Garden Phenology:
The order and timing of natural events (I may include some management events) in the garden.
January 30, 2018 – wood hyacinths appearing above the soil
February 5, 2018 – ‘Santa Rosa’ plum buds swelling, some green showing
Feb. 6 – Daffodil leaves appearing in front yard under the oak tree
Feb. 10 – Quince buds swelling, scales opening at the tip of some buds
Feb. 12 – Golden currant buds swelling
Feb. 26 – Apricot buds beginning to swell. Quince buds expanding in spite of low temperatures as low as 12 F. Santa Rosa plum flower buds do not appear to be injured by the 12 F last night.
Feb. 28 – Lilac buds swelling. Quince buds “exploding”! ‘Santa Rosa’ plum buds beginning to show white (petals).
March 1 – Purple-leaf plum buds beginning to swell – a bright purple bud obvious near the base of the small plant (1 ft. high).
March 3 – Daffodils begin opening flowers
March 5 – Pear buds swelling (opening at the tip); Santa Rosa plum blossoms beginning to open.
March 8 – Apricot blossoms beginning to open. Santa Rosa plums show no injury from the cold weather.
March 10 – Grape hyacinths blooming
March 12 – Asparagus coming up.
March 14 – Lilac buds opening to show panicles
March 16 – ‘Redheart’ plum (planted Feb. 28) buds swelling; oriental pear flower buds revealed in opening buds; quince flower buds revealed above new leaves in opening buds; golden currant flower buds revealed.
March 19 – ‘Balaton’ pie cherry buds beginning to swell. It was 26F in the garden last night, but the buds are still swelling. Red peony shoots appearing above ground.
March 20 – Hops are sprouting.
March 21 – Texas red oak and Shumard oak buds swelling.
March 23 – Littleleaf mockorange (Philadelphus microphyllus) and fragrant ash (Fraxinus cuspidata) buds are swelling; apple buds (one of the varieties on the big backyard tree) has buds opening – other apples not yet opening; dwarf ‘North Star’ pie cherry buds beginning to expand; first golden currant flowers opened.
March 24 – White peony shoots appearing.
March 25 – Blue sage (Salvia azurea) starting to appear in front yard.
March 26 – First quince blossoms opened, black centers may indicate cold damage; first Oriental pear blossoms opened, they look good, but low temperatures coming.
March 30 – Texas red oak catkins formed
March 31 – Concord grape buds swelling (front yard); Desert willow buds beginning to swell; Zoysia grass sprouting. Dwarf ‘Bartlett’ pear buds swelling
April 1 – ‘Lakota’ pecan buds swelling.
April 2 – ‘Honeycrisp’ apple buds swelling; Anisacanthus quadrifidus var. wrightii buds swelling.
April 3 – Dwarf bearded iris blossom scapes developing; Texas red oak and “Shumard’ oak leaves appearing; Leucophyllum leaves developing; first chocolate flower blossom opened.
April 4 – New Mexico olive (Forestiera neomexicana) buds swelling.
April 5 – ‘Regent’ grape buds swelling.
April 6 – Chinese pistache buds swelling; Mexican evening primrose (Oenothera Berlandieri) blossom open.
April 7 – ‘Flame’ and ‘Catawba’ grape buds swelling.
April 9 – ‘Balaton’ tart cherry flowers open.
April 11 – ‘Aromatnaya’ quince flower open.
April 12 – ‘North Star’ tart cherry flowers open; Star of Bethlehem (Ornithogalum) blooming; Mimosa (Albissia julibrisin) leaves forming.
April 14 – Dwarf bearded iris first blossom open in garden; claret cup cactus flowering.
April 15 – Culinary sage flowers open in entry garden.
April 16 – Crape Myrtle (Lagerstroemia indica) leaf buds opening.
April 18 – Fragrant ash (Fraxinus cuspidata) flowers open. Frost (26F) damaged ‘Lakota’ pecan, ‘Flame’ grape, ‘Bianca’ grape, ‘Regent’ grape – all had new tender shoots. All tender shoots on the pecan were damaged, maybe it will be able to resprout; only some of the tender shoots on the grapes were damaged, so they should regrow and produce a crop this year.
April 26 – One codling moth in pheromone trap in apple tree; ‘Lakota’ pecan auxiliary buds below freeze killed shoots and dormant buds that had not begun growing are swelling and showing green – the pecan may survive!