Monday 4th April 2011
For Macro Monday... I just couldn't resist using a series of photographs that I took in February when I was offline for a while... The Witch Hazel was surprisingly difficult to photograph as it was hard to focus on the blossom. I think it was probably because any hint of a breeze caused all the narrow petals to move slightly. I often found when I looked at the photographs afterwards that the wrong flower or piece of twiggy stem was in focus and I had missed my mark. I love these flowers every year and I know I shall keep trying to get the best image of them that I can...
One of my very favourite shrubs is Hamamelis... commonly known as Witch Hazel...
I have several of these in my garden...
These images are of my sulphur yellow one called Pallida...
I have two of these and they are both very perfumed...
But I had noticed that when I was choosing them... most that I sniffed had no perfume at all...
So I spent several years sniffing every single yellow witch hazel that I cam across...
Until I had discovered one which had a very strong scent...
Which is particularly glorious on a sunny early spring day...
There is something very special about these wonderful fine crinkled blossoms...
Which the early bees always appreciate...
An amazing shrub that has wonderful blossoms from late winter to early spring, attractive foliage in the summer and fabulous Autumn colour... what more could I want...
4 comments:
What a super array of witch hazel!!
First of the Amaryllis Blooming
That is very special blossom. I'don't have them and I don't even know do they grow here but I know I haven't seen them here.
Hi
My garden has heavy wet clay and acidic soil which is why I can grow the magnolia's, camelias and witch hazels very well. Roses and hardy geraniums also do well. I long ago gave up trying to grow things that don't like the conditions here. A losing battle.
I have never seen witch hazel before, the flowers are beautiful!
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