Plants Respond to their Changing Environment

 

December's meeting featured Keith Fuller, who told us about "Fall Bloomers" that flowered during the shorter daylight hours.  You might have seen some of these planted in landscapes here:  annuals such as snapdragon, petunia, viola/pansy, and larkspur.  Perennials include salvia, shrimp plant gaillardia, goldenrod, dianthus, and black-eyed susan.  

Pictured on the table is a poinsettia arrangement.  These annuals are loved because of their many cultivated variations.  Christmas cactus is another tried and true perennial, blooming as the hours of daylight shorten.

We also learned about two plants dormancy strategies:

stratification  - a prolonged exposure to low (winter) temperatures that causes the seed or bulb to bloom when warm weather arrives.

scarification - some seeds have extra dense shells, especially in wet or adverse conditions.  In order to allow the embryo to break out of its shell, the outer seed layer needs to be broken.

February will feature Kalia Baillene, long time member of the Garden Club of  Palatka.  She'll tell us about America's first naturalist, William Bartram, and his travels up the St. Johns River, visiting lands in both Putnam and St. Johns County.  It turns out our clubs have a LOT in common.  We'll meet on February 2 at 10AM in the Bartram Room of the Bartram Trail Library.