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March 20, 2012 · 1 Comment

Digging Out the Phenology Notes

Climate

phenology wathes when plants such as magnolia bloom

Another sign of spring: Blossoms on star magnolia in St. Paul.

Yesterday, I wrote about how some experts suggest gardeners handle the extremely unusual warm spring we are experiencing. The usual advice for spring in Minnesota would be to back off and stay out of your yard and garden until at least mid- to late April. But I think this year we may need to shift away from the usual advice. That’s why I dug out some notes I had on phenology, the study of nature signs and how they can be used to guide garden activities.

In the days before Doppler radar, USDA Hardiness zone maps and even university extension, gardeners relied on birds, bugs and flowers for advice on when to plant what. I’m not sure how reliable this advice is, but here are some typical spring activities and what to look for to guide when to do what:

  • When crocus bloom, remove the mulch on your strawberries. (It’s happening here.)
  • When yellow forsythia bloom, prune roses and fertilize the lawn. (Happening here.)
  • When leaves first emerge on lilacs, plant lettuce, beets, spinach and other cool-weather crops.
  • When the aspens have leafed out, plant pansies and other hardy annuals.
  • When lilacs are in full bloom and the barn swallows return, set out your tomato plants and basil.
  • When irises bloom, set out your squash and melon transplants.
  • When dandelions go to seed, it’s time to plant petunias.

What guides are you turning to this topsy turvy spring? What are you doing differently this year?

Related posts:

  1. Some Notes on Phenology A few random notes on phenology from a spring garden....
  2. Blooms Ahead of Schedule The tulips in front of my house are in full...
  3. Iris reticulata and a Scary, Early Spring Today I spotted this lovely Iris reticulata, which has always...
« Iris reticulata and a Scary, Early Spring
Adjusting Your Gardening to a Warm Spring »

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  1. When Can We Get in the Spring Garden? - Minnesota State Horticultural Society says:
    April 2, 2019 at 1:17 am

    […] some phenology study. I love to keep track of when plants bloom year to year, and enjoy looking for other nature signs, […]

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It’s National Gardening Day! I’m not much for It’s National Gardening Day! I’m not much for special days (sorry, siblings, I missed that one last week) but any excuse to post a picture of a gorgeous peony, I’ll take! 

Peonies are a huge part of Minnesota’s horticultural heritage. They aren’t native but our cold climate is perfect for peonies. They’ve been hybridized in Minnesota for over 150 years, and the state still has several peony breeders based here. If you ever get a chance to go to a peony open day in June, jump on it. Seeing rows and rows of peonies all blooming at once is a northern gardener’s joy. 

Peonies will last forever, too. Plant one in the right place and it will outlive you by decades. What’s your favorite plant? 
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#mngardening #minnesota #mnhort
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#Zone4garden #zone4b #nofilterneeded
This week’s podcast and blog post are about grow This week’s podcast and blog post are about growing summer bulbs. I grow lilies in containers, 1) because they look great and 2) because the rabbits 🐇 can’t get them as easily there. Growing bulbs in containers means you can move them around the garden for extra color where you need it. 

Bulbs aren’t that tricky to grow, though you will have to pull dahlias, gladiolus and canna lilies for the winter. Lilies can stay in the ground. This winter, I left some in their pots and held  them in the unheated garage. They survived and are already putting up foliage. 

Check the 🔗 in bio for links to my interview with Mike Heger as well as the blog post on growing bulbs in containers. 
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#bulbs #summerbulbs #lilies #liliesinpots #containergardening #summergarden #garden #mygarden #monalisalily #mynortherngarden #gardeninspo
#mngardening #minnesota #mnhort
#gardeninglife #coldclimategardening
#stpaulgarden #stpaulmn
#Zone4garden #zone4b
In bloom at the big box store: Columbine! These lo In bloom at the big box store: Columbine! These look pretty but most of the in ground columbines are just greening up in Minnesota. That’s one thing to remember when shopping for perennial plants now. If it’s in bloom, it’s a spring plant and will probably be green all summer. Nothing wrong with lots of spring bloom in the garden, but plan for the whole season by picking things that bloom in July, August, even the fall, too. 
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#columbine #plantshopping #gardentips #minnesota #mngarden #coldclimategardening #zone4b #springblooms #garden #perennials #perennialgarden #perennialflowers
So many things are suddenly blooming! . . . #spri So many things are suddenly blooming! 
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#spring #springinmn #bulbs #forsythia #irisreticulata #squill #earlyspring #garden #gardeninspo
#mngardening #minnesota #mnhort
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#Zone4garden #zone4b #seenonmywalk
Uff da! This seems really early for daffodils 🌼 Uff da! This seems really early for daffodils 🌼 in Minnesota. Last year, I posted my first daffodil photo on April 12, and it was in snow ❄️! No snow this year, and this tracks with the info I heard earlier this week that we are 10 to 14 days ahead of schedule. I’m enjoying the warmth but can’t shake the memory of 2019’s mid-April blizzard. The joys of cold climate gardening! 
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#garden #mygarden #mynortherngarden #gardeninspo #spring #mnspring #daffodil #springbulbs 
#mngardening #minnesota #mnhort
#gardeninglife #coldclimategardening
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#Zone4garden #zone4b
This weeks podcast is about rain gardens with Madd This weeks podcast is about rain gardens with Maddie Poling of @sacredspacegardensmn while rain gardens are great for water filtration, they also can be incredible pollinator gardens, especially if you plant lots of milkweed. Link to the entire episode is in bio. 
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#growitminnesota #raingardens #pollinators #pollinatorplants #milkweed #growitandtheywillcome #coldclimate #coldclimategardening #minnesota #mngarden #gardenpodcast #mnpodcast
Fun news 🗞! I have an essay in the upcoming iss Fun news 🗞! I have an essay in the upcoming issue of Gardening for Health, a special interest publication of Better Homes & Gardens. It’ll be on newsstands and in grocery stores, home centers, drugstores and more starting tomorrow. The essay is about why gardening matters, for our health, our spirits and our communities. I haven’t seen the layout yet, but I’ll be prowling my local Barnes & Noble tomorrow! Can’t wait to see it. 
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#gardenwriter #gardensmatter #gardeningforhealth #bhgspring #bhggarden #bhgspecialinterestpublications
Wondering what winter burn looks like on shrubs? C Wondering what winter burn looks like on shrubs? Check it out. I’ve got three of these dwarf Alberta spruce. This is the worst case. One has no burn, the third just a bit. This one faces south so it gets the most sun and wind. After it starts growing this spring, I’ll trim off the burn. May need some wrapping next winter. 
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#whatswrongwithmyplant #winterburn #evergreen #albertaspruce #dwarfshrubs #dwarfspruce #garden #mygarden #mynortherngarden #gardeninspo
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#gardeninglife #notpretty 
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#Zone4garden #zone4b #coldclimategardening #mnwinter
A pair of crocus cuties. This spring is coming on A pair of crocus cuties. This spring is coming on fast, though we know Mother Nature can slam on the brakes anytime she wants. Enjoy the early blooms and have a great weekend! 
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#crocus #springiscoming #minnesotaspring #springbulb #flowergarden #growflowers
#flowersofinstagram #plants #garden #mygarden #mynortherngarden #gardeninspo
#mngardening #minnesota #mnhort
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#stpaulgarden #stpaulmn
#Zone4garden #zone4b
My conversation with Amy from @milkweed.and.daisie My conversation with Amy from @milkweed.and.daisies on the @growitmn podcast got me thinking about annuals that are easy to grow from seed. There are a lot! She grows some I haven’t had in years, like hollyhocks and snapdragons, plus plenty of my favorites. Seven really easy options are listed in a new blog post (🔗 is bio) on the My Northern Garden blog. Cosmos, zinnia and sunflowers may be the easiest of  all. 

The sunflower 🌻 pictured is The Joker. The zinnia photo is one I took of the zinnia beds at the @ballseedgardens I’m not sure about the cosmos, which are from a tour garden. 

Plant any of these annuals in sun and let them grow. Suggestions for annuals to try this year? I’d love to hear them! 
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#annualflowers #cosmos #sunflowers #zinnias #growfromseed #growyourownflowers #coldclimategardening #minnesotagardening #northerngardener #zone4b #mnpodcast #gardenpodcast
The 3+ inches of snow from a couple of days ago is The 3+ inches of snow from a couple of days ago is melting, and the crocus continue to bloom. Hang in there, little flower, spring is on the way. 
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#bulbs #springiscoming #springbulb #minnesota #crocus #meltingsnow #garden #mygarden #mynortherngarden #gardeninspo
#mngardening #mnhort
#gardeninglife #coldclimategardening
#stpaulgarden #stpaulmn
#Zone4garden #zone4b
Crocus so soon! I was taking apart the holiday pot Crocus so soon! I was taking apart the holiday pot and noticed three crocus blooms in my south-facing front bed. This is a full week earlier than last year, and that felt early to me. They’ll probably get snowed on come Monday. 🌨🌸
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#minnesota #minnesotaspring #crocus #earlybloomer #springbulbs #garden #mygarden #mynortherngarden #gardeninspo
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