Hamamelis Mollis

Hamamelis Mollis revisited today when at its very best

There are a number of shrubs which flower in late Autumn and also in early Spring. Only two of which flower in the coldest months of January and February in Aberdeen come to mind. The evergreen shrub Sarcococca  flowers in February in our garden. However the most striking one is the Hamamelis  which flowers December/February I wouldn’t be without this one.

Hamamelis Mollis

Many years ago our gardening interest took off. I was given a huge batch of a weekly publication (Garden news) I would read these most evenings absorbing as much information unaware that this was to become for the both of us a lifetime passion. Gradually I found whilst opening the garden news the first pages I would turn to was Geoffrey Smiths garden diary.

Not only his gardening knowledge but his way with words made him the most inspirational of all the celebrity gardeners and broadcasters. In fact when he stopped his article, Garden News was never quite the same.

The career of this Yorkshire man of course went much further than a newspaper article. He was made a superintendent of the Royal Horticultural Society’s garden at Harlow Carr at the age of 26, and continued to work there for two decades. Geoffrey also presented the BBC Gardeners world and also several series on BBC2. Sadly Geoffrey passed away in February 2009.The memory of this highly accomplished gardener will live on.

For me, today’s featured plant always brings Geoffrey Smith to mind. I had heard him comment more than once that  Hamamelis Mollis (Chinese witch hazel) would not grow in his Yorkshire garden. Must have been something to do with the soil as Hamamelis thrives in our even cooler Aberdeen climate.

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