Ongoing research

A Californian's Guide to the Trees among Us, by Matt Ritter (2011) California Plants: A Guide to Our Iconic Flora, by Matt Ritter (2018) We are so fortunate to live in one of the most biodiverse areas in the world.

Are you looking for a super easy spring breakfast? Maybe a brunch dish for Mother's Day? The spring vegetable egg casserole checks off all your boxes. It is loaded with spring vegetables: asparagus, artichokes, brocolli, green onions and spinach nestled in between eggs and cheese.

In 2018, my wife and I purchased a 4-in-1 plum tree. You know the kind: all the rage for plum lovers because the fruit ripens per variety over a longer period than a single varietal tree. We chose a spot in our backyard and planted it where it would be bathed in sunshine.

Miner's lettuce gets its name from the workers who traveled to California during the Gold Rush. Needing a source of vitamin C, gold miners learned from the Native Americans that this wild growing green would prevent scurvy and other vitamin C-related issues.

Allelopathy: noun: a-lee-low-pathy. the ability of one plant to produce and release chemicals that inhibit the growth of other plants either by inhibiting germination or growth; a form of chemical competition.

Spring is either here or just around the corner, dependent upon your Hardiness Zone (those of you in the foothills still have a little longer to wait).

BULBS: Bugle Lily, Watsonia pillansii which is in the Lily family. It is native to South Africa and is grown from a corm much like gladiolus. The flowers rise on spikes from thick sword-like leaves about 18 inches long.

There was more than turkey to be thankful for last November at the 25th Annual Xerces Society's Western Monarch Thanksgiving Count held in Pacific Grove. After several years of the butterflies' declining numbers, the final count was about 250,000.

A sneak peak at a couple of Solano County Fair entries...think insects! The COVID-19 pandemic derailed fairs and festivals, but now they're back on track. Take the 73rd annual Solano County Fair, themed "Bales of Fun.

With the weather warming up, I am beginning to think of summer potlucks and picnics with friends and family.