Phenology Not Phrenology

I was at the Niagara Rhododendron Society Meeting and learned about phenology yesterday.  This is the study of cyclic and seasonal natural phenomena, especially in relation to climate and plant and animal life.  How is climate changing and what is its impact on plants? (This is not the study of the human skull size - phrenology). Dr. Robbie Hart's interest is rhododendrons in the mountains of south China - Mt. Yulong.  He tracked the temperatures and the blooming times over two years. He told us that one of the studies that has been done in relation to climate change has used historical records of various kinds.  The Japanese have recorded Sakura blooming times over centuries - as part of novels, historical records, personal diaries, and more.  Robbie showed a chart of the increase in temperature from around 700 to present day. You can see the article and chart HERE. It was published in the International Journal of Climatology, in 2008. Japan is obsessed with cherry blossoms - and wonderfully so.  There are so many everywhere that  there is a cherry blossom forecast by region for 2018.  Blooming starts as early as March 21st in some areas.  A tour of the parks is shown in this article HERE  Our images today come from Hagley Museum - the Dupont's original powder works.  It is in Delaware close-by to Longwood Gardens.

Spring's Around the Corner…Pussy Willows are Here

It's Coming Soon I'll be out in the garden to take some pictures of snow drops in the next few days.  Their heads are up high enough to make a lovely display of spring emerging.  I thought you might enjoy these later spring images as a reminder that Spring is just around the corner.  The first is the Magnolia tree out front taken through the rain on the car windshield.  The second is at the Vineland Research Station and is cherry blossoms. I picked up my order of pussy willow branches from the grower where Brian has his Lilycrest Gardens hybridizing field.  They will go into the empty pots to make the first spring display.   They process about a hundred thousand stems each year. There were three-tier racks filled with pots of pussy willows.  Each bundle neatly tied into 10 stems and then many bundles in a bucket.  And they are cut precisely to size. There were three sizes for the florist market. This is work, but worth it as a cash crop. I encourage you to buy a pot of daffodils, primula, hyacinths, or pussy willows and bring Spring into your home too. And support our Niagara growers who force the bulbs.

Niagara's Continuing Blossoms…June Flowers

I walked about my neighbourhood earlier in the week and took some photos of the lilac tree next door.  While it is shaped like a bush, it is the size of a lilac tree - more than 10 feet high.  Here's a multiple exposure of the blossoms.

Then I returned to the Vineland Research Station to check on the Paulownia Tree, also known as Empress Tree, but it isn't going to bloom, given the difficult winter we had.  I got a big surprise, as the Cherry Grove was in full bloom - with the leaves out.  I had seen it 2 weeks ago and there was sporadic blossoms, so I had assumed it was winter damage as well.  

The Vineland Research Station was originally a gift of Moses F. Rittenhouse in 1906, and has been contributing to the development of tender fruit varieties for decades.  It has turned its attention to include the wine and greenhouse industries in the last 10 years.  Today, there's a winery located on site - Foreign Affair.