Forcing Spring

Hello Internet! Did you miss me? No? Since it's a pretty good bet that if you're reading this, we are also related, (Hi Dad), and see each other on an almost daily basis, I won't take the silence personally. What I will do, in the fine tradition of elementary school children everywhere struggling at the start of term to summarily dignify how they spent their summer vacation in 500-word essay form, is...well, forget a lot of things. The cranberries, the tree-trimming, the gift-giving, the party dresses, the wrap and ribbons, the snowshoeing, the hot cocoas by the fire, the cozy brunches, the cable-knit sweaters, the twinkling lights...they're all starting to fade into the background. In a few more weeks it will be spring, and even as the temperature drops and a bitter wind is howling outside and stripping branches from the maple tree out front, (and I mean that literally, that is really happening right now), I'm inside planning and plotting and, of course, pinning things to do with pansies, and lilacs, and rosebushes just as soon as the weather will let me. Until that happens, forcing branches is an easy way to bring a bit of spring color indoors.

I actually tried out a number of puns and phrases involving the word "force" for the title of this post. Most (all) sounded creepy and took a blog about cooking and gardening to a weird place pretty quickly. That being said, we're going to talk about how you can make cuttings from flowering trees and shrubs bloom indoors during winter. Get it? We are forcing them to do something they wouldn't ordinarily do at this time of year- bloom.

Ornamental trees and shrubs that flower in early spring- think forsythia, flowering quince, bridal wreath spirea, honeysuckle, magnolia, etc.- set their buds before going dormant in the fall. That means that the bush outside in your yard that has looked like an oversize tumbleweed for the past four months has branches loaded with flower buds just waiting for a cue from Mother Nature. Or you.

To signal buds that it's time to flower, you will preferably choose a day that's above freezing, (to make the transition into your warm house easier), grab your secateurs, and approach the shrub. Probably, it looks unsightly, like this.

If you are someone who cares about the appearance and symmetry of your plantings come spring, you will want to prune judiciously. If you are me, you will cut the first branches you can get your hands on while standing in about three feet of snow because, let's be serious: this shrub is a hot mess. (Incidentally, it is also my neighbor's. So...hi! And thank you.)

Bring your trimmings inside and strip any twigs, buds or leaves from the lower part of branches. You can also strip bark from the base with a small paring knife and smash the bottom ends with a hammer, (I know! Mean!) to help them absorb more water, and add a floral preservative to control bacteria. Place in a vase of tepid water, and change it every few days.

Now spend the next several weeks waiting. Wake up every morning like a child on Christmas and run to your vase of twigs. Then walk away, shoulders slumped, convinced that you must have done something wrong. You (probably) didn't! And one day soon, you will be greeted by this pretty reminder that spring really is right around the corner.

Some trees and shrubs that respond well to force:

• Flowering Quince
• Vernal Witch Hazel
• Flowering Dogwood
• Flowering Almond, Cherry, and Plum
• Hawthorn
• Forsythia
• Honeysuckle
• Redbud
• Saucer Magnolia
• Star Magnolia
• European Pussy Willow
• Apple and Crabapple
• Lilac
• Spirea
• Viburnum

The closer you cut your branches to the time they would naturally bloom outdoors, the sooner they will flower.