By Teresa Woodard

Here’s another wonderful early bloomer — witch hazel (Hamamelis).  I like to admire its diminutive blooms up close, so I clip branches to display indoors.

With its fragrant and colorful blossoms (ranging from red to yellow), witch hazel is a favorite shrub in Midwestern winter landscapes.  They bloom anytime from December to March, depending on the season’s weather. Even better, they don’t require special feeding or fertilizer, and they’ll grow in most soil conditions.

To learn more, check out Debra Knapke’s previous post or visit a local arboretum to see these treasures in bloom.  Dawes Arboretum in Newark, Ohio, offers a great collection.  Here are some snapshots from my visit.

Hamamelis ‘Orange Beauty’

Hamamelis ‘Orange Glow’

Hamamelis ‘Kohankie Red’

Hamamelis ‘Limelight’

DESCENDANT – most of these organisms are either endangered or considered to be extinct in some or most of their native habitat. (From the Dayton Art Institute’s website)

By Debra Knapke

A dear friend invited us to see an inspiring exhibit at the Dayton Art Institute.  The artistry of Isabella Kirkland beautifully displays the biodiversity of our world.  She achingly shows us what we have lost and what we have threatened as well as invites us to gaze upon the species that have been recently discovered.   It is difficult to describe the luminous quality of her work; please view the below pictures as the merest taste. If you want more, visit Isabella Kirkland’s website, where you can see her work and click on various species to see which ones we have lost and which ones we have gained.

A close-up of GONE – the species depicted in GONE are extinct mostly as a result of human colonization of the New world. (From QUEST’s sustainability website)

By Teresa Woodard

My teenage son Mark and I were thrilled to find these skunk cabbage (Symplocarpus foetidus) peaking through the ice and snow at Prairie Oaks Metro Parks west of Columbus.  It’s a sure sign of spring when the purple-green spathes of these earliest of Midwestern wildflowers emerge in marshes and wet woodlands.  To learn more, check out this Outdoor Notebook item on skunk cabbage.

By Teresa Woodard

With more snow predicted for the Midwest this weekend, I couldn’t help but smile as I passed this country church’s witty sign.  Yes, we’ve certainly had our record snow days this winter, but spring is still scheduled to arrive on Thursday, March 20 — just 20 days away.

So . . .  tune up your power tools, sharpen your pruners, order your seeds, stock up on fertilizer and check back here often as we countdown the days until spring.