Oh . . . The Joy Of Bringing The Outside In

One of the pleasures . . . (for now I’ll look past all of the work that needs to be done to revive my garden beds), when I look outside at home, is enjoying the colors of yellows and pinks and whites of the spring yard. Every year is different with the weather of New England; and this year in particular is very unusual with so many plants in bloom at the same time. This past weekend, as I walked through the yard, I saw the fading yellows of the forsythias, the fewer than normal daffodil flowers, and the emerging apple and crabapple tree blossoms. The whites of the spiraea ‘Bridalwreath’ and the viburnum ’Carlesii’ ( my favorite viburnum) stood in contrast to the bright pinks of the rhododendron’Aglo’ and ‘PJM’. The dark purples of the lilacs and azalea ‘Karen’ are just beginning to show their color. However, the cold temperatures that came recently after the record warmth did affect the magnolia blooms for this year. Oh well . . . there is always next year for the yellow buds of my magnolia.

Ok, back to the exciting display. On Saturday morning, knowing that the much-needed rain storms were approaching, I went through the yard with my pruning shears and a bucket of water to capture some of those spring delights. I chose a few of the apple and crabapple slender branches from my mature trees and added the pink sprigs of the ‘Aglo’ and the arching whites of the ‘Bridalwreath’. I arranged them all in a vase, re-cutting as necessary, to enjoy for a few days inside while it rained outside. I also collected a few delectable blossoms of the ‘Carlesi’ because it smells “heavenly”.

 

When cutting woody-stemmed plants, such as forsythias, lilacs and viburnums,  if you mash the ends of the stems with a small hammer, the stems will be able to absorb more of the water from the container. The flowers will also last a little longer if the water is changed daily; and it is recommended to add a few drops of bleach or floral preservative to the water.

For how ever long the flowers last in the vase, I will breathe in the scents and enjoy the colors of spring, knowing that next week I will go in search of something else to “bring the outside in”.