Climate variability and risk management in nursery production^©

INTRODUCTION
One of the key skills of a nurseryperson is the ability to observe small changes in plant growth and the growing environment, and to understand how these factors influence plant production systems. This training in intuitive observation may explain why some growers comment that the seasons are not what they were. They may perceive that winters are warmer; that flowering and seeding is earlier or that rainfall patterns have changed in their area. Is this anecdotal evidence of increased variability in our climate, or just random musings?