Tagged With: Winter Blooms

Hamamelis (Witch Hazel)

Photograph taken on Sunday, January 27, 2019 by Henry
Hamamelis (Witch Hazel)

Hamamelis (Witch Hazel)

I’m a huge fan of witch hazel (Hamamelis species). They’re small trees well suited to the suburban landscape and wonder of wonder, they bloom in mid-winter! Many years ago my father, Cathy, and I went to Brookside Gardens in Wheaton Regional Park in February and I remember falling in love with witch hazel at that time. Now whenever I see them in bloom, I remember my dad and remind myself that this is a tree I want to plant in my yard. Now that I have a space in the front yard that needs a small tree, this may be the spring when one gets planted. There are varieties with red, orange, and yellow flowers and I think all of them are terrific. The yellow, perhaps, stands out as being the brightest but they’re all worth the effort.

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Winter-flowering Begonia

Photograph taken on Monday, September 23, 2019 by Henry
Winter-flowering Begonia

Winter-flowering Begonia

With more than 1,800 species, the genus Begonia is one of the largest genera of flowering plants. That doesn’t take into account a multitude of hybrids and cultivars. I have no idea what this variety is, but it’s a pretty, winter-flowering begonia and that’s all that really matters. There are hardy begonias but this isn’t one of them. So, it’s on a table in our dining room and provides some color, along side two deep purple African violets and sheltered by a large (and growing) fiddle-leaf fig (Ficus lyrata) and a fairly old pathos plant (Epipremnum aureum).

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Camellia japonica

Photograph taken on Saturday, March 07, 2020 by Henry
Camellia japonica

Camellia japonica

I went over to my mom’s this morning to see her and to do a few things around her apartment. After the minor chores, we took a walk around the loop she walks most days, about a third of a mile. We started by taking a slight detour to see the two Camellia japonica bushes that are in bloom outside the enclosed walkway just past the dining hall. They are absolutely covered with pink and white flowers, both varying somewhat from almost all pink to mostly white with pink lines. I have three plants in my yard, all small (and one is very small). One of them has buds but none are blooming yet. Looking forward to that.

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Witchhazel (Hamamelis x intermedia)

Photograph taken on Wednesday, March 10, 2021 by Henry
Witchhazel (Hamamelis x intermedia)

Witchhazel (Hamamelis x intermedia)

Dorothy has planned a work day for Saturday at our property in Pennsylvania. The two of us went up today to look things over and to make sure we were ready for all the volunteers. It was a beautiful day, although cool. There was still a little snow on the ground in sheltered areas but that should be gone shortly.

The witchhazel (Hamamelis x intermedia) is in bloom, which I really like. There were also a few small irises coming up and getting ready to bloom and in the woods there were a few large patches of snow drops that were in full bloom. So, while most plants are still in winter mode, there are a few that get an early start on the year. But I particularly like witchhazel, with its somewhat unusual orange, red, or yellow flowers. I think it should be grown more than it is. A foretaste of spring.

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Hamamelis x intermedia ‘Robert’ (Witchhazel)

Photograph taken on Saturday, January 15, 2022 by Henry
Hamamelis x intermedia ‘Robert’ (Witchhazel)

Hamamelis x intermedia ‘Robert’ (Witchhazel)

We decided to go to Brookside Gardens today. It’s one of the county’s nicest places. They have two, connected conservatories, the first of which has mostly permanent plantings while the second changes more often and more extensively with the seasons. In addition to spending time in amongst the green, we walked in the grounds. It certainly wasn’t crowded on this fairly cold day but it was worth if to see the witchhazel starting to bloom. If you’re looking for a small, flowering tree that will give you joy in late January or early February, you could do a lot worse. This is Hamamelis x intermedia ‘Robert’.

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Amaryllis Forest

Photograph taken on Thursday, February 10, 2022 by Henry
Amaryllis Forest

Amaryllis Forest

Even after giving a few away, we had a bunch of amaryllises this year. They really have put on a show and right now are just about as good as they are going to get. And they vary quite a bit in terms of color, too. I particularly like the white one in the back with a little green in the center. Of course the pure red blooms are pretty awesome, too, as well as the red and white in the upper left. Heck, they’re all really nice. Together they’re spectacular. Many of them have second blooming stems starting, so we’ll get even more flowers in a little while.

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