Time to Force Forsythia and Pussy Willows

Though spring is a ways away yet, there are some things you can do to bring a bit of it along a little sooner. One winter, I forced some Narcissus bulbs and loved their sweet white blooms. But Romie absolutely hated their smell and asked me not to do that again, so I haven't.

But we both love the bouquets of forsythia and pussy willows that February brings. Even though the temperature is 8° (F), both the forsythia and willows are sporting swollen buds, poised for warmer temperatures when they'll burst into bloom, announcing spring's arrival.

It's plenty warm in the house though, so I went outside and cut a few branches of both the forsythia and pussy willow (Salix chaenomeloides) to bring inside where they'll be fooled into thinking it's spring already. I only cut a few because we'd done major pruning last year and I didn't want to cut so many that both shrubs appeared to have holes. I soaked them for a short time in lukewarm water in the bathtub, then placed them in water in a vase. In a few days, they'll open up and we'll enjoy their cheery yellow flowers and fuzzy pussy toes.

We have a Japanese Fantail Willow (Salix sachalinensis 'Sekka') shown in the garden in the photo at the top of the post and at right), which gets those little fuzzy pussy toes too, although they're a little smaller than the regular pussy willow's. What this Salix really excels at though, is its form. Many of its branches are fasciated and curled, making for an interesting addition to floral arrangements. I cut two of these to add to the forsythia and pussy willow cuttings.

This is what I ended up with, and within a week, the buds should have opened. I'll post another picture when that happens!