Wednesday, January 26, 2011

A January Bouquet

It's been a busy couple of weeks and I had completely forgotten about the Garden Bouquet of the Month.  Then I saw Noelle's post and pondered what to do.  If you saw yesterday's post you'll know that my yard is completely covered in snow right now and nary a flower is to be seen.  Coming up with a bouquet seemed an impossible task. 

But then I remembered a post I read recently from Jodi at BloomingWriter.  Jodi talked about taking cuttings from shrubs and forcing them indoors so we might have blooms in winter.  A wonderful idea!  So I set to work.

I put on sweaters and boots, hats and gloves and with a pair of clippers in hand I made my way into the great outdoors.  I walked around from tree to tree observing the buds and finally selected several branches from the apple trees, the rose bushes and even some willow from the roadside ditch.  Once inside the branches were placed in some tepid water in a sink to get their bearings.


Following Jodi's instructions I made sure each stem was cut diagnally and the branches were later placed in a vase with a flower solution. 


Forcing buds takes some time so unfortunately there are no flowers to be seen this month but I have my fingers crossed these stems will leaf out in time for next month's garden bouquet!

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If you would like to see more garden bouquets please follow this link to Ramblings from a Desert Garden.

15 comments:

Jane said...

What a terrific idea - I'm going to try it!

Cat said...

What a great idea! Thanks for sharing...looking forward to seeing them in bloom.

Casa Mariposa said...

I've heard of this but have never done it. I've read that forsythia bushes are perfect for forcing. What a wonderful way to bring in some blooms when everything is covered in snow. :o)

Island Threads said...

thank you, you have reminded me, I was going to do it after reading Jodis' post, must do it tommorow, Frances

Laurrie said...

I will wait for a post that shows lovely apple blossoms in your vase. Very soon!

Northern Beauty Seeker said...

What a fun project. Please do let us know how it works out for you!

Balisha said...

I see some little green buds on those stems. What a great idea..Balisha

fer said...

I should try this some time, it looks fun

Anonymous said...

Did you ever hear of crushing the ends of the woody branches? It is supposed to let in more water than a diagonal cut if the stem splits upward. I have done this with cherry and crabapple, but also waited until the buds swelled a bit too.

One said...

This is something I have never tried. Something to consider. We have flowers the whole year round. Anyway, I threw away my Zinnia bouquet and filled it up with ample of flowering basil. I think it looks better now.

Jennifer@threedogsinagarden said...

I have always wanted to try my hand at forcing flowering branches. You make it sound simple so maybe I will give it a try.

Marguerite said...

Hi everyone, we have Jodi at BloomgingWriter to thank for the easy instructions on how to force blooms. I've never done it before so let's hope I managed okay. I'll be sure to let you know how it progresses. Also, I went out again and cut some branches from a mountain ash. This particular shrub is going to be cut down completely so I thought I might as well take in the branches and see if I can't root them.

TS - I believe Jodi has a list of which shrubs are best for forcing. Forsythia is listed among them.

Donna, I've heard about crushing stems as opposed to diagnal cut but wasn't sure if one method was better than another. Do you prefer one over the other?

Carol said...

You will have some blooms in a month Marguerite . . . it is good to keep the branches in a warm room. Not too warm but not cool either. Try to mimic nature in the spring . . . warmer days cooler nights. When cutting branches it is also good to place the split stems in warm water (not hot) so the branches will take up the water more readily. I have never used any solution. It is fun to watch the buds wake up. I look forward to seeing your bouquets progress. You may have stages of blooms depending on what you have picked. It only takes forsythia two weeks but I cannot see any branches of that I do not think.

SeaBlush said...

Great idea Marguerite!

Sharon Lovejoy said...

Hello dear Marguerite,

Forcing these lovely twigs into an exuberant blooming and leafing indoors is ALWAYS a great experience.

Joys!

Sharon Lovejoy Writes from Sunflower House and a Little Green Island