Witch Hazel Relatives

This post will be part Philadelphia Flower Show and part not. I want to shlow you a couple of witch hazel relatives, and the native shrub.

I'll start with one from the Flower Show that I wasn't familiar with. This is Hamamelis x intermedia 'Jelena.' It's a cultivar with reddish flowers, but it's still recognizable as a witch hazel. It's the ragged pom-poms, not the maroon hellebore that is also in the picture.

But I learned something new this year. The very popular 'Mt. Airy' Fothergilla is a witch hazel relative. Fothergilla is a genus in the Family Hamamelidoideae, as is Hamamelis. Fothergilla bloom in the spring (witch hazel in the fall). The exact name of this cultivar is Fothergilla x intermedia 'Mount Airy.'

Here are the flowers a little closer. Mt. Airy has won the highest honor from the Royal Horticultural Society.

Just as a reminder, here is a native witch hazel. It grows as a small tree/large shrub with many stems in a copse. It has yellow flowers in fall. Here is one blooming locally in 2012.

I did pretty well with my work lists today, and had a meeting in the evening. The meeting involved a little walking, so I did get in a short COLD stroll!

Miles walked in 2026: 117.5
Mason County fairgrounds: 1.6 miles

See More Witch Hazel 2024

Is It Spring Yet?

I don't know about you, but I am absolutely ready for something a little more spring-like outside.

Meanwhile, it was Easter! A great worship service this morning, and then a very laid-back dinner for Om and me. Just ham, salad, and strawberries for dessert, with the rest of the hot cross buns. Oh, and a little cheese.

What's happening in the gardens? Very little.

The oriental poppies are getting some nice leaves. This will be the red one.

The rock garden is pretty much still dormant. OK, that may be better than having things green up too early, but hey... things are about 2 weeks behind last year.

This is the pasqueflower, trying to get something going.

This is the same one, ONE, mini-iris that came up last year. These don't seem to spread for me either. They just struggle along for a few years and then die. But one is better than none. I used to have purple, yellow, and blue.

It was a laid-back day. I did a few things, but not with much dedication.

See So Early! Too Early?

Hot Cross Buns!

I modified the healthier recipe that I used at Christmas for cinnamon rolls and made hot cross buns for Easter.

Rolls like these have been associated with the Christian tradition of Easter at least since the 12th Century. They are basically just a sweet roll recipe with spices and usually fruit included with a cross of icing on the top. The symbolism of the cross is obvious. The spices are to represent the spices associated with Jesus' burial. The rolls were a treat associated with breaking the fast of Lent.

This time, I included currants and a little cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice.

The nursery rhyme: "Hot cross buns, hot cross buns, one a penny, two a penny, hot cross buns" has, like most folk rhymes, had many other words added over the centuries.

One really unusual fact is that under the reigns of both Elizabeth I and James I of England it was illegal to sell hot cross buns except at Easter, Christmas, or for funerals. The penalty was that the breads were seized and given to the poor! Consequently, the treats were usually made in domestic kitchens.

They are a nice treat! We each had one tonight and will have our other two each tomorrow along with a ham.

I've made them in the past, but not for a while. We always made them at Easter when I was growing up.

It was pretty nasty outside. I edited a lot and did watch a movie in the afternoon.

See Christmas 2025

Philadelphia Flower Show- Miniatures II

The other half of the miniatures exhibit had the same main theme; "A Moment in Time," but these ones had to be a setting for an event somewhere in the world, 1900 to the present.

I thought that was somewhat interesting as the first group spaned 65 million years, and this group only 125. Ha!

There were two white ribbons. One went to the Blue Hen Besties with "Welcome, Class of 2029." (Blue Hens are the mascot for the University of Delaware). The intent said, "first step toward adulthood- freshmen move in at college."

The judges liked the plant material but thought the overall craftsmanship was poor.

It was arranged a bit oddly with the wall of the dorm coming right out to the plexiglas, and then the other portion was a dorm room. But the judges are right, the plants are nicely done but the modeling isn't.

The other white went to "Covid 19- the Alfresco Compromise," by a single individual. The intent said, "a Philadelphia restaurant transformed it's parking space into a restaurant with curated plant material."

The judges liked the idea and thought it was accurate, but said that several elements were out of scale.

The picture is pretty bad. I needed more time to gauge the scale of things, but it didn't really grab my attention, so there's that.

Yellow went to "First Flight," by a single individual. The intent says, "The Wright Brothers ready their fragile flyer."

The judges said that there was excellent attention to detail, but the plant material was overwhelmed.

I have to agree. And I would think there isn't nearly enough plant material for this kind of show.

There were also two red ribbons. One went to two individuals with "After They Read 'Silent Spring.'" The intent says "a group of cropdusting pilots repurposed their airstrip and are celebrating their first organic apple harvest."

The judges loved the theme but said the topiary myrtles did not accurately represent the apple tree form. True, that! And my reflection is terrible, but I think you can still see most of the display.

One other second place went to "Tear Down this Wall," by an individual. The intent says, "A crack splits the graffiti-covered Berlin Wall..." and a lot more.

The judges liked how dynamic this was, but said the pink plants in the front were too dominant.

My comment... Om has a lot of pictures of the Berlin Wall. It was way more stark than this with a barren zone on even the western side for security. But we all know that rewriting history is A-OK these days.

Blue ribbon! "An Unexpected Visitor" by two individuals. The setting is Roswell, NM. The intent says it, "blends rustic ranch life with eerie mystery."

Judges called it "whimsical," and said it "transcends the limitations of 'space.'"

Again, there are way too many reflections to see this very well. It's OK. Frankly none of the entries in this set really grabbed me. But this one has good scale, good color, and nothing in it screams that it's just wrong or out of proportion.

I worked on all my projects today and made progress. That's the best I can say. Shopping and errands too.

See PFS 2026- Miniatures I

Philadelphia Flower Show 2026 - Cool Colors

Cool and WET was what we had for weather here today. Lots and lots of rain. I hunkered down and got quite a lot done, even though it's never enough.

Anyway, here is the rest of the color wheel from the Philadelphia Flower Show.

For green, I chose this landscaped field from an exhibit by the Merchison Farm of New Jersey. Martha Brooks Hutcheson was one of the first female landscape architects, and she liked ecological plantings and traditional lines. The farm was her home.

This is part of an advertising display where the letters of the logo were filled with plant material. I think this is mostly dyed asparagus fern, so not exactly natural, but very, very blue! And very effective.

For something more natural, check out this lovely stone pathway lined with hyacinth.

Love this kale! It's Brassica oleracia 'Redbor.' I'd put this in my salad in a heartbeat, but I'd also love to look at it.

There are still lots of Flower Show pictures I can use to fill rainy days. There are several plants I want to share for sure. One is such a hot purple it couldn't really be included here. Stay tuned.

I have to do something besides sit in my chair for a while. My back gets sore!

See PFS 2026- Warm Colors