Cut branches of forsythia or crabapple in a tall vase says spring is near. It’s not difficult to take a few branches from spring-flowering trees or shrubs, bring them indoors and wait for the buds to unfold.
I wanted the bright red dogwood branches for displaying in front of the colourful walls in my apartment. Little did I know that I would end up accidentally forcing spring branches to bloom indoors, something I had never attempted before.
When forcing spring branches, use the younger branches of woody plants which usually carry the most flower buds, and appear more round and puffy than the slimmer leaf buds. When forcing spring branches, cut a cross with a sharp knife or secateurs into the bottom inch of each stem to encourage water uptake.