'Forcing' Flowers Inside

By Phran Novelli

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - Spring is hurrying along this year and you can see trees and shrubs starting to blossom all around you. But the quick glimpses you get driving by aren't nearly as nice as seeing them up close. That's why it's fun to bring some branches inside; it's known as 'forcing' the flowers. You can do it with all kinds flowering trees and shrubs - from quinces to crabapples to wayward branches you want to prune off an azalea.

I have cherry trees that get suckery branches at the base every year, so I prune those off in late winter or early spring and put them in a vase - first making a cross cut in the base of each branch to help them drink in water. Put the vase of branches in a bright room, but out of direct sunlight. Learn more: UVM.edu.

As the weeks go by, you'll see the buds slowly swell and unfurl. It's fun to see how it happens and a simple way to decorate inside for springtime while watching the branches break into bloom a little bit each day at the breakfast table.