Witch hazel

I am really excited to share with you my witch hazel, which brings such beautiful colour at this time of year.

We’re lucky here on Guernsey today as the sun is finally shining, but over the last however long of grey and damp and wet days, watching the Witch Hazel blossom has been a joy, raising my spirit each time I come in and out of our front door.

Those of you visiting take a look.

Known as Hamamelis virginiana, witch hazel is a flowering shrub native to North America, widely used for its natural astringent, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant properties. Its bark and leaves are distilled into a popular topical solution used to soothe skin irritation, acne, hemorrhoids, razor burn, and inflammation. Whether I’ll do that or not, I don’t yet know, but I have excitedly started clearing the garden in preparation of this year’s planting of medicinal plant seeds. Some of them are stratifying in the fridge as I type.

Oh and while I remember, look our for the blackthorn blossom, it’s arrived, the first budding tree, which means spring is definitely beginning.

Love Emma x