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The ordinary arts we practice every day at home are of more importance to the soul than their simplicity might suggest ~ Sir Thomas Moore ~


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Friday, January 21, 2011

In the Mid of Winter...

I've gone into the fields
to take
what this sweet hour
yields...
~Percy Bysshe Shelley~
It didn't take long for the branches of French Pussy Willow I clipped & brought inside, to bloom.
The beautiful little soft gray catkins have appeared creating a little Spring in my kitchen in the Mid of Winter.

It is COLD today!
-20 C with the wind.
Even colder weather & more snow is on the way for the weekend!

The catkins have shed their little brown coats in the warmth of our home :-)
Forcing French Pussy Willow Branches
***
~cut a few branches for indoor forcing
~bring indoors and place in a jar of tepid water ( I save and re-use large pickle jars for this)
~ keep in a dimly lit spot until they bloom
~enjoy
Once the catkins appear, you can remove them from the water, place in a dry jar and allow them to dry naturally to use in Spring arrangements. I place the branches in my outdoor Spring wreath.

2 comments:

Lisa at Greenbow said...

What a good idea to use them in an arrangement. I always feel guilty throwing out the stems as they grow roots. It is like getting rid of a living thing. Using them as dried blooms is a much better idea. Keep warm and cozy.

Jean said...

Oh! I love pussy willows in spring!Thanks for the info. Your header is lovely. I especially like the mailbox. Jean