Under the Solano Sun

On our last spring road trip, I encountered something unusual on the drive home. We (meaning, I) like meandering around, taking the road less taken than what the GPS says is the closest and fastest way home. It's the best way to know the area, in case you get lost next time.

Several years ago, while visiting a dear friend and former work colleague in the Bay Area, I toured her plant-packed backyard admiring her husband's koi pond and her collection of tropical plants.

My old college pal and I love mangoes. We go shopping at the local Asian grocery store and buy Manila mangoes by the box. Teresa is not a master gardener, but everything she grows survives and does well.

Have you looked at the ingredients in a bag of soil mix lately? Some provide peat. Some contain coir. Does it really make a difference in your container or your garden? Peat is very slowly decomposing vegetation found in watery, anaerobic areas like bogs.

What is summer without home-grown tomatoes and fresh basil (Ocimum basilicum)? But every year I feel like I spend hours of time watering my large-leafed sweet basil. The stems get floppy, or the leaves get sunburned and then wilt on the hottest days. So, this year I decided to try something new.