What do a squirrel's ears and poisonous mushrooms have in common?

Every gardener's challenge and dream is a garden that remains beautiful all year round. But to plan such a marvel properly, one needs years of experience and observation behind them. Layered or phased planting requires knowledge, but also a keen sense of observation.

Scientists refer to the study of the timing of 'seasonal biological activities' as phenology. Seasonal biological activities include, for example, the emergence of leaves, flowering or the end of flowering, but also the appearance of specific insects, or the behaviour of birds or animals. The term 'phenology' was first introduced in 1853 by the Belgian botanist Charles Morren.

A number of folk observations relate to specific tasks that should be carried out in the garden at certain times of the year. Lettuce, peas and spinach should be planted when the lilacs have their first leaves, and beans and pumpkins when the lilacs are in bloom. For maize, sow it when the elm leaves are the size of a squirrel's ear. Oh, right.

But what is the actual size of a squirrel's ear? The most common squirrel in Poland, Sciurus vulgaris, has long ears tipped with tufts. Generally speaking, the average length of its ear is 2.5 cm, and with the tuft it can be as long as 3.5 cm. But the grey squirrel has tiny ears, without tufts. Its grey ears are no more than 2 cm long. Even the marmot belongs to the squirrel family, and its ears are tiny. The squirrel family is vast – it comprises around 270 species.

The idea of using a squirrel's ear as a unit of measurement turns out to be quite common. According to the Iroquois of Ahkwasahsne (Canada), it is the dogwood that is said to have leaves the size of a squirrel's ear, not the elm, so that maize sowing can begin.

In the state of Iowa, when the oak has leaves the size of a squirrel's ear and the ground is sufficiently damp, according to old lore, morels (Morchella esculenta) appear… Morels, known in Poland as 'Polish truffles', are prized mushrooms, edible only after cooking. However, one must be careful, as another mushroom appears in our region that is very similar to the morel but highly poisonous; it is officially known as the chestnut-coloured puffball, whose affectionate folk name is 'old woman's ears'.

Folk phenology may not be a precise guide, but it certainly offers a wise reminder that everything in nature is interconnected, and that it is worth keeping track of these connections. If not for practical reasons, then for the sheer pleasure of discovery.