Under the Solano Sun

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Ficus carica L. Figs are a popular fruit for home gardeners, and many wild figs are growing in California. The fig tree produces what is a flower, not a true fruit. The study of fig pollination by a wasp known as Blastophaga psenes is a process that would be worthy of its own article.

I recently learned that my favorite flowers are linked to my Greek heritage and Greek mythology [1]. Unbeknown to me, my favorite flowers and the ones I grow in my garden are daffodils, lilies, gladiolus, and roses. Other favorites associated with Greek mythology are anemones and peonies.

Last summer, while visiting Maine, I was drawn to the ubiquitous Queen Anne's Lace (Daucas carota) wildflowers. Native to temperate areas of Europe and southwest Asia, Queen Anne's Lace now grows wild in California, and in most of the United States. It is prolific in Maine.

The UCCE Master Gardeners of Solano County will hold their Plant Exchange later this month. This is a free event. What is the plant exchange? Well, it was borne out of Master Gardeners (MGs) exchanging plants and plant parts they grew in their own gardens with each other.