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UC Gardening Blogs
'Dr. Zac' to Present UC Davis Seminar on Honey Bee Research, Life Experiences
"A lot of students take a gap year between their undergrad and grad program," says honey bee...
Honey bee scientist Zac Lamas, a National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) postdoctoral fellow with the USDA's Agricultural Research Services.
Lotus Love
I recently received a gift from a friend, a lovely brooch pin that is shaped like a lotus (Nelumbo nucifera) flower, with beautiful oval-shaped petals. My friend said that she chose the lotus brooch because of my love for yoga and nature.
“Lotus” is a term used in yoga to describe a cross-legged sitting pose for meditation, where each foot is place on the opposite thigh. The lotus flower represents strength, self-realization, and positive transformation. The reason the lotus flower represents these positive elements is because the plant seems to be “reborn” each day during its bloom cycle.
The lotus plant is rooted in mud,and the flower will rise above water for a full dose of bright sunshine. At night, the whole plant - beautiful petals and all – will “dive” back under the mud where it instead will remain immersed all evening. The next day the flower will again push up through the mud and surface to open its petals for the day. The petals have a waxy protective coating that repels water and dirt, so the flower emerges cleansed of the mud and ready for a sunny day of nourishment. The flower petals will open clean and shiny each day, which is why the lotus has become a symbolic association with rebirth.
I now wear the lotus brooch gift on my favorite gardening hat. I appreciate the sentiment of the gift, which is the same feeling I carry whenever I am digging in earth while tending my garden.
frog-2504507 1280 - Pixaby, Couleur
Decisions, Decisions: Solar Eclipse or a Bumble Bee?
What insects did you see during the Solar Eclipse, dubbed "The Great North American Eclipse?" And...
A queen bumble bee, probably a Bombus californicus, forages on a Coreopsis during the April 8th solar eclipse. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Brace yourself! A bumble bee appears to hold up a petal of the Coreopsis. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
A little twist here, a little twist there. The bumble bee adjusts. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
The end! The bumble bee is unaware of the photographer--or the solar eclipse. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Spring is Here!
There's a verse in a song that starts off like this, “It's a wondrous time in spring, when all the trees are budding,
the birds begin to sing, the flowers start their blooming”… Those are exactly what I have been observing.
With all the rain we've received last winter, the light green leaves of the persimmon (Diospyros kaki) tree covers what has been a dreary looking skeleton of branches. The olive (Olea europaea) tree leaves are so abundant they are criss-crossing in every way — note to self: cut-off the crossing branches. The ‘Black Pearl” graft on the cherry tree has flowers on the grafted stem.
I hear the birds singing from every open window of the house. The red freesias are the envy of friends, and the California poppies (Eschscholzia californica), the California state flower, are all over the front yard. The rhubarb plant has abundant fresh gigantic leaves and striking red stems, as if saying, “I'm here you can't ignore me.” Everything feels fresh and exhilarating, and I want to see and do everything.
A few years ago, I built a rustic potting bench for myself in the side yard. I've tweaked it a few times over the years. I re-organized and cleaned it up.
I'm finally happy with how it turned-out, for now.
What's next?
The Spring Plant Exchange is coming up soon, where we bring a plant from home, and take a plant (or 2) home. Here's a link to the Master Gardener website that also shows other upcoming events. April 20 from 9 am until 1 pm at the UC Cooperative Extension office, 501 Texas Street, Fairfield.
“It's fresh like spring, I want to sing, I want to pass it on.”
The Rose Garden Corral – April 2024
BOOM!! We have flowers! There is an old saying, “April showers bring May...
