Under the Solano Sun

golden yellow sunflower highlighted in a field of sunflowers against the blue sky

Seasonal observations by UC Master Gardeners of Solano County

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closeup view of crimson clover flowers and foliage

Crimson Clover

February 4, 2026
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…
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two pindo palms with their orange fruit at a home

Pindo Palm

February 3, 2026
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…
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red flowers that look like bird heads

The Slipper Plant

February 2, 2026
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…
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red and white rose called Betty Boop

Roses, Roses, and More Roses!

January 30, 2026
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…
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lavender pom poms of allium flowers

More About Alliums in Spring

January 29, 2026
Blog by Nanelle Jones-Sullivan When some gardeners think about spring bulbs, they think about tulips and daffodils, but I think about spring alliums. In November, I wrote about planting shallots. Dutch red shallots can be harvested in 90-100 days, and yellow shallots in 110-120 days. In the…
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