- Author: Karen Metz
It had been a good day in the garden. I had gotten to spend six hours working in the back yard. Digging up some of the garlic chives in the raised bed had allowed me to plant a tomatillo and African blue basil. I had finally gotten the chance to plant out six one gallon plants, some of which had been waiting patiently on my patio since late fall. Most of them were succulents, but there was a miniature rose and asparagus fern, the foxtail type, in the mix.
I had also trimmed up some overhanging fronds on the Podocarpus so the chairs I had placed underneath could actually be used. All in all, I felt productive and had reveled in being outside surrounded by greenness and vitality.
One last task was to pick some Calla ‘Green Goddess' blossoms to refresh an arrangement. As I surveyed the clump to see what I would pick, I noticed one blossom seemed dark in the center. As I leaned in closer I saw a spider and a honey bee, Apis mellifera. The bee wasn't moving but I wasn't sure about the spider. I have seen small dead insects in the center of callas before; I've assumed they have fallen in and couldn't climb back out. I gently inserted a pencil tip into the blossom to see what would happen. The spider was definitely alive and withdrew.
So the scene was as it appeared, a spider had caught the bee. What had been an idyllic day in the garden for me, had been a most unfortunate one for the bee.
- Author: Betty Victor
At the end of fall last year, I decided to redo the planter boxes on the outside of my deck. They had a variety of sage and salvia as plantings within. The plants were old and not looking well, so I decided it was a chance to plant something new.
With some help, these plants were pulled, and headed for the green waste bin. The old soil that had contained the “wonderful Oxalis” plant in them was taken out put into a large garbage bag and put into the household garbage can. So now the planter boxes were empty and sat that way until this spring.
So now with spring, sunshine, warmer weather and the occasional rain shower-they were ready for new soil and new plants.
Now the question. What to plant? My neighbors had their large fruitless mulberry pruned back and now I have more sun until about 2 in the afternoon. Before this pruning, I didn't have much sun.
Off to the gardens centers and nurseries we went! So many choices, so many new colors what to choose. I wanted a different look than I had with the sage and salvias, and decided on a variety of plants to fill the boxes.
We planted:
Transplanted some Day Lilies
Dahlia bulbs, different size and colors
Dusty Miller –Jacobaea maritima
Armeria maritima- Sea Pink/Sea Thrift
Nemesia hybrid ‘Cranberry' has bold red flowers
Nemesia fruticans—‘Bluebird' small blue flowers
Bidens hybrid-Asteraceae family
Campfire fireburst ,- opens red turns to orange (best of all no deadheading needed)
Purvian Daffodil-Hymenocallis
Regal geranium- light purple (also known as Martha Washington geranium)
Pelargonium x domesticum
These plants plus a variety of mixed flower seeds were installed. Now we wait to see if I got the change and effect I wanted.
- Author: Betty Homer
- Author: Brenda Altman
It was a dark and stormy night, the rain fell in bucket-like torrents, the wind howled like an uncontrolled banshee blowing rain into every outside nook and cranny. After several miserable hours, slowly the storm subsided and in the morning the sun poked through the clouds. Birds chirped and happily greeted the new day. All is good.
Beware Standing Water! It is an ideal breeding environment for mosquitoes! As the temperature rises above 50 degrees and rises to an ideal 80 degrees, mosquitoes will start laying eggs on the surface of any standing water or on damp surfaces that become flooded. At higher temperatures around 80 degrees mosquitoes may mature within ten days! Mosquito bites can be irritating and in addition mosquitoes can transmit a number of diseases including the Zika virus and West Nile Virus (WNV). You can prevent mosquito bites by using any insect repellent that contains DEET. Make sure you apply the repellent on all exposed skin.
The Zika virus is primarily spread by Aedes aegypti, a species of mosquito that has not yet been reported in this area. WNV was first reported in Solano County in 2016 and 2017. Health officials are on the alert for this year. WNV was reported in Solano County in 2016 and 2017. Health officials are on the alert for WNV. Report dead birds especially black crows and blue jays to www.westnile.ca.gov or 1-877WNV-BIRD (1-877-968-2473). DO NOT TOUCH THE DEAD BIRD WITH YOUR HANDS.
Help reduce mosquito populations by getting rid of all standing water around your home.
Drain water from tires, jars, buckets, bird baths, flower pots, rain barrels, roof gutters and everywhere water accumulates.
What else can you do to reduce mosquito infestations? If you live near and enjoy the company of bats you will have a natural mosquito predator. Brown Bats can eat a lot of mosquitoes but if you are not blessed with these flying critters near your house you have to do your another mosquito abatement. And bats themselves can carry rabies. So on second thought, maybe bats are not a good idea.
The Solano Mosquito abatement district (1-707-437-1116) will provide free mosquito fish for use in ornamental ponds or fountains. The fish eat mosquito larva. You can also report mosquito infestations to the abatement district.
All Solano Gardeners should carry “Mosquito Dunks” or any commercially available product with the biological mosquito control Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt), which can kill mosquito larvae for 30 days or more. B. thuringiensis naturaly occurs in the soil and is harmless to birds, fish and mammals whose acidic gut conditions negate the bacteria's effect. Use products as directed.
- Author: Martha White
There once was a gardener named Jennifer
She knew all the corms, blooms, and conifers-
She named all the pests:
Beneficials are best!
Solano and Yolo MGs will concur:
Jen does a great job! Thank you!