EVENT ALERT – Canada Blooms

CANADA BLOOMS STARTS TOMORROW.  Get your tickets now!  www.CanadaBlooms.com

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Flower Power – Pussy Willows & Branches

At this time of the year it is nice to fill some large vases with pussy willow or blossom branches. They look lovely on your mantel or dining room table, can be inexpensive and will last a few weeks. You can fill a large vase and add several bunches of pussy willow on there own, or add some tulips to them for extra color.

Pussy willow is a name given to the smaller species of willows and sallow’s. When the furry catkins are young in early spring before the male catkins of the species come into flower they are covered in a fine, grayish fur, which has a likeness to tiny cats, also known as pussies. The catkins appear before the sallow leaves and are the first sign of spring on the trees.

The flowering shoots of pussy willow are used in Europe and America for religious decoration on Palm Sunday and as a replacement for palm branches that do not grow that far north.

When buying pussy willows pick them with long straight stems, furry buds and no leaves appearing. You can cut the stems every three days so they can keep drinking. If you prefer to keep the busy willow in pussy state then put them in a dry vase in a cool place. They can be used in dry arrangements, and will look nice in your vase for quite some time.

You can also purchase a weeping pussy willow tree, which can be planted in your garden. Keep the plant indoors for the first winter, keep it well watered, silvery white catkins will appear first and then yellow stamens later in the season. After it flowers it can be cut back to two inches of the stem allowing new branches to come the following spring.

Plant outside in spring and keep well watered for the first year, it is an extremely winter hardy plant, and can become a lovely plant to enjoy every spring.

Another favorite of mine while growing up in England was the cherry blossom tree.  When walking to school in the early spring the whole street would be lined on both sides with blossom trees. It was a sight to behold, and I have never forgotten this, so needless to say I planted one in my front garden here in Canada.

Just having cut branches in your home will bring a little spring inside early. They should be bought also when the buds are just starting to pop through.  And again change the water every few days. They can be cut and put into flower arrangements, and would be lovely around Easter time as long branches to hang little Easter eggs off of them for decoration.

Get inspiration and great ideas for your garden by attending CANADA BLOOMS !

It starts this week, and this year it is at The Direct Energy building from the 17^th to the 21^st .

Nicola Bishop

bishop4086@rogers.com

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