Under the Solano Sun

Article by Patti BrantleyAs I stepped out to hang a hummingbird feeder earlier this year, during the last months of winter, I began to notice that the hummingbirds preferred the real flowers of my orange tree and then soon after my Apricot tree, and later I began to think about how our garden blooms and the…

Article by Melinda NestlerodeThe world's pollinators are in trouble. Nearly all Earth’s ecosystems depend on the pollination of flowering plants for survival. Seventy to seventy-five percent of all flowering plants require pollination. Pollination is crucial to our food supply, as at least thirty-five…

Article by Vincent HughesDid you know that you could grow one of the world’s most valuable spices right here in Solano County? The spice I’m talking about is none other than vanilla, or Vanilla planifolia, and yes, you can grow it for yourself right here at home. V. planifolia is a vining orchid native…

Blog article by Jenni DodiniMy first encounter with Lewisia was at the Botanic Gardens in Reykjavik, Iceland. I was mesmerized, but alas, Fairfield doesn't have the same climate as Iceland. Honestly, though, at the time we were in Iceland in June, it was much the same as a nice day in San Francisco. …

Blog by Karen MetzI have had a Sago Palm, Cycas revoluta, for many years. Initially, I had it indoors as a houseplant. It survived , but it didn’t thrive. So, I eventually moved it outdoors and planted it in the ground.It was much happier there and grew for years. But as it aged, the leaves grew longer and…