Years ago, I discovered that it only took two days of warmer temperatures and sunshine, even though they may be followed by cold and dreary days, to send a gardener into an adrenalin rush. We may not be able to do much about it other than become more aware of our existing landscape and what’s happening. In simple terms, stop and look around.

I noticed my agave seems to be a brighter green. The honeysuckle against the house displays swollen leaf buds. The color of the forsythia branches look more alive. Those glimpses of forthcoming spring feeds the soul, but doesn’t ease the itchy fingers of wanting to plant.

I’ve decided to appease the desire to plant by recycling two large salad greens containers. You know the size. The size that encourages you to be eating greens every day but you never seem to get to the empty state before the wilt state.

I will use the containers for a mini-greenhouse where I will plant harder-to- germinate perennial flower seeds. I will fill four-paks with seeding mix and set them in the containers. Germination will be where they can get some bottom heat, not necessarily in the sun. Good place if you have a free standing refrigerator is setting the containers atop. When the first true leaves appear they will be moved to the unheated sunroom, covering at night.

I’ll schedule the major seeding of the vegetables for mid-April. That seeding is more complicated using proper starting trays, heat mats and grow lights.

Coaxing branches to bloom

Early spring flowering trees and shrubs form their flower buds in the fall before the plants go dormant. At this time of year start looking for the trees and shrubs that have met their winter dormancy and are ready to break out with swollen growth buds. Think about forcing branches into bloom.

The most commonly forced branch is probably the pussy willow with its fuzzy buds. Forsythia is one that I like to prune for forcing. Flowering shrubs are easier to force than tree branches. Look at your shrub critically and think of the process as being selective pruning. Choose branches from crowded areas. Select healthy, young branches with numerous flower buds, which are usually larger and plumper than foliar buds. Selected branches can also be chosen for the beauty of their leaf color rather than their flower.

The process is more involved than just cutting branches and putting them in a vase and expecting overnight results. I follow the directions offered by the Purdue University Extension Service.

Cut about ¼ inch above a side bud or branch so that no stub is left behind. In other words, don’t cut in the middle of the branch. Cut the branches 6-18 inches long: longer branches are easier to use in floral arrangements. Cut during the warmest part of the day, when buds have the most sap.

Bring the cut branches indoors, placing the stem ends immediately in water. If branches are in a bucket, mist them frequently the first few days. If possible submerge the whole stems in water, such as in a bathtub, overnight. This allows buds and stems to quickly absorb water and begin to break dormancy.

Misting help spur growth

Place the stems in a container that will hold the branches upright. Add warm water (110 degrees F) to higher than 3 inches on the stems. Keep branches in a cool area 60-65 degrees partially shaded location. Warmer temperatures cause the buds to develop too rapidly and not open properly. Low humidity, common in our homes also may cause buds to fall off. The water level should be kept at its original level and changed daily. Misting will help keep the moisture level adequate.

Rooting may occur on the branches of some species, willow roots easily. If the rooted branch is desired for a new plant, remove the branch from the water when the roots are up to 3-4 inches long. The branches should be trimmed to approximately 6-8 inches. Then pot individually, and keep moist. When warm weather arrives the new plant can be planted outdoors.