Under the Solano Sun

Anyone who has spent a summer in Vacaville can tell you just how hot and dry it can be. Between the elevated temperatures during the day, and the steady winds which can come both day or night, it can be hard to keep your plants healthy and happy at their most sensitive stages. But that is only speaking of…

Many people in our neighborhood inspired us by making this world a better place. Iona Stuart is one of them. Iona moved to the Bay Area with her husband Rudy from New York in 1989. The following year, she joined the North Bay Rose Society (NBRS) and became a sustaining member. She was the president for…

 Take a moment to think about the movements needed to garden. Bending, kneeling, gripping, standing, lifting, hauling - these are just a few that come to mind. What parts of your body start to hurt during or after gardening? Is there anything that can be done to erase any discomfort before it even…

I recently stumbled upon a crime in progress, catching the perpetrators in the act. The elements of this transgression included a crime syndicate, accomplices, dubious ethics, and theft. I planted a Cuphea ignea seven years ago as a hummingbird attractor in my garden dedicated to pollinators. Cuphea…

It was not my intention to be surrounded by spider plants in my home. I don’t dislike spider plants, but they aren’t my first choice for a houseplant, perhaps because I grew up in an era where spider plants were everywhere, from festooning macrame plant hangers to growing outside under a local Monterey…