HAMAMELIS—witch hazels—are one of the great revelations of the garden in winter. They flower for about six weeks and are hardy everywhere in the British Isles. In large spaces, they are the mainstay of the winter display, offering a succession of flowers and a choice of colours between December and March. Yellow cultivars are more conspicuous, but orange and red hamamelis are pretty when cut for the house, where they will remain in flower for a fortnight—longer than most plants.
Hamamelis is a genus in a very active state of evolution
is a genus in a very active state of horticultural evolution. No one knows this better than Chris Lane, who grafts and sells plants on his open days—although they can also be grown with difficulty from softwood cuttings—and holds the National
