Under the Solano Sun

There was a fascinating article in the New York Times on June 9th on corporate control of seeds for mass agribusiness production. The bottom line for the writer, Dan Barber, is the importance of developing more emphasis on seed diversity than uniformity, organic farming versus corporate production.

I love my easy-to-grow, leggy Verbena bonariensis with its clusters of butterfly-attracting purple flowers, but for the second year in a row, it has been affected by powdery mildew. Powdery mildew is a common fungal disease that is favored by wind and dry conditions.

Now that spring is here and summer is around the corner, I see and hear more about gardening to attract pollinators and why these pollinators are so important. However, I did not realize the ecological significance and how vital they are for the production of the food we eat.

Most of us know the story about Rip Van Winkle. For those who may not, it is the story about a man who fell asleep and slept for 20 years. Well, I have a story about two surprises I found in my garden.

A few weeks ago when I was walking back from my mailbox I freaked out (technically I froze out of fear) when a rattlesnake slithered across my driveway a couple of feet in front of me. Thankfully I always keep my phone with me when I step out of the house in case of an accident or emergency.