For a spring display in midwinter, you can force flowers from a few branches of forsythia, pussywillow or witch hazel.
Any time after the first buds of the year appear, choose branches with the fattest buds (these are flower buds - the smaller ones produce only leaves). Cut the branches off with sharp pruning shears.
Scrape the bark from the lower 3-4in/75-100mm of each branch and split the end lengthwise for 2-3in/ 50-75mm.
Plunge the whole branch into a bathful of room-temperature water for a few hours.
Arrange the branches in a vase or bowl of cold water and set it in a sunny room. Ideally, the temperature should be 16°-18°C/60°-65°F. Spray the branches twice a week to protect the buds from drying out. They should bloom within 2 weeks or so.
You can also force apples, crab apples, pears, dogwoods and lilacs, but they'll take 3 to 4 weeks to bloom. Don't cut these plants until 6 weeks before their normal flowering time.
