Under the Solano Sun

golden yellow sunflower highlighted in a field of sunflowers against the blue sky

Seasonal observations by UC Master Gardeners of Solano County

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orange flowers of the tithonia plant
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Trying a New Thing

August 15, 2025
Blog by Karen MetzEach year, I try to grow at least one new plant. I had been wanting to try Tithonia rotundifolia, Mexican Sunflower, for quite a while.  I have been impressed with the many beautiful insect and pollinator photographs on Kathy Keatley Garvey’s Bug Squad blog.  Many of the shots…
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bright green plant in front of burgundy fringe flower shrub
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On "The Fringe" No Longer!

August 14, 2025
Blog by Michelle KrespiAs part of my UC Master Gardeners training, I had the privilege of taking my first Horticulture class at Solano Community College, taught by a long-standing UC Master Gardener, Sandra Diehl. She has an encyclopedic knowledge of over six hundred plants that thrive in Solano County. In…
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white daisy flower with yellow center called Shasta 'Becky'
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Do You Have Any "Passalong Plants"?

August 13, 2025
Blog by Nanelle Jones-Sullivan Julie Dangel, Fulton County Master Gardener Extension Volunteer, writes,” Passalong plants are those we acquire when another gardener shares a seed, a cutting, or a plant. …”  They are typically easy to propagate and thrive in your garden. I have several,…
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view of the earth
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Gardening Challenges

August 12, 2025
Blog Article by Lorenza Gibson Seasons come and go. As gardeners, we’re constantly racing against time, always at the mercy of changing conditions. With climate change*, the seasons we once thought we could rely on no longer follow predictable patterns. Winters may stretch longer or feel unexpectedly…
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gray and white cat on a rug with a spot of blood on his paw
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Nature’s Velcro®

August 11, 2025
Blog by Brenda Altman Snugs came into the house one afternoon with a boo-boo on his left paw. There was a speck of blood, but it turned out to be nothing. Since he was already in my hands, I started to groom him and found these small seeds attached to his body! Snugs, the gardener, is spreading seeds to…
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