Crazy For Corkscrew

Let's get some quick business out of the way first. With this entry, I am joining the blogging revolution! It's a big step.

You see, I'm slow to try new things. I've lived in the same neighbourhood for 36 years. I rarely use a cell phone, don't like the Blackberry, and my knowledge of computers is limited to checking email or turning the computer on or off. It took my husband years to convince me about the power and convenience of HD television, digital cable and the almighty PVR (thank god I came around). I am currently having panic pangs over our decision to replace our existing boiler and water tank with a newfangled tankless water heater. Never mind that the technology has been around for more than three decades and wildly successful in Europe. It makes me nervous.

I can go on and on. But in short, I don't mix well with new things. I think the old stuff works just fine and I'm slow to accept change. Hence the title of my blog. My Roots Run Deep. My husband might suggest that a better title might be "My Roots Run REALLY Deep."

But there is another reason behind the choice of title. I've heard that in order to be a successful blogger, one must choose a topic one is passionate about. For me, that's easy. My passion is my garden. It ranks right up there with my family, cat, and the cinema.

So there you have it. Let the garden blogging begin. Today's topic: crazy for corkscrew.

Last fall, I decided to let the pros at Pink Flamingo Landscaping help me out with a gorgeous Christmas window display and two fantastic urns. They were jammed with evergreen branches of all sorts. Fruits and berries too. And for height, some red dogwood branches and several corkscrew hazel branches.

I've long been an admirer of the corkscrew hazel. A mature shrub lit just right in winter time evokes memories of childhood fairy tales, magic forests, and witches ready to swoop by on a broom with a flying monkey in tow. It's amazing that even a single twisted, tortured branch can have such a dramatic effect. But alas, I've never had the space and I've always considered them to be pricey plants.

So imagine my surprise when I noticed this week that one of the branches was in leaf. I was cleaning out the urns to prepare for spring and there they were: leaf buds! I was ecstatic. I transplanted the branch into its own pot and left it on the deck right next to the urn. Since it rooted there and produced leaves there, I'm leaving it right there. It receives sun for most of the afternoon. As for water, I'm letting the spring rain take care of things for now.

I don't know if I'll end up with a viable plant but for now it's all very exciting. After work, I rush out onto the deck to see how my little leaves are doing. Crazy for corkscrew, indeed.