Archive Nut, Prune and Olive Programs

We hope you had a happy and healthy Labor Day weekend. While the COVID-19 pandemic officially ended months ago, the virus is and will continue to be present in our communities.

The summer of 2023 brought a burst of creativity within the UC Master Gardener Program, as volunteers across California have submitted their best shots to this year's Photo Contest.

UC Davis distinguished professor Walter Leal is a newly elected trustee of the Royal Entomological Society (RES), the 13-member council that governs the 190-year-old international organization. He is the first UC Davis scientist to be elected a trustee.

An Anise Swallowtail, Papilio zelicaon, settles on a red zinnia in a Vacaville pollinator garden and begins sipping the nectar. A honey bee buzzes by. Was she just passing through or did she want the same nectar? The bee brushes the butterfly's wings. Okay! I'm leaving! Score: Bee, 1; butterfly 0.

Recently I [Matt] had a chance to interview 4-H Miner's Ravine Club President Ava from Placer County. The prior week, I had met Ava at the Placer County Gold Country Fair while helping 4-H volunteers set up pig pens. The following are Ava's responses to my questions.

UC IPM supports research and extension programs in integrated pest management (IPM).

Native to Texas and the Southeast, Turk's cap (Malvaviscus arboreus var. drummondii) gets its common name from the tightly twisted flowers that never fully open and resemble a Turkish turban or fez.

It's Labor Day but "The Girls" continue to work. "The Girls" are the honey bees, a great example of a matriarchal society.

The last tour of the year occurred on August 4th and there was a great showing of Master Gardeners interested in learning from each other.

This spring I was amazed at how much my garden rebounded after several years of drought and I bet you might have been too! It has been such a joy to see the many shades of green and all the spring blooms.