Under the Solano Sun

As I prepared my raised vegetable beds for fall by removing tired plants, I hesitated at one plant. It looked a bit like a short vine I had planted elsewhere that had not thrived.

If you were fortunate enough to attend the free Zoom lecture of Clair Saywers, presented by the American Horticulture Society, you would have been inspired by her depth of knowledge, experience and passion for her lifelong study and practice of horticulture.

Yes, the California poppy is a flower, not a lizard, but the point is its startling diversity of color, reminiscent of chameleons and other creatures with coats of many colors. But, you say, an individual chameleon can change its color, which flowering plants are not known for.

It's Fall in Sunset Zone 9. Nights are in the low fifties, our highest day this week is 81, and day length is about is about 11 hours 28 minutes. What can we grow? Let us grow lettuce! Sure, other things end up in salad, but right now I am talking about Lactuca sativa.

Planting space is at a premium in my yard. We had our pool removed in 2020, and the backyard is still widely a construction zone. Areas not currently being worked on act as a staging zone for flagstone, bricks, wood, concrete and other construction materials.