The calendar says spring officially started yesterday. I don’t know about your neck of the woods, but it still looks like winter outside my window. On the brighter side, a lot of the snow that has blanketed my lawn for the last four months has finally started to melt, so I’m anxious to see a few early signs of spring.
Unfortunately, the forecast for next week says temps are going to plunge back below freezing, and we might even get—you guessed it—more snow!
But I don’t want to let this never-ending winter to get me down. So if you’re like me, and you’re lucky enough to have a forsythia—a glorious harbinger of spring—in your yard, then here’s how you can bring a little bit of bright yellow sunshine into your home right now:
1. As soon as the temps have climbed above freezing for a day or two, snip off a few branches and bring them inside. Choose branches that have the most buds, and make a clean cut, flush against the trunk of the tree so that no stub is left. This encourages quick healing with little danger of insect or disease damage.
2. After gathering the branches, crush or split the lower stems a few inches from the bottom.
3. Place the cuttings in a bucket of room-temperature water, and leave them in a cool place (60-65°F).
4. All you have to do now is change the water once a week, and you’ll be rewarded with beautiful yellow blooms in 2 to 3 weeks.
And, before you know it—your backyard forsythia and other flowering trees are going to treat you to a colorful spring show. I promise!
What are you doing to help bring on spring?
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