Under the Solano Sun

This past weekend, I had the pleasure of visiting my son in San Diego, and became completely enthralled by the beautiful, blooming, Jacaranda mimosifolia tree.

With summer just around the corner thought I'd share some of the summer tasks needed for a cut flower garden. When I got rid of my front lawn a few years ago, I added rocks, and a small flower garden area.

Like many of you, Mother's Day triggers many fond memories of my childhood and the deeper friendship that evolved with my Mom over the years once I got over my rebellious teen phase. I dearly miss my Mom, but also celebrate her spirit with the love I developed for gardening.

No one likes aphids or cucumber beetles. No one welcomes slugs to their daily feast.

The first plants that come to my mind when I hear nitrogen fixers, are beans and peas of the legume family. Their roots have a symbiotic relationship with bacteria in the soil that gathers nitrogen from the air and converts it into a form of nitrogen that plants can use.