I am not a scientist but I have some common sense. Argue if you will about climate change but the climate in Tennessee has changed. Consider this.
I have lived almost six decades and the only time I saw certain flowers, bushes and trees when I was a kid was when my family made our annual sojourn to the southern Riviera, Panama City Beach, Fla. Today, I see all types of palms, fruit trees, and beach type flowers in my neighborhood. I realize scientists have likely toyed with the secret sauce of certain plants to help them survive in the far north of Tennessee. Make's me think of that old commercial, "It's not nice to fool (with) Mother Nature."
The bible of planting, The Farmer’s Almanac, might as well be written in pencil today because the grow lines are changed so often. Today the limbs, organs, and belly are simply interchangeable in terms of when to plant your tomatoes, beets, or cabbage.
Today, I often see armadillos and possums sunning themselves on Tennessee byways. In the old days, the best I could do to see that other worldly hard shelled creature was to pull a World Book or Britannica from the wooden shelf in the school library.
What’s the cause of all this? I do not know but I know humans play a big role in it. God said, “Be a caretaker of my garden (the Earth).” We take a lot but the care part often goes unheeded.
Dewayne Belew