Witch Hazel Blooming

I considered making this a Wordless Wednesday post, but given the tendency of gardeners to natter on about plants, I decided against it. Over the past month, since our week-long+ Deep Freeze, I've mostly been trying to ignore my garden, the way many people avert their eyes at the dreadful stuff in a horror movie, or at the scene of an accident. But this morning I gave in and did a quick stroll, mostly to look at my Mahonia x media 'Charity.' Until I ventured out I thought it was the only flowering plant.

What a surprise I found out there! My witch hazel, which I think is Hamamelis x intermedia 'Jelena,' was flowering. (I could take some time to hunt down the tag in my many ziploc bags o' tags, but then I might not finish this post till spring.)

Just one of several flowering limbs

You might remember my post about the glorious autumn foliage on this plant, which you can read here. A November windstorm had blown all the leaves off it and I ran out to gather them up from the ground to save them. I still have them strewn across the bureau in my guest room. Although they are curled up and crispy, they are still very colorful. I also mentioned in that post that I had found lots of flower buds on the tree, and was looking forward to seeing it bloom in the winter.

Wow, is it ever!

What a payoff. I am so pleased.