Forcing
We all await spring with hope. We look forward to birds singing spring sings, to things greening up outside. To bulbs beginning to break through the earth. To tree beginning to bud. And, we look forward to flowering trees to tell us yes, Spring really is here.
Forcing bulbs and flowering trees was a rite of spring in my house growing up – something my Mom, a big gardener, continued from generations before. Paperwhite narcissus, amaryllis, forsythia, dogwood, pussy willow . . . Spring comes indoors. I had meant to force some forsythia for a month and finally went to cut some when I got a chance. When I did, the forsythia was already heavily budded. I cut the branches on March 31 st and by the next day we already had yellow buds ready to open! I have a large bunch in my family room at home now and a tiny, tiny few springs in the window near my desk at work.
When I worked for a short time in New Orleans (when my husband was stationed there), I worked in a floral shop that specialized in making garden baskets from potted plants – they were gorgeous – cut flowers, and antique garden art and architectural elements. The owners grew most of the plants they sold. One thing that arrived on a regular basis from January through April was a truck from Mississippi. A family cut branches from their hundreds of acres of trees and shrubs – and had for several generations – and would bring them to floral shop in some of the bigger cities. He would roll the back door up to hundreds of bunches of branches from flowering trees. Pear. Redbud. Forsythia. Dogwood. Redbud was a favorite – gorgeous! He even brought items in the fall like cottonwood and bittersweet – beware of the invasive qualities of bittersweet! I think he was the same man who also brought us interesting moss and lichen too. Such an event – I think I spent more than I earned!
JNLF
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