Have you ever wondered how flowers and plants know when it’s time to grow in the spring after being dormant all winter? I find it fascinating how perennial plants can do this. Buried under snow and ice one month, then popping up through the thawed ground the next. How do they do it? They follow nature’s time clock.
Wildflowers Bloom According to Nature’s Time Clock
Wildflowers, such as bloodroot, trout lilies, trilliums, Dutchman’s breeches, and many others follow nature’s time clock, blooming as soon as the soil warms up. Each species has its own timeline. For example, dandelions and lilacs bloom when the soil reaches 15 degrees.
Captive (non-native) Plants
Captive or non-native flowers like daffodils, tulips, and crocus live in an artificial or foreign climate, so are less predictable or stable. They certainly are pretty though, with new varieties out every year.
Farmers Have been Using Nature’s Time Clock for Years.
Farmers have been relying on this planting clock for many years, since 800 BC. My mother grew up on a farm and told me a funny story about potato planting and how it always interfered with her birthday every year. She could care less about nature’s time clock.
Mushroom Pop Up When the Clock Says So Too
Recently I read this blog post about mushrooms from the Calabogie hiker. I learned that black morels, the mushrooms I’ve discovered on our cottage property, pop up from mid-April to mid-June, first poking through the ground when the wild lilacs bloom. As mentioned previously, that’s when the soil temperature reaches 15 degrees. Now I know exactly when to start looking for them. Unfortunately, that timing coincides with the first lawn cutting of the season.
Another of her posts talked about mother nature’s time clock which inspired this post on my own blog.
Conclusions for Nature’s Time Clock
I love spring because of the changes in my garden, some almost daily. As the soil temperature warms up or even after a well-needed, (like the one we received this past weekend) soaking rain, I love wandering through the gardens every day to see the new growth. When I’ve been away for a few days, that’s the first thing I have to do upon my return.
