Tulip Test Gardens
Update: April 13, 2007 

Today's Report Includes:

  • Maps and Highlights >>
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  • Explore: Unseasonable Weather >>
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  • Field Tips: Tracking with a Visual Punch >>
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  • Journal Questions: Whatever Happened to those Early Emerging Tulips? >>
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  • Links: This Week's Tulip Garden Resources >>


Snow in the Midwest 04/12/07
Maps and Highlights:
  • This Week's Map >>
  • Data >>
  • Slideshow (Week-by-week animation) >>
Questions about this week's map (handout) >>
Highlights:
How do you cover a garden of 1000 tulips? Somehow that is what one teacher did to protect her almost-blooming tulips from a recent frost. With this month's fluctuating temperatures we are learning just how far we can push the frost hardiness of the Red Emperor tulip!
Explore: Unseasonably Warm to Unseasonably Cold

Springtime brings turbulent weather across the continent this week. News reports include stormy conditions including tornadoes, high winds, driving rain, hail and snow.

Frozen Tulips?
If you have a spring snow or freeze, what will happen to your tulips? The plants should be fine at 20 or 25 degrees. But below that, any frozen part will turn white and not be able to make food to form a flower or to store for next year's bulb. If a tender flower bud freezes, it will not likely bloom.

Temperature one week before
Departure from normal temps
April 1-7, 2007
(Move your mouse over the map to look at the departure from normal temperatures the week before.)
Watch how temperatures change across the eastern two-thirds of the U.S. beginning April 3rd.
Field Tips: Tracking Garden Progress with a Visual Punch!
How can you make a big visual impact of your tulip garden's progress through the season? Let's take a look at a clever way to organize your garden data

inside the classroom and outside in the garden.

Let's see more! >>
Journal Question: Whatever Happened to the Early Emerging Tulips?

Read what gardeners say about their early emerging gardens.

Read On >>

Then come back to and answer this question:

  • This winter's wacky weather shows us that tulip bloom might not be the best way to tell spring has arrived. What other signals might be more constant indicators?
Resources: This Week's Tulip Garden Resources
  • Flowers on the Move (Chart your own tulips' movements.) >>
  • Art: Focusing with O'Keeffe on the Details >>
  • Useful Chart: How Does Your Garden Grow >>
  • Monitoring Weather: Observing Weather and Collecting Data >>
  • Helpful Weather Links: Climate Weather and Seasons >>
  • Tulip Garden Journals (click-and-print) >>
More Journey North Lessons and Teaching Ideas!

The Next Tulip Garden Update Will Be Posted on April 20, 2006.


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