Under the Solano Sun

The book How to Garden When You Rent, by Matthew Pottage (Dorling Kindersely, 2022 available for loan from the Solano County Library) is a good reminder that anyone can garden, regardless of whether you own a home, or rent a home, apartment or room.

When we bought our Ming aralia it was this stumpy thing with almost no foliage, not my idea of a plant I'd like to own. Fortunately, my husband fell in love with the plant, and home it went. It has been living with us for years, in health, in decline (more on this later!), and renewal.

As you may know Glassy-winged Sharpshooter (GWSS) was found in the Browns Valley Neighborhood of Vacaville in October of 2021.

Why is it always so much easier for me to shop for plants than it is to put them in the ground? Fall is a wonderful time to divide and plant perennials, and it is even more rewarding when I am getting an end-of-the-season deal on a pot-bound plant.

One of the most beautiful cut flowers I have had the pleasure of working with are Canterbury Bells, Campanula medium. They come in white, pink, purple and I have read even blue but have yet to see those. They are a great line flower (tall) in floral arrangements.