For several years my sister and I made a point of visiting botanic and public gardens during our annual trips to Hawaii, until we succeeded in visiting all the gardens on all the islands.  They were lush, beautiful, fragrant, and we loved seeing some very unique native plants.  But recently I discovered you really don’t need to travel outside of the county line to see some botanic wonders and beauty offered by our own Golden State.  Solano County is home to several gardens and sites awaiting your visit.  And now is the time to visit many of these wondrous places, many of which are only open to visitors for limited periods of time.

Forrest Deaner Native Plant Botanic Garden

During these years with lower than normal rainfall, you’ll hear and read a lot more about the benefits of planting California native plants.  If you want to see what a garden of California natives looks like before taking the plunge to plant or replant your garden with natives, make a visit to the Forrest Deaner Botanic Garden.

Located in the Benicia State Recreation Area, this native botanic garden offers over 300 native trees, shrubs, plants and bunch grasses for your viewing pleasure.  The three and a half acre garden hosts several demonstration gardens including a hummingbird/butterfly garden.  For more information go to http://tinyurl.com/bn79t2m.

Vernal Pools at Jepson Prairie Preserve

Designated by the National Park Service as a National Natural Landmark, the vernal pools of the Jepson Prairie Preserve are located south of Dixon.  The vernal pools are rare and formed when an impermeable layer of soil prevents rain water from seeping into the ground, thereby forming temporary pools of water.  The vernal pools at the Jepson Prairie Preserve provide a habitat for threatened and rare plants such as the dwarf Downingia (Downingia pusilla) and Solano Grass (Tuctoria mucronata).

Two hour docent led tours are provided every Saturday and Sunday through May 12^th. For more information, go to http://www.solanolandtrust.org/JepsonPrairie.aspx.

Pleasants Valley Iris Farm

Nestled in Pleasants Valley, just outside of Vacaville, this farm grows 400 different varieties of tall bearded irises.  During blooming season the owners open up their farm to the public, allowing visitors to stroll through an acre of dazzling irises.  If you don’t already have irises in your garden, you’ll want to grow some after wandering among their rows and rows of irises in bloom.

The farm is open to the public this year from April 20^th through May 12^th.  For directions and more information, visit www.irisfarmer.com/info.html.

Native Garden at the Rush Ranch

A small native garden can also be found near the Visitor Center at the Rush Ranch located near Suisun City.  Visitors to this tranquil 2,070 acre ranch also have the option to take several trail hikes.  For more information, go to www.rushranch.net.

So the next time you feel like an outing on a nice day, hop on your bike or pack up the kids in the car and head over to one of these sites to enjoy the greenery growing in our area.