GROWING YOUR GARDEN
The wispy blooms of mature witch hazel resemble finely-worked silk tapestry
Wispy blooms of mature witch hazel resemble finely worked silk tapestry
Clear blue skies and a sunny afternoon encouraged me to head out for a stroll around the Niagara Parks Botanical Garden.
I was hoping to find the promise of spring — early blooming witch hazels, snowdrops and pussy willows. I wasn’t disappointed.
Witch hazels (Hamamelis), with their wispy strands of yellow, orange and copper petals catching the sunlight, are a treasure in the March garden. Look up into the branches of a mature bush to really appreciate the intricate pattern of slender, crossing branches punctuated with tufts of stemless flowers. Backlit by the low afternoon sun, the patterns remind me of a finely worked silk tapestry.
The filament-like, crinkly petals may look delicate, but they are surprisingly sturdy. Witch hazels open the season for flowering shrubs and trees, usually blooming well before the snow melts. Last fall, I introduced you to the eastern native witch hazel (Hamamelis virginiana) that blooms in the fall. The spring blooming intermedia witch hazels, that usually flower between the end of January and March, are hybrids resulting from crosses between the Japanese and Chinese species.
The Chinese witch hazel (H. mollis) is the first to flower with chrome yellow flowers that are about the size of a quarter. It has a very long bloom period. The Japanese witch hazel (H. japonica) blooms a little later in the season with fragrant flowers. Hybrids between these two species (Hamamelis x intermedia) are more showy with longer lasting, fragrant flowers.
Witch hazels are woodland shrubs or small trees, and are hardy, selfsufficient and not bothered by pests. Handsome oval leaves turn shades of yellow and copper (depending on the variety) in the autumn. The flowers are a valuable food source for bees and other pollinators. Their smaller stature, easy maintenance and cheerful early flowers make witch hazels good candidates for modern gardens. Give them well-drained soil, and full to partial sun. Consider planting a witch hazel or two in a mixed shrub border, a dark backdrop of conifers helps to show off the early blooms to advantage.
I also discovered a pretty drift of optimistic snow drops along a woodland path. Their crisp white bells were closed to ward off the cold air, but a little bit of sunshine will coax them to open, even when there is snow on the ground.
The Latin name, Galanthus nivalis, means milk flower of the snow. They thrive in lightly shaded woodland areas. The white flowers hang from a single stem with three inner petals (called tepals) curved into a tight pointed oval and three external petals loosely opening outwards. There can be single or double flower heads, and feature bright green, grassy foliage.
In the British Isles, snowdrops have come to symbolize hope and purity. A naturally occurring substance within the plant is used to help treat the symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease. Like daffodils, snowdrops are not bothered by squirrels and deer.
The easiest time to plant snowdrops is in the spring. Several years ago, I bought a tray of potted snowdrops, that were past their prime, for our son’s B.C. garden. The potted bulbs are easier to handle (and less expensive) than tiny single bulbs, and by planting them in the spring, you can see where there is an opening in the garden that could use a splash of colour. Don’t trim off the leaves, let them die back naturally, the leaves need time to feed the bulb for next year’s flowers. Dig holes 10-15cm deep and plant one pot (6six to eight bulbs) in each hole. Refill the hole and ensure some leaf remains above the surface.
Snowdrops prefer well-drained soil with light shade. If your soil is heavy, work in some sand to help improve the drainage or plant the bulbs in a raised bed. If the planting has become overcrowded, dig up the bulbs and split them in the spring, after they have finished blooming.
Along the pond, I stopped to visit my favourite patch of black pussy willows (Salix melanostachys). Although the common name black pussy willow implies that the catkins are black, they are actually very dark purple with anthers of deep red. The name comes from the Greek ‘Melano’ meaning very dark and ‘stachys’, spike or catkin.
This distinctive form of pussy willow is often covered in black catkins before the snow melts,. The cut stems make an interesting addition to early spring arrangements.
Slow growing and easily controlled by selective pruning, this shrub will reach heights of seven metres with a rounded form at maturity. A site with full sun to part shade, and moist, fertile soil is ideal. Consider planting this shrub with yellow or red twig dogwood for interesting contrast.
Willows, witch hazels and snowdrops are some of the earliest pollen and nectar sources for our pollinating insects and help them regain their strength after the long winter months. If your garden could use a splash of early season interest, you might consider including one, or all three of these plants to your borders.