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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photos by Launa Herrmann
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Winter's Hardy Hellebore

April 16, 2019
Beyond the legend, myth and poisonous reputation surrounding this member of the Ranunculaceae family, the Hellebore is perhaps one of the most an intriguing plants I've invited into my garden.
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Poppies and lavendar. photos by Trisha Rose
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Guess I REALLY Like Purple

April 15, 2019
Spring really brings out the purple in my garden. My lavender is putting on a nice show with its fat purple sticks, Lavendula Grosso' has been my favorite for a number of years. It does well-situated in direct sun with minimal hand watering.
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Russet Mites - Damage to Tomato leaves
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Russet Mites on Tomatoes

April 12, 2019
Damage to Tomato leaves Russet mites are most frequently found in outdoor container plantings. This suggests that they're introduced both in potting soils and plants brought into the garden. Use only dependable, high-quality potting medium and plants from a nursery you trust.
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Forsythia hedgerow. photos by Patricia Matteson
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Consider Forsythia

April 11, 2019
This time of year the show-stopper in our Suisun City front yard is the spring-flowering perennial shrub Forsythia: bold, fragrance-free yellow blossoms crowd its branches before any leaves appear. Flowering branches can be cut and forced.
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cardinal
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Fun Read

April 9, 2019
Steve's dad has had some problems with his foot that has slowed him down a bit. One day while I was with him, we were talking about what I should write for my next blog. He had been looking at mail that was piled up and showed me a couple of issues of the magazine pictured below.
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