It’s a season of change. During a time of the year when many people usually are planning social gatherings, we find ourselves at home away from family and friends. Running errands was once a daily occurrence and now we must plan in advance what essential tasks must be done. We are no longer able to frequent our usual stops in town. Change is something gardeners have long since learned to expect. This spring in my own garden, the only thing the same is the anticipated change.
Two years ago, in the fall I planted tulip bulbs. Though this task is always a bit mundane as the dull bulbs offer only delayed gratification, I diligently planted knowing the reward to come would be worthwhile. The spring that followed did not disappoint. The purple, pink, orange and yellow blooms brightened the dreary stormy spring days and provided a perfect backdrop for family photos.
This spring I watched the blooms of this same planter bed of tulips open and wondered, “Were there this many white tulips last year? Where did all the yellow tulips go?” I visited my photos from the past year and realized indeed, many of the blooms had changed colors. The deep pink blooms were still as bold as the previous year, but the light purple, variegated blooms changed to all white with just a thin line of purple on the edges. There was only one yellow tulip blooming. Since I did not dig up and re-plant the bulbs, I knew these were the same original plants from the first planting. I suspected this was a case of plants reverting to parental genetics, and after some searching, I found this to be the case along with some other intriguing information about how plants can change.
Have you ever noticed a variegated plant variety that loses its mottled leaf patterns over time? Variegated leaves are a sort of mutation that are sometimes marketed as a new variety. Variegated leaves have less chlorophyll limiting the plants’ ability to photosynthesize. As a result, these plants may sometimes send out leaves of solid color to allow the plant to produce more food. You may notice a stem with solid-colored leaves on a variegated plant. You can embrace this natural survival mechanism, or you can choose to remove it from the plant.
Hybridized plants, which includes many tulips, are created to express favorable characteristics including color, growth habit and pest resistance. These genetics are not always stronger than the parent genetics, which allows the plants to revert back to their origins especially during stressed situations. Bulbs that have experienced temperatures that are too warm, too much or too little water, improper soil pH or other negative impacts, may be more likely to change color. This is the phenomenon that is forced to change the color of hydrangeas. By increasing the pH of the soil to above 5.5, hydrangeas bloom in pinkish red. pH less than 5.5 changes the color of the blooms to purple and blue.
There can be other factors that cause blooms and plants to change in the garden so be sure to also monitor and inspect for diseases and pests. While we cannot change many of the circumstances in our environment nor some of the factors that affect our plants, we can take charge of our response to them. When our gardens give us surprises, we can find beauty in the natural ways of life. We can turn to the science and better understand the systems taking place. May this season of life bring great beauty and wonder to your own landscape.
Cynthia Domenghini is an instructor and coordinator for K-State’s horticultural therapy online certificate program.