February 2008 -- Brighten Your Home w/ Forced Flowers

Three weeks ago in sub-freezing temperatures, I pruned a handful of forsythia branches from a couple of the largest bushes in the yard and brought them inside. After crushing the cut stems and placing them in tepid water, I set them near a window and watched the buds slowly open and bloom. My living room is now a riot of golden yellow blooms. This technique is called 'forcing' and can be used on a variety of trees and shrubs when one wishes to brighten the indoors during the dreary gray days of winter.

For centuries gardeners have used a variety of techniques to force flowers to open. On the long dim days of late winter, nothing lifts the spirits as much as the sight of a few flowering branches, be it forsythia, coral-colored quince, or delicate apple blossoms. Spring-flowering tree branches are easy to force. Almost any spring-blooming tree or shrub can be forced from mid-January or early February through to their normal time of bloom. Cutting earlier than mid-January is not advisable since buds have not had enough chilling to break their natural winter dormancy.

Cut heavily-budded branches from trees and shrubs on a mild day. Stems of medium thickness will force easier, since they contain large quantities of stored sugars needed to feed the flower buds. Use a sharp knife or pruning shears to cut the branches. Slice diagonally just above a bud. Branches two to three feet long seem to last longer and are more effective in arrangements. Make sure that as you cut you keep the future health and form of the shrub or tree in mind. Be as careful as you would when pruning. Cut a fresh supply every week or so for a steady supply of blooms.

Bring the branches indoors and strip flower buds and small twigs from the bottom few inches of the stem. Either slit up the stem ends an inch or two, or crush slightly with a hammer to encourage water uptake. Some branches will bloom faster if you submerge the entire branch in tepid water for a few hours before arranging. Be sure to change the water in the container every few days, and recut the stem ends to hasten water absorption.

Fruit trees such as apples, cherries, and plums not only add indoor beauty but also provide fragrance the lifts the spirits. Pussy willows, hawthorn, mock orange, spirea, wisteria, horse chestnut and, one of my favorites, spicebush all are easily forced. Most will bloom within 2 - 6 weeks of cutting. To hurry the bloom along, set the vase in a warm, sunny window. To prolong or slow down the bloom, move the vase away from direct sun and into a cooler room.

Real winter showed up just in time for the New Year and I imagined the perennials out in my gardens sighing gratefully as they sank into a proper state of dormancy, brought on by steady subfreezing temperatures. The mixed bag of precipitation from Mother Nature in recent weeks is making up for the lack of moisture in 2007. Spring's renewal is only a couple of months away! Think Spring!