Under the Solano Sun

Sometime back between the Napa-Sonoma fire and the recent fire which destroyed the town of Paradise in Butte County, I had an opportunity to attend a seminar, presented both by Fire Safe Sonoma and the Master Gardeners of Sonoma County, on protecting our homes against wildfires.

While trying to decide what to write this blog on, I glanced out my family room window and saw some of my violets still blooming, not as many as during December through January. The leaves that were few and far between in late October are growing as most of the violets die back.

If you like growing unusual fruit trees, you may want to consider growing a Japanese Raisin (Hovenia dulcis) tree. The actual fruit produced by the tree is small (only about a inch), hard, dry, brown and inedible.

I took advantage of a sunny afternoon to get out in the backyard. Everything was still quite soggy from the recent rains. There were several chores to accomplish. The grapevine needed pruning. I wanted to gather flowers to make some arrangements for the house.

It's almost spring. Once again, my plants are prey to slugs. Damp overcast yet warmer days provide the ideal environment for these slimy shell-less mollusks. Their stealth but obvious presence is unmistakable.