The winter season is a time for anticipation. Today, I monitor swelling buds of Ozark witch hazels (Hamamelis vernalis, below) and a variety of hellebores that will soon open to flower continuously through the winter months.

As expected, flowers of camellias are opening (below) after the latest spell of freezes in the upper teens (Fahrenheit) spoiled an abundance of splendid late autumn blooms. The ‘Winter’s Star’ along the driveway rarely flowers before December, and now it displays its first bloom that is likely to be ruined by cold in the next few days.

Additional flowers will open with periods of mild temperatures, but only a small percentage of buds will develop into flowers that are not immediately ruined by temperatures in the low twenties and colder that are common in our winters. I assume this camellia’s late flowering is due to its location, and only the curiousity of discovering short-lived midwinter blooms substantiates its prominent position.

In the longer term, I am anxious to see the continued growth of several Japanese maples. Every winter, there are plants that need one more season of growth to make my perceived minimum impact in the garden. The yellow stemmed ‘Bihou’ (Acer palmatum ‘Bihou’, above) has now reached this minimum in its third year, with colorful branching that barely stood out until this winter. Long ago, I saw ‘Bihou’ at a nursery tradeshow, and immediately, I knew I had to have one. Finding one took a while, and it was small, but it’s growing quickly.

A prized maple, ‘Manyo no sato’ (Acer palmatum ‘Manyo no sato’, above, a retirement gift a year ago) should grow this spring to become a standout in the rear garden. Of course, it will be better every year after this, but this year, it will become sizable enough to be seen within the mature garden that surrounds it. A ‘Moonrise’ maple (below) planted at the same time was considerably larger, and with the past year’s growth, it was a valued addition to the renovated garden beside the newly constructed sunroom.

As I age, I become more hesitant  to plant very small trees. I figure I have another decade to enjoy growth in the garden, and yes, I’m happy for the next generation to enjoy the garden, but I’m planting for my enjoyment in the shorter term.