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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mexican squash
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Mexican Squash

April 28, 2020
Found the best squash I have ever tasted. I shop at Larry's in season for all the stuff that either I or a friend/fellow gardener don't grow. Larry's is just fun, grab one of their wheel barrows and start cruising down the aisles.
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Fava flowers. photos by Erin Mahaney
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Cover Crop Experiment

April 27, 2020
Last fall I decided to experiment with three different cover crops for my raised vegetable beds. A cover crop serves multiple purposes, including by serving as a green manure that replenishes soil as well as provides weed suppression.
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Grape Pruning

April 24, 2020
Once upon a time, on a cold, drizzly morning, an eager Master Gardener set out to prune some grapevines in a faraway land, in Winters.
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photo by Kathy Low
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Lizards

April 22, 2020
The past few years I've seen more lizards (Sceloporus) running across my yard starting in the spring and lasting through the fall since lizards hibernate during the winter. The most common lizards in our area are fence lizards, also known as the blue belly lizard (Sceloporus occidentalis).
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photos by Jenni Dodini
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My African Violet Experiment

April 21, 2020
Being on lockdown does have some perks, like actually cleaning the house and getting out into the yard for cleaning there. So, I was dusting (YUCK!) and moved the violet shown below to actually dust under it.
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