Longing For Spring - Force Those Blooms!

I know I'm a little early on this post, but that's what longing is all about. Soon the first signs of spring will emerge in the South. Be ready to force a bit of springtime into your life.
Savory

Bring home the delicate blossoms and branches of flowering trees. Place them in vases or create your own pretty keepsakes.

Get a jump on spring and bring flowering shrubs indoors. Forcing blooms is easy with a few simple steps:

• In late February or early March, look for shrubs with long branches and lots of swollen, plump buds. Cut branches in the afternoon when flowers have the most moisture.
• Using sharp pruners, cut branches at least 12 inches long and at a 45-degree angle. To draw water to the blooms, smash the bottom 2 inches of the cut end using a hammer or mallet.
• Place branches in room-temperature water and put in a cool spot away from sunlight. Change water often for longer bloom time. Keep branches moist by covering with a plastic bag or by misting daily.
• Depending on the shrub (forsythia and pussy willows are quick to open), buds will start flowering in 1 to 4 weeks. Once they start to bloom, move branches to a sunnier spot and enjoy! They'll last up to a week.

Best shrubs for forcing: Azalea, beauty bush, crab apple, flowering quince, forsythia, magnolia, pussy willow, redbud, rhododendron, serviceberry, spirea, witch hazel, and fruit trees (such as cherries, pears, and apples).

Source : Country Home

Snowy Daze

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It's chilly outside today. There are rumors flying about that we could have snow tonight. When I went to the market at the blush of dawn this morning, my car door was loath to open, so cold it was. With a sound not unlike the cracking of bones, after a bit of a struggle, it reluctantly released its will and allowed me to open it.

I want snow - real snow. Not just a dusting, but the kind of snow for building men and sledding down steep hills at the speed of light. I miss those deep cleansing snows.

Some of the most delicious days of my life have been snowy days, days when frosted window panes were frigid to the touch, when the sky was gray and low, and the sounds of the world were muffled, days that looked as soft as puffs of cotton, but felt as sharp as the nip of a thousand tiny butterflies on my face.

Snowy days. I'm longing for one in the worst sort of way.
Photo: Vintage House