For my new Phenology location, I chose my backyard. I live just outside New York City, so almost all of the land around me has been highly developed. Outside of a few small parks, there aren’t any forests around me. I chose my backyard as, even though it is meticulously manicured by my parents, it is full of plant life. I also chose it as it holds significance to me and my family. There are few activities my parents love more than gardening, and they have poured an untold number of hours into managing our backyard. During the spring and summer, when the gardens have come to life, I will often sit out in my backyard and take in the nature.
Unlike my Phenology location in Burlington, all the trees in my backyard have been intentionally planted. This creates a very different sense of beauty, as almost all the plants in my garden are ornamental. Many of the plants are not native to my area, but my parents take incredible care to make sure these plants don’t spread. My garden, unfortunately, shared no trees or plants with my phenology location in Burlington. The trees planted in my backyard were Eastern Hemlock, Black Gum, Cherry Laurel, Chinese Holly, Japanese Holly, Chinese Dogwood, Japanese Pieris, Northern White Cedar, and Black Spruce. While there were no shared species, the phenological effects on the present plants were very similar to those in Burlington. The trees, except for the conifers, have lost almost all of their leaves, the plants have died off, and there is next to no remaining animal activity. Just like in Burlington, the plants and animals have begun preparing for winter.