Under the Solano Sun

Rosemary officinalis, maybe not the most exciting plant on the planet, but maybe one of the most useful and versatile out there. Out in the up-country areas of Solano County, water is expensive, deer are plentiful, and the sun is hot, burning down all day with little shade for relief.

Sitting on my front porch, thinking about ideas for my monthly blog, I became entranced by the hummingbirds visiting my salvia. Thirty minutes later, I started researching how to attract more of these mesmerizing birds to my garden.

At last count, 53 species of mosquitoes exist in California (compare that to about 3500 worldwide).

I have to start out by saying how lucky I feel to have found the Master Gardener program and more and more the wonderful people that make up its heart, soul, and success.

I have enjoyed the beautiful blooms of iris since I was a child but never studied them much. Sure, I know they grow from rhizomes, have strappy green leaves, and bloom mostly in the spring. I know the rhizomes need to be dug up and divided every 3 years or so, whenever the plants become too crowded.