Under the Solano Sun

Blog by Paula PashbyWhen folks learn that I am a Master Gardener, I am often asked a question or two about garden issues. The first one is frequently a “what is it” question, and the second is generally about a “friend or foe” concern about insects.  I usually respond with a “let me get back to you…

Blog by Cindy YeeMany years ago, my father planted a purple fig (Ficus carica) cutting from a neighbor in his backyard.  He did not know the name - my guess is Black Madeira, but I'm not a fig expert.  Thirty years later, the tree is still doing great. Our daughter and son-in-law live there now,…

 How many of us have found drowned bees in our pools? I have found them for years and want to share a way to, hopefully, prevent this from happening. I have several large plant saucers around the yard that I keep full, one of which is by the pool. I also have saucers near plants frequented by bees, like…

Blog by Karen MetzEach year, I try to grow at least one new plant. I had been wanting to try Tithonia rotundifolia, Mexican Sunflower, for quite a while.  I have been impressed with the many beautiful insect and pollinator photographs on Kathy Keatley Garvey’s Bug Squad blog.  Many of the shots…

Blog by Michelle KrespiAs part of my UC Master Gardeners training, I had the privilege of taking my first Horticulture class at Solano Community College, taught by a long-standing UC Master Gardener, Sandra Diehl. She has an encyclopedic knowledge of over six hundred plants that thrive in Solano County. In…