I must take credit on the rare occasion when it is earned. A year ago, a yellow leafed winter hazel (Corylopsis spicata ‘Ogon’, below) exhibited only a single flower. Two years earlier, the winter hazel had been moved to this location that I figured was part sun, and possibly the move diminished the number of flowers for the following year, but I figured I’d erred and concluded that this spot must be a bit too shaded.

Of course, in this instance I am taking credit for realizing the blunder made two years previously, but in any case the multiple blooms on the winter hazel today verify that the correct move was made. Too often, a move comes a year, or five years too late, but the lackluster bloom was a single year occurrence.

Another common witch hazel (Hamamelis virginiana ‘Winter Champagne’) was planted yesterday beside the koi pond, and yes, there are more than enough witch hazels already, though I think this one is perfectly sited in a spot occupied once by a thriving blue mist shrub (Caryopteris) that declined in recent years as a Blue Atlas cedar (Cedrus atlantica ‘Glauca’) towered overhead. A year ago, the cedar went downhill, so it was chopped out and replaced by a yellow flowered ‘Yellow Bird’ magnolia. The blue mist shrub did not revive quickly in more sunlight, so while its remnants remain, the witch hazel will now grow in the area of part sun that will get somewhat shadier as the magnolia grows.

While planting into this gap, I again notice to one side that the somewhat dwarf cryptomeria (Cryptomeria globosa nana, above) has grown well over six feet in height, and of course this is a few feet taller than references project its mature size. What else is new? It seems that everything grows wider or taller than the references tell us, and again I’m not complaining, just noting that references are often incorrect.

Here, there is no magic elixir to encourage growth, no fertilizers have been applied in recent decades, though I now consider adding a bit to motivate several small Japanese maples purchased the past few years. I just planted the tiniest ginkgo, so it needs a lot of help and I’m getting up in years, so I can’t wait around too long. Unfortunately, I don’t think I’ll see the immediate improvement I’m seeing in the winter hazel.