There is a tinycorner of my back deck that in the late afternoon gives me hope. If I close my eyes I can feel the sun's warmth on my face as I tilt it towards the sky and believe that spring is really on its way. Another favourite sign of spring is the shrub Hamamelis x intermedia more commonly known as witch hazel. Although not the most stunning plant for most of the year, Hamamelis gives us late winter/early spring interest in the garden, just when we need it the most.This early blooming showstopper produces spidery yellow or reddish orange flowers on bare branches. If you take a walk around your neighbourhood they will be the only shrubs in bloom this time of year. But don't just stand at the end of the road and admire it. Get close enough to inhale its sweetly scented fragrance, which has been compared to hyacinths or lilies. My friend Nancy sports a very mature Hamamelis en route to her front door and gets to pass by the delicate scent every time she arrives or exits her home. Talk about a mood lifter.Yellow flowering Hamamelis are the most common or traditional variety with top cultivars like Pallida, which has highly fragrant pale yellow flowers, Arnold Promise, which produces large, clear yellow flowers with reddish centers (it blooms slightly later than most Hamamelis), and Brevipetala which has rich dark yellow blooms.As is always the way in the plant world, new hybrids that bloom in orange and red are becoming very popular like Jelena and Diane. Call me old-fashioned, but I prefer the traditional yellow blooms - and I also find the newer cultivars don't always have the same showstopper effect in the garden.Hamamelis/witch hazel thrives in well-drained, fertile, humus - rich soil, in full sun. They also grow quite nicely with half a day sun and lend themselves well to the woodland parts of your garden. Make sure to plant it where you will be able to see it and smell its delicious fragrance.I'm not exaggerating by saying that plant doesn't have a lot of interest the rest of the year so make sure to underplant it with spring flowering bulbs. The witch hazel is a good partner plant to pair with shrubs like rhododendrons, viburnums, pieris, and magnolia.There are far too many badly pruned with hazels. Remember to prune dead, damaged or diseased branches directly after they bloom, but before the green leaves appear in spring. This is a great deciduous shrub that grows to about 10 feet and will be an interesting addition to your garden.
