In mid-January, the garden was heading in a pleasing direction though a chilly late December had delayed flowering. Several hellebores were flowering, with swelling buds on others. The Ozark witch hazels (Hamamelis vernalis, below) were flowering with a glimpse of color on Asian hybrids (Hamamelis x intermedia).

And, then it stopped. Cold temperatures moved in, the longest and coldest stretch we’ve experienced in a decade with daytime temperatures staying below freezing for nine days. Then the snow and a dense blanket of sleet arrived, covering the garden for several weeks. Today, most of the neighborhood has thawed while this low lying and shaded garden remains mostly covered despite warming temperatures in recent days.

With a few mild and rainy days ahead, I hope that the snow will soon be gone so the garden can get back on track. The warmer temperatures have encouraged flowers of the Ozark witch hazels to open again after being tightly curled for several weeks. ‘Diane’ and ‘Jelena’ witch hazels are flowering, and I expect ‘Arnold Promise’ and ‘Wisley Supreme’ will start in the next day or two.

The snow and cold have delayed flowering of the dozens of hellebores that should be flowering. As the snow melts, I see that buds have continued to swell, and flowers that were covered for a few weeks are finally showing through. There hasn’t been enough melting for the snowdrops (Galanthus) and other bulbs to show up, but I expect there will be a rush of color next week. I’m ready for it.