Avid gardeners always seem to be watching for changes ... in our gardens, our weather, or in the type of wild life visiting.
You may keep a gardening journal as an aid to planning, and planning always produces a better garden. As you record the dates and types of seed you plant each year, you may also note the first bud you see, the morning you spot the first hummingbird of the spring, or when those bees or butterflies first appeared. By doing this, you are actually practicing phenology. I find phenology not only fascinating, but also a lot of fun. Really! Read on ...
Bird migrations, blooming plants and flowers, the appearance of certain insects, autumn frosts, and the budding or falling of leaves are all a part of our year, from season to season. Phenology is the science concerned with these 'periodic biological phenomena'. By studying the timing of natural events from year-to-year and from place-to-place, along with their relationship to the weather and climate, so much knowledge has been gained about everything from farming and crops, insect populations, bird migrations, and, of course ... when to plant certain plants in our gardens. When to worry about the arrival of unwanted weeds and insects, and when to protect our plants from frost.
It all starts with observation, and noting events as they occur in your own area. Just a few things you might start with .... that first bud of spring, when you spot that first butterfly or hummingbird, or the first morning you notice ice in the birdbath. Migrating populations, such as birds and butterflies, emerging insects, and also the 'sequence' of bloom in your garden are all important.
Phenology also helps define 'causes and effects'. Many birds, such as Purple Martins, return just as insect populations are reappearing, which they feed on, and the emergence of these insects also coincide with the leafing out of the plants they feed on. Owls nest in winter so that their young are hatching just as the snow melts to reveal their food supply. And, so it goes ... in neverending cycles of life, and of death.
It's very simple to start your own 'adventure' into phenology. Start observing ... make notes, and keep track of events in your garden or yard from year to year. Continue it by noting the duration of these events, and then try to connect some of them by using simple logic, such as watching out for the plant-devouring bugs at the same time the Purple Martins cruise back in.
In using the information you have gathered, and planning your garden and other outdoor activities around these natural cycles, you will be going by 'nature's calender' instead of man's. Gardeners have watched for nature's signals since gardening began. An old agricultural saying -
'When elm leaves are as big as a shilling,
Plant kidney beans, if to plant 'em you're willing.
When elm leaves are big as a penny,
You must plant kidney beans if you mean to have any.'
I heard the first whippoorwill this year on May 10. In my area, it is said that, with its unique call, the whippoorwill is saying...
"Plant your peas! Plant your peas!"
Not only gardeners, but nature and outdoor lovers of all kinds benefit from the knowledge they can get from phenology.
This can be a great hobby, and children can get involved right along with you. They will definitely learn more about their world, and what is going on around them.
Making these observations is a wonderful way for anyone to become more aware of so many events in nature, that we may not have noticed otherwise.