A phenology is supposed to be about what's happening and when in the natural world. In this year, when not much is happening, I thought we might dedicate this post to what's not happening.
April 12 is, on average, the time of year when the frost comes out of the ground in Central Minnesota. That means the snow has melted and the ground is no longer frozen. Right now, depending on the type of soil you're digging in, the ground is frozen just a few inches below the surface. It could still be several weeks before the ground thaws.
By April 12, the Pin Oaks have dropped their brown leaves that they have hung onto all winter, making way for spring's buds.
I took this photo yesterday, April 11, 2018 of a Pin Oak in our grove. By now, it would have dropped all its leaves.
This is typically the time of year when tulips and dandelions are beginning to bloom.
I took this photo in the greenhouse yesterday, April 11, 2018, which serves as a reminder of what it would look like outside. On an average year, dandelions would be beginning to bloom about now, reaching full bloom in the third week of April.
Our farm has wetlands on two sides, making for very good frog habitat. Perhaps my favorite marker of spring is the croaking of the Western Chorus frogs, which begin croaking, on average, about now. No sounds from the frogs yet.
Taken from https://www.pca.state.mn.us/living-green/frogs-minnesota
Minnesota's DNR has recordings of the various frog sounds at the above link on their website. It is well worth a listen.