When I trudged out to the garage today to get birdseed and a bag of icemelt, I got a wonderful surprise—-my witch hazel was in bloom! This really lifted my spirits—the start of the first serious snowfall of the year and first flower of the year on the same day.
Witch Hazel can start blooming any time from mid-January to mid February. It forces very quickly. The flowers of branches I broke today were barely in bloom, but after an hour or so indoors the shaggy yellow flowers had unfurled and I could indulge in that wonderfully astringent witch hazel fragrance. It helped a lot.
For lovers of witch hazel, Morris Arboretum has an extensive witchhazel collection with guided tours on the second Saturday of February and March. If only I had room in my garden for another witch hazel!
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