spring shrubs

A vase with dogwood branches blooming indoors.

Forcing spring branches indoors

Kat Fox

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.

White daphne's blooms perfume the air. (Photo by Brendan Zwelling)

Appreciating February daphnes

Judith Adam

February daphne grows three to five feet (90 cm to 1.5 m) tall and wide, and likes light shade to full sun. Its upright, vertical branches carry clusters of small flowers, mostly along the upper third, and are long lasting in cool spring air. Easiest to find is the purple-pink colour, and I have a one growing in the front garden.

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