GardenDC Podcast Episode 44: Witch Hazels and the 50th Anniversary of Green Spring Gardens

This episode we talk with Nicole Mitchell and Brenda Skarphol of Green Spring Gardens about the garden's 50th anniversary and its Witch Hazel collection The plant profile is on Japanese Apricot Trees (Prunus mume) and I share thoughts on "Politics and Gardening."

For more about Witch Hazels (Hamamelis sp.), see this post.

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Witch Hazels, Cool-Season Edible Gardens, and much more in the January 2019 issue of Washington Gardener Magazine

The January 2019 issue of Washington Gardener Magazine is out.

Inside this issue:

• Under the spell of Witch Hazel
• 8 New Garden Trends for 2019
• Year of the Dahlia
• Your Garden Task List
• Dealing with Pesky Critters Humanely
• DC-MD-VA Gardening Events Calendar
• Curtailing the Colorado Potato Beetle
• Top Tips for Success with Cool-Season Edible Gardens
• And much more….

Note that any submissions, event listings, and advertisements for the February 2019 issue are due by February 5.

>>  Subscribe to Washington Gardener Magazine today to have the monthly publication sent to your inbox as a PDF several days before it is available online. You can use the PayPal (credit card) online order form here: http://www.washingtongardener.com/index_files/subscribe.htm

Video Wednesday: Witch Hazel Plant Profile

Witch Hazel

The Witch Hazel (Hamamelis sp.) is a small tree with an open vase-like structure that is treasured for its colorful foliage in fall and its beautiful flowers in late winter.

To me, the blossoms resemble a bunch of tiny ballerinas or faeries dancing along the bare branches. Others liken them to spiders or ribbon fringe. Many of them are quite fragrant. The scent is often spicey with a touch of citrus.

If you are a Witch Hazel aficionado, a visit to Green Spring Gardens in late winter should be on your bucket list, as the extensive Hamamelis plantings, with more than 215 Witch Hazels and 110 different types or unique taxa, were designated as an official Plant Collections Network (PCN) collection in 2006.

Virginia’s special connection to the species began when the British botanist, the Reverend John Banister, discovered the common witch hazel (Hamamelis virginiana) in 1678. This native witch hazel blooms in fall and is not as showy as its Asian relatives. It does have medicinal properties and is good food source for pollinators.

Witch hazels like well-drained, but evenly moist soil. They are forest understory plants that require some shade from the full summer sun. They are not usually troubled by pests or diseases.

Witch hazels are deciduous. In the fall, the leaves turn a golden-bronze, then  drop off. Well, most drop-off, but same hang on for months. Many gardeners strip them off as they are impatient and want to see the flowers unobscured by the now tattered and brown foliage.

If you are looking at adding a witch hazel to your garden, I recommend these four varieties in particular: ‘Diane,’ ‘Pallida,’ ‘Arnold Promise’ and ‘Jelena’. All are proven performers here in the Mid-Atlantic U.S. and are worth a showcase spot in your garden.

See more about Witch Hazels at: 

https://washingtongardener.blogspot.com/2021/01/gardendc-podcast-episode-44-witch-hazes.html