During the winter, different rules apply than in the warmer seasons – there are no abundant blossoms to attract the gaze, no beautifully colored foliage. Instead of the colors, it’s the forms of plants that structure the picture of the garden. Useful now are unusual accents such as the corkscrew hazel (Corylus avellana ‘Contorta’).

Its branches and twigs, as might be expected from its name, grow in corkscrew twists. This 6- to 12-foot-high shrub is well suited as an attention-getter for smaller gardens and courtyards. Its unconventional appearance is best highlighted as a solitary planting. Those with a balcony or terrace can enjoy it in a large container. The bizarre shoots of the corkscrew hazel are favorites for dried arrangements and floral decorations. In March or sometimes even earlier long, decorative catkins appear that will develop into small hazelnuts over the course of the summer. They can be eaten just as standard hazelnuts can, are however smaller and not as numerous.