Under the Solano Sun

I enjoy sorting through piles of castoff succulent stems on a garden club's back table or at plant sales. I purposely choose something I don't already have in my own collection.

Miniatures and Semi-Miniatures One of my very favorite semi-miniature violets is Jolly Pepper, pictured here. Semi-miniature and miniature violets are much smaller than the standard size violets.

One of my favorite succulents is Crassula capitella 'Campfire'. The nursery tag describes it as a 12-inch sun to part shade plant. Here's a picture of a nursery purchase. As in all succulents, the leaves are plump and fleshy because they store water.

Does anyone else think this is the best time of the year for gardeners? I know you can't really see what's going to happen, but this is always the most inspirational part of the year for me.

Who remembers drinking from a snapdragon as a kid? When was the last time you stop to drink from your snapdragons? Snapdragons are two-lipped tubular flowers and are well-known as a symbol of strength and resilience. Snapdragon flowers (Antirrhinum) are from the Plantain family.