaculture #Homesteading #GardenLife
For privacy reasons Instagram needs your permission to be loaded.
Gaucho the Rooster passed around this time of year back in 2023. He was 15 years old, but every bit as spry as he was when he was just a chick. An accidental chicken (I sent the girls to the feed store to get laying hens, they came back with bantams), he was small in size only. His glossy feathers and elaborate dance moves made him a favorite of the ladies (like a tiny Antonio Banderas). He used to ride around in the wheelbarrow looking like a tiny orange emperor surveying his empire. Every so often I'll hear a banty crowing off in the distance and think of him. #chicken #rooster #backyardchickens #backyardpoultry #gauchothemagnificent
For privacy reasons Instagram needs your permission to be loaded.
Purple blooms are taking over the hillsides! 🌸 But before you let this Wild Radish (Raphanus raphanistrum) take over your garden, there are a few things you should know. While they’re a favorite for local pollinators and technically edible (yes, all parts are spicy!), they have a hidden "superpower" that might keep your other seeds from growing. 🛑 I'm breaking down why I let them bloom but never let them go to seed at Sage’s Acre. 📍 Read the full guide at the link in my bio! #SagesAcre #Zone9Gardening #SanDiegoGardening #WildRadish #SoCalGarden #InvasivePlants #SpringBloom #UrbanGardening #Permaculture
For privacy reasons Instagram needs your permission to be loaded.
Just a wild cucumber (Marah macrocarpa) growing on the fence in the vegetable garden. Unlike real cucumbers, this one is toxic and a member of the gourd family. It's perennial native to San Diego, growing from a big, woody tuber that can get as big as person (thus the nickname "manroot"). The spiky fruit will dry out, just like a gourd, then crack open and drop seeds everywhere. One of the interesting things about the seedlings is the first growth goes down rather than up. That turns into the tuber from which the plant then grows upward. What I really remember about this plant is when we were kids my friends and I would find them and throw them at each other like grenades. If you were lucky, it'd get stuck in their hair and be really hard to remove without yanking some hair out with it. #boyswillbeboys #californianative #nativeplants #mybackyard
For privacy reasons Instagram needs your permission to be loaded.
THE PRODUCE AISLE PIVOT 🛒➡️🌱 Can you really grow a professional-grade garden from supermarket scraps? Short answer: Yes. Long answer: You need to know which varieties are "Slam Dunks" and which ones are "Genetic Traps." These Roma tomatoes are the 4th generation of a grocery store Roma... but better! 🧪 **The Science:** By the 4th generation, these plants have adapted to my soil, thinned their "shipping armor" skins, and boosted their sugar content. 💡 **Pro-Tip:** If your grocery store carrots turn white by Year 3, don’t panic—it’s a genetic rollback! I’ll show you how to fix it in the kitchen. Check the link in my bio for the "Supermarket Seed Hacker" Scorecard! 🔗 #GroceryStoreGardening #SeedSaving #UrbanHomestead #GardenHacks #Sustainability #SanDiegoGardening #zone9gardening
For privacy reasons Instagram needs your permission to be loaded.
Garden Goal: A literal tunnel of gourds. 🥒✨ Living in San Diego means finding creative ways to deal with the July heat. This DIY hanging gourd garden is my favorite "hack." It creates a cool microclimate for my summer crops and looks incredible under the moonlight. 🌙 In my latest blog post, I’m breaking down: ✅ The $40 budget trellis build ✅ Why gourds beat cucumbers for vertical growth ✅ How to attract Hawk Moths for nighttime pollination Tap the link in my bio to see the growth transformation! 🚀 #SagesAcre #Zone9Gardening #SanDiegoGarden #VerticalGardening #GourdGarden #GardenDIY #UrbanFarming #SouthwestGardening
For privacy reasons Instagram needs your permission to be loaded.
🕵️‍♂️ GARDEN CHALLENGE: How many ingredients for a salad can you spot in this photo? 🥗 The backside of our keyhole garden bed decided to plant itself this year, and the result is a literal accidental salad bar! It’s a beautiful, leafy mess of "volunteer" plants that we just... let happen. How many of the following can you find? 🥬 Lettuce 🥕 Carrots 🌿 Dill 🌱 Celery 🎈 Radishes 🫛 Beans ✨ Snow Peas 🍃 Spinach 🫑 Kale Drop your count in the comments! 👇 Then head to the link in our bio to see how "sowing chaos" became our most productive gardening strategy yet. #GardenISpy #SaladBarGarden #VolunteerPlants #SanDiegoGardening #LazyGardening #SuburbanHomestead #SagesAcre
For privacy reasons Instagram needs your permission to be loaded.
Stop 🛑 pulling your seedlings apart! If you’ve ever lost a tiny tomato or basil sprout to transplant shock, it’s likely because of damaged root hairs. Young plants need every bit of root strength they can get before the heat sets in. 🌵 My article shares a "Lazy Gardener" hack: The Seedling Bath. 🛁 This simple water-soak method: ✅ Untangles roots without tearing ✅ Eliminates transplant shock ✅ Works for tricky plants like carrots and lettuce Tap the link in our bio to see the step-by-step photo guide and a quick video tutorial! 🌿✨ #SouthwestGardening #OrganicGardening #SeedlingTips #Zone8b #CaliforniaGardening #GardeningHacks #SagesAcre #UrbanGarden
For privacy reasons Instagram needs your permission to be loaded.
SO... while many people are still digging out of the snow, it's 95° F in the sun and 89° in the shade. In February. Seems excessive, but I'll take it (as long as it doesn't last too long -- the greenhouse is roasting). #sandiego #latewinter #niceweather
Loading the next set of instagram posts...
Load More

Garden Wisdom

Skip the clicking and get Sage advice (it’s the only kind I have) sent right to your inbox. Subscribe below!

All materials copyright 2013-2026 Sage’s Acre / Sage Osterfeld Marketing Enterprises unless otherwise noted.

Hi, I'm Sage. Sorry about this. I don't really like this notice, but, because this website uses cookies and third party services to make some of the features work (YouTube, Instagram, Google, etc. ), I need to notify you so you can opt out if you want. Note that unless you specifically give me your email address via the contact form or newsletter subscribe, I don't collect any information about you. Thanks for reading. Settings Ok Reject

Tracking Cookies

These pick up info like what country you're in, what kind of web browser you're using, as well as stuff like your journey through the site, and whether you're logged in to comment on posts. I use them to tell what kind of devices people use to visit the site and what posts are popular.

3rd Party Cookies

These are cookies used by 3rd party services like YouTube to serve you content through my website (via an "embed"). What information they gather varies by content provider. If, for example, you have a Google account and you're logged in to it while you watch one of the YouTube video on this website, Google knows you and what video you watch.
Go to Top