pussy willows

Even though it is the middle of February it is starting to feel a lot like spring around here.  Boy am I ready!  The older I get the better the idea of becoming a snowbird heading south sounds.  This time of year you can cut branches of pussy willow, forsythia, spirea and quince, bring them inside, put them in water in a warm room and wait for the branches to bloom.  Just look at the branches to see if the buds have started swelling.  I took this picture three days after I had brought the branches in and you can already see the white catkins begining to show.  Instant Spring.

Almost instant centerpiece

No, I'm not reinventing the wheel with this one, just reminding you of  an idea for a simple and if you have blooms from your garden, free summer centerpiece.
Pretty bowl, add water  and float in a few flowers such as hollyhocks, roses or marigolds with the stems cut very short.  The flowers need to be wide across the top, spikey flowers don't work .  It would be beautiful to have a row of smaller bowls down the center of your table, on a runner, or not, for your next dinner party.

New idea, do all of the above and add two very curious kitties who think this is a new play toy and supplementary water bowl.  Since the critters who live here rule, their human slave(that would be me) just keeps filling the bowl and picking up the flowers, which is a new fun game for them.  Often they will have the first flower out before I bend down and get the next one.