RE: Plants; Global Warming

Despite the Big Freeze in my garden this year, I know it has not been as
cold over the last 10 years as it was the previous 10. I have gardened
here since 1985 and I'm seeing plants in this area that you never used
to see. I have to take into account that there are 100,000 more people
here than there were 20 years ago so of course more garden diversity
shows up too, and that many new houses and roads brings a heat island
effect. It definitely has increased the humidity - not a lot, but enough
that we who have lived here long enough can notice. I am not so sure
about the summers; last year was truly wretched and this spring has
certainly been warmer, but I'm not sure I've noticed a trend yet. 
I have also seen birds at my little pond I've never seen before, which
I've attributed to their normal habitat getting paved over. Global
warming or creeping suburbia, neither one seems like a good deal for the
existing plants & critters. 

Cyndi


-----Original Message-----
From: owner-gardenchat@hort.net [o*@hort.net] On
Behalf Of Aplfgcnys@aol.com
Sent: Thursday, May 03, 2007 5:07 AM
To: gardenchat@hort.net
Subject: Re: [CHAT] Plants; Global Warming

In a message dated 05/03/2007 5:16:06 AM Eastern Standard Time,
islandjim1@verizon.net writes:

In this morning's NYTimes. The subtropicals are coming.

Very interesting, but I lost some plants this winter that have grown
here for years.  The Santolina ericoides had suffered damage in hard
winters before, but this year is completely gone - after nearly 30
years.  Oriental poppies that I have had for years have not appeared.  A
large bed of Japanese anemones are showing only a couple of shoots.
Azaleas look barely alive, and may not bloom - they are usually in bloom
by now.  An old "Devil's Walking Stick" Aurelia - can't remember its
botanical name right now, but is a native - seems totally dead.
 
On the positive side, although the weather stays cool and cloudy, the
hummingbird returned this week.  Most years I see it first when the
azaleas bloom, but they aren't even near blooming yet.  I looked at the
migration site just to see how far they had come, and discovered to my
surprise that they were already in New England, so I hurried to put out
a feeder.  The next morning early there they were!
And yesterday there was a Rose-Breasted Grosbeak at the feeder.  I
haven't seen one for years.  What a beautiful bird!
Auralie
 
 



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