Under the Solano Sun

Blog by Michelle SchlegelI found a ‘Leopard plant’ in a deep shady area of a local nursery.  I hadn’t ever seen one before and found the large, glossy leaves so attractive. The leaves are about 1 foot across, kidney-shaped, and a beautiful deep green. They grow to 2 feet high and 3 feet wide clumps…

Blog by Nanelle Jones-Sullivan I use Crimson Clover (Trifolium incarnatum), a cool-season annual legume, as a winter cover crop. It is an attractive way to reduce soil erosion, suppress weeds and add nitrogen, and build organic matter in my soil. An important additional benefit is that it attracts…

Blog by Brenda AltmanThere are an amazing number of tree species in Vallejo, California. Within 2 miles of my house, there are at least 22 different species, including deciduous, non-deciduous, monocots, dicots, fruit trees, native, and nonnative species. Monocots that grow well here are palms, especially…

Blog by Michelle Schlegel Quite a few years ago, a neighbor brought over a small cutting of a succulent-type plant. It looked similar to the Pencil cactus (Euphorbia tirucalli) that I have, except it was slightly thicker. It grew for years in a pot and sent out a bit of new growth. This year, it…

Article by Vincent Hughes February is already here, and spring is on the way! It’s almost hard to believe that we’re now over a month into the new year! But with February comes a day that we’re all too familiar with, Valentine's Day! And what is the first thing that all of us think of when we think…