Village Condominium Association

Our Growing Season
by J. F. Weiler

When can I plant my annual flowers this season? Watertown is in the Plant Hardiness Zone 6. Thus according to The Old Farmer’s Almanac, the last spring frost is April 26th and the first fall frost will be October 14th. We will have 170 growing days!

When can I plant my annual flowers in the year 2080? The Boston Area Climate Experiment (BACE) is working on an answer for you! This work is being conducted at the University of Massachusetts Waltham Field Station located at 240 Beaver Street (one mile from the Village).

BACE is studying how global warming will affect us. It is possible that in 2080 Zone 6 will have 4 more inches of rain and be 4 degrees warmer!

You can see BACE on the west side of the Field Station. Thirty-six plots of land, each four square meters, have been planted with tree seedlings and wildflowers. Each plot has a different micro climate, which does not yet exist in New England. The various combinations of wet and dry, cool and hot climates are controlled with heaters and roofing.

This experiment has been funded by the National Science Foundation. The outdoor area is open to visitors and there are detailed posters explaining the procedures and goals. Or for more info visit www.ecosystems.umb.edu

For flower lovers: To get into the gardening mood visit the Boston Flower Show at the Seaport World Trade Center, Boston, from March 24 to 28th.  More info at www.thebostonflowershow.com

For kids: The Dinosaur Plant, a prehistoric evergreen that has existed since Tyrannosaurus Rex when it grew to over 120 feet is offered in the Edmund Scientific’s 2010 Spring Catalog: www.scientificsonline.com

Follow up: In January 2010 the Federal government provided Massachusetts with $41 million to fight the spread of the Asian longhorned beetle.

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Written for the Feb. 2010 Village Newsletter.