Under the Solano Sun

Blog by Erin Mahaney, UC Master Gardener As a gardener, one of the charms of visiting zoos is not only seeing the animals, but the zoo plantings as well.  Even now that the children are grown, we have continued our family tradition of visiting a local zoo on the last day of a big trip when everyone…

Blog by Michelle Schlegel, UC Master GardenersWalking through my garden gate, I am greeted by a happily blooming African Daisy. I bought it last year and planted it in the raised bed circle surrounding a Strawberry tree. It was hard to choose which African Daisy to buy, as they come in such an amazing…

Blog by CIndy Yee, UC Master GardenerGreetings from a Road Scholar tour called “Tales of Iberia: Portugal and Spain”.  In Cordoba, our local guide Lucia took us to visit a few local home patio gardens, which are basically enclosed courtyards or atriums.  Annually, every May, Cordoba holds a…

Blog by Brenda Altman, UC Master Gardener  Fragrant freesias are a sure sign of spring. Freesias are a flowering bulb plant native to South Africa. The bulbs are fuzzy and teardrop-shaped and 1” high.  The plants grow about a foot high and develop fingerlike flower stems which open and produce…

Blog by Patricia Matteson, UC Master GardenerAs observed in a Suisun City garden, the fruits and seed dispersal of the California pipevine, or “California Dutchman’s pipe,” Aristolochia californica Torr., turned out to be remarkable and beautiful. There are over 500 species of pipevine in the family…