Easy Garden Rainbows - Yellow
There are many hybrids of Witch Hazel, but the hardy Hamamelis mollis is still the easiest to grow. This shrub or small tree can eventually reach 30 feet tall, but it takes many years to achieve that height. It is more commonly seen as a large shrub to 15 feet tall.
In mid- to late-winter, the tiny buds pop open to reveal sparse pom-poms of bright yellow petals. In the centre are the sexual parts, normally chocolate brown. The flowers are highly fragrant, with a spicey edge to them. Click here to see a closeup of the flowers in their glory. The flowers last a few weeks, and make excellent cut flowers indoors.
After the flowers fade, the branches sit bare for up to two months. Then, large, slightly fuzzy leaves appear, and stay all summer. Witch Hazels grown in full sun have excellent fall colour, from orange to deep red, depending on the amount of sun and rain you receive in your area.
Globe Flower Trollius -- More buttercup-like flowers for the garden. Why not just grow buttercups you ask? The reason is that Globe Flowers are much longer blooming, not nearly as invasive, and are generally better behaved than buttercups. That said, they have all the good features of buttercups...
- Ease of growth
- Free-flowering habit
- Gorgeous yellow blooms
Grow in full sun or partial shade. Globe Flowers prefer moist soil that doesn't dry out, and tolerate boggy conditions.
For a picture of the flowers, see Trollius europaeus at this Finnish site. In Finland, and all over northern Europe these are wildflowers, growing in open, moist forest and on the edges of bogs.
Cushion Spurge Euphorbia ploychroma forms 40 cm hummocks that bear bright yellow flowers in April and May. This Spurge is great for partial shade, but unlike many of the others, prefers good soil. There is also a very beautiful purple leaved variety called 'Purpurea', but this is very rare. Hardy to -25 degrees celcius.
For more information on Euphorbias and their many benefits, see The Fascinating World of Euphorbiasby our very own Diana Pederson of the Enabling Garden on Suite101.com.
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