ABOUT YVONNE SAVIO

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Yvonne Savio grew up and still lives on a 3/4-acre hillside city lot in Pasadena, growing fruits, vegetables, and flowers year-round in manure- and compost-amended gardens. From years of gardening, she knows what "harvested at the perfect moment of ripeness" means and is passionate about enabling others to enjoy the benefits of "growing your own." 

Yvonne earned degrees in journalism, English literature, art and photography from California State University at Los Angeles and Sacramento; her horticulture degree is from American River College, Sacramento.  For 15 years, she worked in the Botany and Vegetable Crops Cooperative Extension Departments at the University of California, Davis, where she conferred with Statewide Vegetable Specialists regarding cultural and postharvest handling techniques.    In the early 1980s she helped initiate and develop the Master Gardener Program in Yolo County.

Yvonne maintains demonstration and trial gardens in Southern and Northern California, specializing in drought-tolerant techniques for growing vegetables, fruits, perennials, roses, and succulents.  She documents the creative fun stuff of repurposed tools and garden art.
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Master Gardener Program Goes for a Crop of Volunteers 
By Jeff Spurrier, LA Times
 June 5, 2015

The LA Times features Yvonne Savio, the UCCE Master Gardener Training Program and  her retirement as the program coordinator. 
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UC Master Gardeners in LA are volunteers who garden
By Jeannette E. Warnert, UC ANR News Blog
 June 8, 2015

UC Agriculture and Natural Resources department announces the Yvonne's retirement. 
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Yvonne Savio, Once A Master Gardener, Always A Master Gardener
By Su Falcon, The Dirt On Organic Gardening.
June 27, 2015

Yvonne trained more than 1100 Master Gardeners who help their communities garden more sustainably.
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Retirement Chat With Yvonne Savio
By Dohee Kim, UC ANR News Blog
June 30, 2015

Yvonne credits her parents for getting her started, and the Master Gardeners for spreading the wealth of gardening information and techniques.
ACCOLADES
  • 2015 Jim Wilson Mentoring Award, Garden Writers Association
  • 2015 Celebration of Public Service, Barak Obama, The White House
  • 2015 Certificate of Recognition, California State Senate
  • 2015 Commendation, County of Los Angeles
  • 2015 Certificate of Recognition, City of Los Angeles
  • 2010 Horticulturist of the Year, Southern California Horticultural Society
  • 2007 Lifetime Achievement Award, Los Angeles Community Garden Council
  • 2007 Certificate of Commendation, Los Angeles Unified School District
  • 2006 Certificate of Appreciation, City of Los Angeles
  • 2004 "Feeding the Hungry" Garden Crusader Award, Gardener's Supply Company
ORGANIZATIONS

Current 
  • ​Garden School Foundation Advisory Board
  • Los Angeles Community Garden Council
  • Garden Writers Association
  • American Community Gardening Association
  • University of California Cooperative Extension Los Angeles County Master Gardener Program
Former
  • Southern California Horticultural Society Board of Directors
  • American Community Gardening Association Board of Directors
  • Los Angeles Community Garden Council Board of Directors
  • Los Angeles Food Policy Council Member
  • University of California Cooperative Extension Los Angeles County Master Gardener Coordinator