It is that time of year when Wisconsinites get the blues. Yes, I know it has been a mild winter for us, but I still am anxious for spring to get here.
If you are anything like me you need a good pick me up. One of our floral designers here at Floral Expressions, Cheri brought in an article on forcing branches from the Better Homes and Gardens magazine, edition February 2011. Let me share information on forcing branches.
Make a pencil-thick cutting from your branches 1-2 feet in height from a favorite bush or tree. Immediately place in a clean tepid water bucket, showering the branches off with tepid water. If it is early in winter you may need to place them in a black plastic bag to help rehydrate and wake up your branches. Leave the branches alone in the bag till you see the buds swell. This can take anywhere from a few days to a few weeks.
When buds are ready to pop move it into a pretty vase that has been cleaned thoroughly. It is always important to have a clean vase. Bacteria in the water clogs the pores of the flowers, keeping them from taking water up. Have fun with your adventure.
If you are not one to tackle this or are unwilling to wait for your buds, we can help. At Floral Expressions we already have some curly willow branches that are starting to bud out. If you pre-order we can get you all sorts of pre-forced blooming branches. Give us a call at 920-887-8062 today to place your order.
As for me there are some crabtree and forsythias at my house that are going to get a trimming soon. :)
Here at the shop we have been enjoying a wonderful Valentines Day with an array of beautiful flowers everywhere. As I walked in the shop this morning I was greeted with the wonderful scent of Jasmine plants blooming mixed with the Gardenias and the many wonderful flowers both in plants and cut flowers. 
Here are some of the new pictures of the shop. If you haven't been here yet it is time to come on in and enjoy the experience. Just have fun browsing around and see what we have. We are having a lot of fun with our new location and look forward to seeing you soon. We had a great reception at our open house. Special thank you to all who came and checked out our new place. We look forward to another Christmas open house in December. We will let you know when that will take place. We are currently looking at the first Friday and Saturday in December for that open house. We have been making new designs in silk for the shop and having fun with the wedding work we're doing also. If you need any assistance with flowers or ideas for gifts let us help you out.
If you are like me the snow melting means only one thing ...Spring Fever. I am anxious to get outside and start gardening. I am already looking for evidence of spring flowers and for my perenials. I have a small herb garden that I enjoy gathering special fresh herbs from and even though I dried a lot more than what I needed for this last winter, I am looking for signs of my herbs to come popping back up again. There are a lot of herbs that are perenials that keep coming back bigger and better the next year, even in Wisconsin! 
