It's time! Force those buds to bloom now!

If you are lucky enough to have trees in your yard that blossom in the spring, the end of February through the beginning of March marks the time you can begin to cut them to bloom early for indoor displays!

                                                    ~Photographs and article from Real Simple Magazine 2006 

Tree and shrub blossoms take their



sweet time to open, but you can hasten the process with cuttings indoors.  If well tended they can last for weeks.  Use them to fill blank wall space in a living room or a foyer.  Very tall arrangements look great on the floor, too.

Fruit trees bear flowers ranging from pure white to hot pinkish red.  Some of the most popular are cherry and apple.

To arrange, start tall.  Height is an advantage of branches.  You can always trim as you go.  Cut branches on a diagonal.  If they are thick, use pruning shears or shrub pruners.  Then split each one up from the bottom about an inch.  Or use a vegetable peeler to peal the bark off the bottom two inches.  Branch arrangements can be top heavy.  Make sure your container is sturdy enough to resist tipping.

Tepid water is best.  Cold water delays branches' already slow blooming.  Check water daily, and replace when it gets dirty.



I have a really big, exciting, announcement coming within the next couple of days that I can't wait to tell you about!!!