(I originally posted this three years ago, since I am getting ready to cut some branches for blooming today I thought I would give it a re-post)

I LOVE flowers, spring flowers happen to be my favorite.

Right now there isn’t anything blooming in my yard, it is still too cold, although there are a few flowers that are beginning to stir. In my flower beds there are yellow green spears pushing up among the mud and snow, and we also have this:

This is my big forsythia bush. It is the first plant in the yard that blooms. It amazes me that even through the freezing months of winter this little bush is getting ready to be the first to welcome springtime. With a little know how and very little work this bush is very easy to “force” blooms in the house, I will show you how.

You can see here the buds that are getting ready to bloom. All they are waiting for is a little more warmth and they will bloom a beautiful cheery yellow.

With some clippers I cut a handful of branches, remembering that I only wanted to clip a few and I wasn’t pruning, the more you take into the house, the less will be on the bush for the first springtime show.

I filled a vase with warmish water and just put the branches in. Very easy.

Since I didn’t like how spread out the branch were I just tied them with a ribbon, I could have cut more, but I wanted to save a lot for the bush.

I put it in a nice out of the way place (that can handle a large arrangement) and in 3 to 5 days it will start to bloom.

This is a fun easy way to bring spring into your house a few weeks early.

I know this method will work with pussy willows too, and a few others. (google it! LOL)

Now you tell me….what is your favorite flower?

(One week later)

I think everyone knows the saying “When life gives you lemons, make lemon-aid”.  Well this spring seems like a bushel basket full of lemons, regarding weather.  It has be cold and wet.  The wet part isn’t so bad, here in Utah, water is good, that is unless you are a farmer and your fields are still under water and you can’t get your crops in.  (There is so much snow in the mountains that there is serious concern about flooding this year.) Still, having full reservoirs in the mountains is a good thing, there have been many years when lack of water is a big issue and we have had to ration water. 

However, the cold, that is another story.  The temperatures feel more like the first of March than then end of April, and there is snow in the forecast this week.  My soul needs a good 70 degree day or two so I can open the windows and enjoy spring weather.  But, there is an upside to all this cold wet weather.  My spring flowers and blooming their little hearts out, and the cool weather extends their blooms longer than usual.  I love my Daffodils, they are my all time favorite flowers, and I have sure enjoyed almost a month of their beautiful blooms.