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“Bread feeds the body indeed, but flowers feed also the
soul.”
--- The Koran ---
These wise words from the Koran remind us of our need as
humans to care for our mind and spirit as well as our
physical well being. During the first few months of each
New Year, many of us focus on dieting and exercise.
Armed with all of those resolutions for personal
improvement, we try to defy aging, job stress, poor diet
and lack of exercise. Let’s face it --- there are a lot
of temptations out there. It’s hard for us to manage a
healthy life style along with our busy schedules. We get
caught up in the ever-increasing demands for our time
and often lack the energy we need to meet the high
expectations of today’s society.
What the Koran is telling us is that we all need to take
time to “smell the roses”. As you might suspect, I think
we should do so both literally and figuratively. Last
weekend, I went down to the Connecticut Flower Show. It
was packed with people taking a precious few minutes to
enjoy the spring-like atmosphere. They came in droves on
the heels of a February snowstorm braving the cold to
see what will be theirs in a few short weeks. All of the
flowers, trees and shrubs in bloom provided the obvious
“food for the soul”. But, it was the smell of fresh
mulch, the green sod and the humid earthiness that
completed this “dining” experience. That’s what caused
all of those smiles and the “Oohs” and “Aahs” that
followed.
Try as we might, we just can’t hurry spring. It will
come, as it always does, on its own schedule. We can
bring some spring inside, however. We can buy some fresh
cut flowers at our local florist or at the grocery
store. We might find a new houseplant or a pot of
daffodils or tulips that we just can’t resist. Some of
us may have already started seeds for our summer
gardens. One of the best ways to bring spring inside is
to “force” a few branches from the trees and shrubs in
our garden.
Most, if not all of the flowering plants you see in
flower shows have been “forced”. The same is true for
the pots of spring flowering bulbs that are so popular.
Plants that bloom in the spring form their flower buds
in the fall. To get them to bloom, you need to trick
them or “force” them into thinking it is spring. Forcing
is easy and fun. Here are a few tips to get you started:
* Dogwoods, pussy willows, azalea, pears, lilacs,
apples and maples may be forced.
* The closer a plant is to its normal bloom time,
the faster it will force. Forsythia is an easy one to
try.
* Be sure to cut LIVE branches at least 12 inches
long with sharp pruning shears.
* Remove all buds that will be below the water
level.
* Split the ends of the stems to aid water uptake.
* Place in a large container out of direct sunlight.
* After growth is apparent, arrange in bouquets.
* Move arrangements to cool locations at night. |
the
Pond House Restaurant. Dress warm and come early for a
homemade hot chocolate from the café before you take
this FREE evening tour of the park with Paul Condon.
