Forcing Cut Branches to Bloom by Nancy Shepard

 

Photo: Nancy Shepard

To help celebrate spring, I usually search the grocery stores for live pussy willows. This year they were hard to find. Yet on an accidental trip to Trader Joe’s I bought some reddish brown twigs with buds with no label. White or pink blooms or something else?

After measuring the branch length for my vase, I cut the bottoms on an angle then slightly smashed the cut bottoms and stuck them in water. The angled cut and smashing helped the branches take up water. In three days I had dainty pink flowers. Maybe cherry? Or plum? They have lasted over a week and are now sprouting leaves.

Housebound? Grab your camera and head outside with the children by Vicky Spelman

Photo: Vicky Spelman ~ Poppies

Encourage your family and friends to garden – get them started by photographing what is going on in your yard and what you are growing.  Or what new Spring flowers are popping up.  Everyone loves seeing daffodils and the early bulbs blooming.