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Cheery Signs of Warmer Times

an early April snow storm covered this forsythia in my back yard

Photo Credit
Annette McCarthy
Celeste Longacre
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This has been a tough winter. I, for one, am looking forward to spring! To force it a little, I decided to bring in a stem of forsythia and another of magnolia.

I’ve done this before with the forsythia so I know that it will bloom. The magnolia is a bit of an experiment. It should do the same, right? Stay tuned.

I went out through the heavy snow (it was almost up to my hip) and cut a stem of forsythia and two of the magnolia.

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Then I scraped the bark from the bottom of the stems and pounded them with a hammer.

This allows them to drink up the water that they are put into. In the photo, the forsythia is on the right and the magnolia on the left.

Bringing them inside, I placed them each in a vase and set them in a warm room. Again, the forsythia is on the right and the magnolia is on the left.

The next two pictures show the actual bushes in bloom.

  

Because we have all been looking at white and brown for so long, I thought it might be nice to see some summertime flowers. Enjoy!

 

Spring
About The Author

Celeste Longacre

Celeste is The Old Farmer's Almanac astrologer. She has also been growing virtually all of her family’s vegetables for the entire year for over 30 years. Read More from Celeste Longacre
 

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Comments

Sharon Harris Hively (not verified)

10 years 9 months ago

Oh, Celeste! How I wish my gardens looked like yours. But being from the cement jungle that is Los Angeles, I've a long way to go. Could you do this under-educated homesteader a big favor?
I would so enjoy knowing the names of those lovely blooms so I can study up and add them to my garden. I'm a newcomer to your blog, but I'll certainly make it a regular stop.