Greetings garden friends.... I realized just last week that if I were forced to leave planet Earth in the mid weeks of February and I could only rescue one plant from my garden it would be this.... Hamamelis x intermedia 'Arnold's Promise', a.k.a. Witch Hazel. During the dreary snow covered days of mid to late winter, Witch Hazel manages to burst forth reliably and faithfully to announce the nearing of spring with its delicate tentacles of friendly yellow. Even the chubby, overfed songbirds of my backyard seem to waddle their way to the intoxicating aura of a Witch Hazel in bloom. And as if the mere presense of its cheerful flowers weren't enough, Witch Hazel has climbed the evolutionary ladder to produce fragrant, yes that's right, deliciously fragrant flowers. And fear not, gardeners, your Witch Hazel will not forsake you later in the season when its reproductive duties are finished.... The fall color of this plant is reminiscent of its early winter glory when the large textured leaves turn a rich autumn yellow. Plant Witch Hazel in most soils, as long as they are well-drained and somewhat fertile. They will thrive in full to partial sun, but be sure to protect them from overexposure. Witch Hazels work well at the back of a border in groups, but the best way to appreciate this shrub's many attributes is on its own as a specimen in the garden where you can showcase its stunning mid-winter show, its rich green texture of spring and summer, its graceful autumn color and the sturdy vase shape of its bare grey branches during winter months.