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By DIANE RELF
Extension Home Horticulture
The stems of many types of flowering shrubs and trees can be made into very attractive winter arrangements and centerpieces.
Those brown stems on your forsythia and other spring-flowering shrubs will burst into bloom if you bring them into the house. Branches which have been out in the cold all winter are ready to break dormancy — they’re ready to wake up and stretch out their blossoms. Once you get them indoors and they’ve had a few days of w-armth, they’ll bloom.
Don’t be afraid you’ll damage the shrub by removing a few stems. It’s good for them. Cutting branches from vigorous shrubs is a beneficial part of the pruning operation. It helps renew growth and keep the bush well-proportioned.
When cutting stems for indoor use, select those with attractive curves and well-spaced side branches. Make a slanting cut at the base and put the stem in a container of cool, fresh water. Remove any buds or leaves from the part that will be under water. Place the dormant branches in a warm, welllighted room until the flowers appear.
Open, spreading growth is most attractive in your arrangement. The best branches come from shrubs at the edge of an open lawn, or in a wide, mixed border planting. Branches from shrubs in foundation plantings that are heavily pruned tend to be dense and poorly shaped.
Many types of flowering shrubs and trees add interest and beauty to your landscape and supply branches for decorative use. If you don’t have them already, plant some of these this spring:
• Forsythia is one of the most popular spring flowering shrubs. Its bright yellow flowers appear before the green foliage.
• Winter honeysuckle is a medium-sized, spreading shrub with fragrant white flowers appearing in April. A plus for bird lovers, it produces berries which many birds find irresistible.
• Fragrant viburnum is a tall,
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