About me
I have the pleasure of working for the Solano County Master Gardeners: a fun-loving, happy group of people with different backgrounds who love what they do and do it well. We have doctors, teachers, microbiologists, a clown, and even people who had never gardened before. If they have a desire to learn and share their knowledge, we love to have them in our program.
A native of Dixon, I come from a family of botanists and farmers, but did not realize my interest in gardening until I went to Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo. I fell into horticulture by accident; a Biological Sciences major with plans for being a dentist, I took Gardening 101 as an elective and learned that I had a flare for the subject.
After graduating, I returned to Dixon and while working at the Department of Fish and Game in Sacramento I heard about recruitment for the Master Gardener Program. Previous to that moment I had never heard of the UC Cooperative Extension or the Master Gardeners. I wanted to volunteer my knowledge to the people of Solano County, so I took a training course and became a Master Gardener in 1998. In 1999 I got the job as Program Coordinator and have been working in Solano County ever since. I also received my Master’s Degree in Environmental Horticulture in 2009 from UC Davis. As a program coordinator I help administer day-to-day operations, and also am a resource to other Master Gardeners and to the public.
In particular, I have an affinity for plant and insect identification, specifically weed identification. My own home garden is a bit of a wreck as there is no plan; I plant what I like. I am an ornamental plant lover but am trying to branch out by trying my hand at apples. I also want to build raised beds to grow peppers and tomatoes. I am also particularly interested in salvias, especially the Salvia melissodora (grape-scented sage.)