Thursday, March 22, 2012

Forsythia Three Ways

The 'Mother' plant
Ok, last post about Forsythia. At least for a while, promise.  A Forsythia bush to me is sort of a cheap filler shrub that gives us a bust of sunshine for a week or so and then is exhausted until next year.  Boring. To me, an important element of good design is longevity. Designing a garden that appeals and works for the owner over the long haul is essential.  This year I was determined to make the most of my Forsythia, and I think I’ve stretched it pretty well so far. 
Here is Forsythia, three ways:  
So the easy-peasy is forcing Forsythia to flower- please see the previous posts Stretch It and Forcing Forsythia about that.
My shot in the dark was using branches from my Forsythia in my planters. These branches replaced an ornamental kale- I just cut branches and pushed the ends into the soil and created an arrangement that somewhat reflects the natural shape of a real bush.  I loved the height that it gave the planter and the surprise? They started flowering!
Next, when planting pansies in the planters of the guest house, I used more Forsythia branches to create shabby chic arces above the planters.  I used four branches, two long and two shorter.  You could use just a couple or make different arc patterns- just have fun with it.  I like adding the branches to add some interest until the pansies get growing, and some height. And guess what? These branches flowered too!    





This is how I created my branch arcs




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