it certainly hasn't felt much like fall, what with mostly way warmer than usual temperatures and almost AC-requiring high humidity. But if I needed a reminder that, strange weather notwithstanding, the plants know it's autumn, then the debut opening of the Witch Hazel flowers is the sign. They're a little late this year, and I suppose the tardiness is proof of the old saw that a watched flower bud never opens... or, at least, will only blossom when you no longer expect it. And I've certainly been watching. Today, my observational persistence and patience was rewarded, as Hamamelis virginiana began putting on a show—the last floral premier of the growing season. The flowers are curious little things, with narrow crepe paper petals, but some of them pack a powerful scent and, if you spend time out at night among these blossoms, you just might see their pollinators: a group of moths endowed with the seemingly magical ability to fly in chilly temperatures. For now, however, there's no chill to worry about.