Under the Solano Sun

Blog by Michelle KrespiBefore moving to Solano County, I had never heard of, or laid eyes on a Crape Myrtle, but as I drove by many in my neighborhood, I was struck by their variety and vibrancy of colors.  I loved them immediately and wanted one of my very own. Imagine my surprise when I realized…

Blog by Karen MetzI am fortunate to have a friend who is a wonderful vegetable gardener.  She generously shares her bounty with my family.  We have had special deliveries to our front porch over several months. We started with kale, winter squash, and beets, and then moved to herbs, zucchini,…

Blog by Tina Saravia The last 3 afternoons, I’ve been sitting in a spot in the front garden between the tree collard and the pomegranate (Punica granatum), giving me enough shade so I can hang out with Adeli and Maggie May, our two happy chickens, digging for bugs, a.k.a. pest control. While I watch…

Blog by Patricia MattesonYou’re looking at a sorely overgrown, post-bloom pot of freesias, crowded by three years of self-propagation via cormels that sprout from the main corm or develop at the base of leaves. Once the plants in this pot entered summer dormancy, I set out to dig up the corms for replanting…

Blog by Michelle SchlegelSeveral years ago, an unusual succulent called Stapelia grandiflora f. cristata. It is a native of South Africa that thrives well in heat and is quite drought-tolerant. It has no leaves, but instead has fleshy, four-sided stems that grow to form clumps 8-12 inches tall and up to 3…