Of course, as you take in the spring sights, keep your eyes open for what's new. You don't go see the same thing at a nursery that you went to see three years ago. Here's a small tree or large shrub to cheer any hard-core gardener's heart. Its yellow, copper-red or orange flowers begin to open as early as January and February. Plant it near a window or entrance where you'll pass by often to observe the small flowers, their petals rolling up and down like tiny window shades as temperatures fluctuate.
Witch hazels have attractive gold or reddish fall color.
Plant them in sun to partial shade in moist, well-drained soil. They resist most pests and disease, but rabbits will gnaw them, so encircle the stems of new witch hazels with chicken wire. It can spread to form large colonies. Amelanchier canadensis has a graceful look and white flowers in early spring. It grows into thickets in wooded areas and has good fall color.