They’re in bloom, so the Valentine’s Day carnations count!
Apart from the cut flowers my husband bought me for Valentine’s Day (above) and the poinsettia that is still mightily hanging on (and looking pretty good, I must say), the only blooms in this wintry house are forced branches from the Dwarf Flowering Almond.
Dwarf Flowering Almond
I’ve been changing their water daily for weeks, and recently moved them to a sunnier and slightly warmer location where I could enjoy their new, tiny blooms — but I’m doubtful that I’ll get even a single branch full of the pink blossoms that I’ll see outside this May. I’ll take what I can get, though!
My first attempt at forcing muscari and pink hyacinths isn’t going so well — bulb rot all around for the muscari, and lots of leaves but no blooms on the hyacinths. Maybe I’ll fare better next year.
I’m making a valiant attempt to fill my life with flowers, thanks to Garden Bloggers’ Bloom Day! We can have flowers every month of the year!
Of course Valentines Day flowers count!
Happy Garden Bloggers’ Bloom Day!
Lea
I have never tried to force flowering tree branches. It’s a nice spot of color, though, very welcome. A local supermarket sold hyacinths they were forcing, in special water vases. I didn’t buy one, but maybe I should have. Any port in a winter storm! Happy GBBD.
I’ve never had much luck forcing bulbs indoors either; this year I didn’t even try. But I love your flowering almond branch! This is a plant that I haven’t seen around here, but have admired it when looking through plant catalogs. Is it fairly easy to grow? And yes, Valentine’s flowers do count–Happy Bloom Day!
I am mesmerized by the images. Carnations are beautifully captured. Good to see almond flowers. Ours winters are too mild to grow almonds.