Every March growing up, I watched my mom wield a large pair of hedge clippers and go at the forsythia that edged our front yard.
Luckily for me, flower shops have caught on to the spirit-lifting powers of flowering branches. Lately, cherry blossoms have begun to appear in shop windows and cafés around Brooklyn, so the other day I went to my local florist and walked home with an armload.
If you’re anything like me, walking down city streets carrying a bundle of Kraft paper-wrapped branches will make you feel like a fairy queen brandishing an oversized and flowery scepter.
Florists typically stock both white and pink cherry branches; I opted for white.
If you don’t have a good pair of pruners at home, you might consider asking your florist to trim the branches. While not too difficult to trim with the right tools, cherry branches are relatively thick and require a bit of muscle to cut to size.
The best way I’ve found to arrange large branches is to place a vase directly on the floor.
I used this oversized bedside carafe as a vase because it was sturdy enough to support the weight of the branches and tall enough to forestall tipping.
With fresh changes of water, blossomed cherry branches will last for a week or two indoors. I purchased branches whose buds had already unfolded, but if you’d like to witness the unfurling, choose branches with buds that are still tight.
If you have access to a flowering tree of your own, all the better. Use a good pair of pruners to make your initial cuts and then use garden scissors or a knife to make several small slits in the base of your branches to encourage water absorption.
There is so much more I want to tell you.