We here at Garden Variety are big fans of forcing bulbs -- paperwhites, amaryllis, hyacinth. Even daffodils.
Forcing is something for the gardener to do in the winter, and it also provides a flower fix.
Meghan Shinn of Horticulture magazine is talking this week about forcing branches that flower in the early spring, such as forsythia, flowering quince, crabapple, plums and cherries.
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The time to cut the branches for forcing is when the buds begin to swell, she says -- usually about six weeks before bloom time. And keep in mind that you are also pruning your shrub or tree, so you just can't hack away.
If we follow her advice, spring will arrive early! Me? I am looking long and hard at my neighbor's Bradford pear.