Diary April 2011 - Early Spring

I am lucky my garden is big enough to use as a cutting garden in nearly all seasons. Sometimes, though, I have to get creative when needing table arrangements in a hurry.
Last weekend was Easter and I had invited my extended family over for Easter Sunday dinner.
I should should should have cut forsythia branches the weekend before or even 2 weeks before, kept them in water and in the dark and then I would have had great, spring-y looking vases for Easter. As usual, time got away from me.
On Good Friday (2 days before!!!) I raced to the back 40 and cut tons of forsythia branches. I brought them to the deck steps and hammered the heck out of the branch end tips. I then arranged them in different vases at different heights - some for the tables, one for the kitchen island. I poured scalding hot tap water into the vases and hoped for the best.
I changed the water 2x a day, each time pouring out the old and pouring in new hot water.
And guess what??? It worked!! Right on Easter Sunday, every branch was full of beautiful, yellow OPEN blossoms!!!

I seated my guests in both the dining room and the kitchen so I needed a number of vases for each table. I also used my  Easter ornaments on the tables as well.

I cut linden tree branches but did not put them in water. I wanted them to serve as the "hangers" for my tree ornaments.

The previous weekend I had won some tulips and pussywillows as a door prize. The tulips were in surprisingly good shape so I combined them with the willows and made a small table arrangement for the coffee table. They only lasted a day but it was the right day!!!

 So remember - when you need pretty plants for your table - check out your own backyard first!!!