Spring Branches

SeasonalInterior

Feb 18

Spring Branches

It’s that time of year… that late stage of winter where light stretches longer in the day but chilly air and snow continues to linger on the ground. In these final winter days before I’m able to work in the garden, I love to get a kick start to spring by forcing branches into life indoors.

The process of forcing branches couldn’t be more simple… clip budding branches, place them into warm water, set in a bright spot indoors and wait as the buds begin to open.

I use branches from our yard but if you don’t have any they can also be purchased from a local nursery or garden center (like these Tulip Magnolia branches from Terrain, for example).

A Tree in the House

First, a bit of inspiration that comes from this delightful book by Annabelle Hickson. Her book is full of beauty that bringing nature indoors can provide any space. Not only does she show how to display beautiful flowering branches but also other types of floral arrangements along with tips on how to assemble it all.

Annabelle’s book is described as “Part guide for the aspiring home florist, part ode to rural interiors and buildings, A Tree in the House celebrates the art of arranging flowers for celebrations big, small and in-between held throughout the year. Annabelle Hickson provides ideas and instructions for celebratory botanical installations and arrangements, each staged and photographed in different rural homes, gardens and sheds using the beauty of what's growing wild. Interspersed throughout are snapshots—in words and pictures—of rural life and that aspirational rustic country aesthetic.”

I hope you get your hands on a copy and enjoy flipping through pages and pages of nature beautifully brought into interior spaces.

How to Force Branches

Branches to try

Crab Apple
Dogwood
Fruit trees: Cherry, Peach, Pear, Plum, etc.
Forsythia
Lilac
Magnolia
Maples
Pussy Willow
Red bud

When to start

After 6-8 weeks of hard winter, you can start the forcing process. January and February are great months to start bringing branches indoors to push into life. Choose a day that is above freezing for a gentler transition.

How To Begin

Select non-essential branches of the tree making sure it has lots of swollen buds. Use a sharp clippers to cut the selected branches at an angle. Place branches immediately into warm water. Bring branches indoors to absorb water overnight. The next day, recut each stem at an angle or crush the ends of large branches with a hammer to insure increased water intake. Place freshly cut branches into a clean vase filled with fresh water and cut flower food. Replace water every 3-7 days to keep branches healthy.

In general, it takes 2-5 weeks for branches to produce growth. Be patient… it’s worth the wait.

Pussy Willow Branches

Of all the branches that you can force into bloom, the pussy willow branches are the most common and very easy to push into bloom. We have two trees in our yard that I love to force branches from them this time of year. If you try forcing them too, make sure that the branches you select have buds that are slightly open. Unlike other forced branches that require continual water, you can stop watering pussy willows after the downy white catkins have broken out of their casings. This will insure that they stay white and fluffy once dried. Dried pussy willow branches can stay beautiful many months, even years, or as long as you care to have them around.

Here I’ve placed my pussy willow branches in a tall white vase, secured with floral foam and topped with reindeer moss.

Dogwood + Japanese Maple Branches

In addition to Pussy willow trees, we have a couple of dogwoods in our yard that produce beautiful white flowers in March. I like to force these branches in late winter to have in the house as well. This particular arrangement also includes branches from our Japanese Maple and leftover flower stems from a floral arrangement I made that had past its prime. I hope you get the chance to get creative and experiment with your own trees and shrubs. I’d love it you’d share your creations with me on IG @silvertoothhome.