As we are experiencing unusually hot weather for June on the East Coast and in other parts of the country, like Chicago, one wonders what will be the best choice in plants for the garden. Will those plant hardiness zone charts be valid as they presently are or will there be changes to the recommendations about which plants will successfully grow where you live? Are plants starting to bloom earlier? What is happening and what advice should be given?
A research project is looking for citizen scientists who will help scientists answer these questions. This is a project called Project BudBurst where US residents, gardeners and plant lovers around the country can help in the collection of important ecological data based on the timing of leafing, flowering, and fruiting of plants (plant phenophases).
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