Bring a Bit of Spring Indoors During the Winter
Forcing branches to bloom indoors is an easy process that will allow you to enjoy spring plants in your home during the winter months.
Why wait for spring time to enjoy colorful plants such as forsythia, crabapple and witch-hazel? Many plants will flower from cuttings taken in the wintertime. Even the catkins (fuzzy flower heads) of the pussy willow will open indoors from cuttings. This is an easy process that anyone can do. Choose branches from trees and shrubs that flower in the spring. These plants developed their flower buds during the previous summer. Flower buds are usually plump and rounded compared to buds from which leaves develop. Do not attempt to force buds to open on plants that flower later in the summer such as Rose of Sharon. This type of plant does not develop flower buds until the growing season begins. If you did try to use a later blooming plant, you …
