Under the Solano Sun

I have always had a love for wildflowers and cottage garden favorites. One in particular that I always enjoy during the summer months would be Nigella damascena Miss Jekyll Dark Blue'. I first purchased this plant from Annie's Annuals in 2020, and since then, I've had blooms year after year.

The victims: In late June, wilting was observed above one stem near the top of the tomato plant. On closer inspection, a hole was bored below the wilting in a single stem and a hole in a nearby tomato. The autopsy: Evidence of tunneling and frass or caterpillar waste.

A couple of years ago, my husband and I decided to convert one of our raised garden beds into a pollinator patch. When we began searching for plants to consider for this space, I was so excited to see that there was a sale at the UC Davis Arboretum and Public Garden (https://arboretum.ucdavis.

I've seen Chinese Ground Orchids in my garden before but this year they're extra glorious which inspired me to blog about them. Honesty, before I moved into my house which I bought from an Asian gardener I had never seen nor heard of a ground orchid.

Early in June, we had the opportunity to visit the backyard of a friend who had lived in Fairfield for about fifty years. He is the only living, original owner left in his neighborhood. His space is shaded by a patio cover and multiple trees.