Hazel every time, not only for the look of it, but for the protecting it gives, the hedges it makes, the timber for building and making barrels, the fine branches make fishing baskets and creels, hampers, barrel hoops, walking sticks, fishing rods, whip-handles. The nuts have a dozens of uses; they are the food for many wild animals like squirrels, dormice, and some birds like the nut-hatchers. I (we) like to eat the nuts, either raw or pressing them for oil, and of course adding them to chocolate. To go with your relaxing chocolate, what about some music, of course played on hazel whistle or a tune played on a fiddle with a hazel bow.
