
Forcing Woody Branches to Bloom
I love adding color to the house in winter by forcing woody ornamentals plants to bloom indoors. Forcing is a term used to describe the process of encouraging a plant to bloom out of season. Spring-flowering trees and shrubs work wonderfully for winter forcing, as these plants develop their flower buds during the fall of the previous year. To force flowers, simply cut branches of flowering plants and place the cut stems in water in a warm environment. Water flow into the