Gardening is all I think and read about lately and the witch hazel tree was one of my early fall obsessions. I spent weeks reading about the 5 different species and 100s of varieties, only to find that none of the local nurseries had any in stock. Finally, I found a place that would order me one and I select the small, vase-shaped, bright red flowering Hamamelis x intermedia ‘Diane’.

I then spend a week building “structures” in the backyard to model how ‘Diane’ will look full grown and decide where to place it. When I get a call from the nursery I force Eric to immediately drop everything and drive out to help me fetch my baby tree.

The nursery staff notice my excitement, but nonchalantly mention they couldn’t get ‘Diane’. They substituted.

Jelena, I think– orange would be fine. Or Arnold Promise— more common, and yellow is not bad. But no.

They’d chosen a different species altogether. They’d ordered me a Hamamelis vernalis with no name. My heart sunk (I hadn’t researched this species at all), but I took it home anyway. Though it will be a different shape and colour, it has redeeming factors: it’s native to Missouri (just like Eric), more cold hardy (unlike Eric), and should do better in my clay soil…

Fingers crossed it doesn’t die before it’s supposed to bloom: late winter / early spring.