Filed under: Gardening, Flowers, Garden Tours, How-To
In our new column, "What Blooms This Month," garden writer Marie Viljoen tells us what to expect in our gardens every month of the year. We begin with February, a month with a surprising number of blooms.
Living in the Northeast, it never ceases to amaze me that there are trees that will bloom in the depths of our winters.
Witch hazel in winter.Photo: Marie Viljoen
The first time I saw a witch hazel in bloom it stopped me in my snowy, February tracks. In fact, the trees bookend the coldest months neatly, with the North American witch hazels (Hammamelis vernalis and H. virginiana) flowering at the end of fall, and Asian cultivars (of Hammamelis mollis and H. japonica) opening their bright streamers in the cold of the new year.
Witch hazels are small trees at maturity, reaching about fifteen feet, often with a typically horizontal structure. For best bloom they should be planted in full sun (six hours plus) in USDA zones 5-9. Ideally, soil should be slightly acidic, moist but well-drained. Maintain the tree's shape and size by pruning lightly immediately after flowering.
Hammamelis x intermedia "Diane".Photo: Marie Viljoen
Witch hazels tend to have very attractive fall foliage so there is another reason to plant one of these pretty and surprising trees in your cold climate garden.
Pussy willow in February. Photo: Marie Viljoen
Like all willows, pussy willows love water and can be a problem near leaky pipes or drains, to which their roots will be attracted. In roof gardens I plant them away from roof drains and prune their roots in late fall every few years. In-ground, they are an excellent small tree (if kept pruned) for poorly drained areas. Otherwise plant them in Zones 4-8 in full sun and water them deeply and regularly.
Pussy willow responds very well to very hard pruning. As soon as the catkins have bloomed, select a third of the oldest canes (grayer in color) and prune them right back to the ground, or to the trunk. This will result in fatter and more prolific blooms the following year. Branches cut in January and brought indoors will open to give you a midwinter taste of spring.
It might be cold outside, but that does not mean that beautiful trees cannot be part of your garden.
Stay tuned for more flowering trees for every month of the year. Although I admit that January might pose a problem!
Looking for more gardening? Check out these pieces:
Winter Gardening Myths Broken!
A Writer's Inspiration is Her Garden
From Backyard to Jungle