Posts Tagged: Tithonia
The Year 2017: 'Survival of the Flittest'

How would you describe the year 2017? Survival of the fittest? In the insect world, it's more like "survival of the flittest." If you've ever pulled up a chair in a pollinator garden and sat back and observed all the activity, sometimes it's like road...
Musical Flowers: Jockeying for Position

You've heard of "musical chairs," that anxiety-driven elimination game involving chairs, music and players. When the music stops and a chair is eliminated, the players race for the remaining seats. No one wants to be the first loser. Well,...
How to Attract Pollinators to Your Garden

It's a great topic. Horticulture experts at the UC Davis Arboretum and Public Garden will join forces with the Yolo County Master Gardeners on Sunday, Sept. 24 to present a free workshop on "Pollinator Gardening." The event takes place from 10 a.m. to...
A Bright Face in the Garden: Banded Argiope

We have bright faces in our Vacaville, Calif., pollinator garden. The bright faces are usually that of assorted bees and butterflies nectaring on members of the sunflower family: Mexican sunflower (Tithonia) and blanketflowers (Gaillardia). But...
How Do Insects, Spiders React to a Partial Solar Eclipse?

The sky darkens. The temperature drops several degrees. A breeze rustles the leaves of the African blue basil. Dogs bark. And off in the distance, a hawk shrills. A partial solar eclipse is about to happen in Vacaville, Calif. I am watching the...