

Winter is still hanging on with a snow clumps still dotting the yard, but Easter is next week and the springtime ideas are blossoming. I need to get my focus on spring and slough off the dreary winter with fresh spring creations to spot around the house to raise my spirits.

Bunnies of course figure prominently. I have a small collection of them that I have accumulated over the years. Also, my curly willow is put to use on wreaths and nests and accents. Curly willow is the best tree I ever planted for usefulness. A tall slender tree sprouting wildly curling graceful branches, I harvest almost all of the branches for use in floral arrangements.


By the end of February, the branches have finished putting on all their yearly growth and are starting to sprout tiny leaves, and that is the best time to harvest. Chainsawing the large limbs off the tree, the branches lay on the ground to make it easy to cut off the nice curling stems. Pliable while still green, you can make all kinds of creations from the branches. Better than grapevine, it is easier to work with.


To make different shapes out of curly willow, just manipulate strands of the willow and use bark wire ( wire covered with a brown covering) to fasten it all together. The tendrils of the curly willow still pop out creating a rustic wild look. For a basket without a handle, you can create the handle out of curly willow by bunching branches together and binding it with the bark wire and shaping it into a curved handle very easily. Or you can create a bird’s nest of curly willow.

If you don’t have access to a curly willow tree, most florists and any vendor who sells flowers will have bunches for sale pretty inexpensively
1-Nest On Tripod
A curly willow nest is easy to make; it is simply a wreath with a bottom of bark-wire lattice with curly willow interwoven through the wire. Setting the nest on top of a tripod of knarly branches give it added interest. You could easily use this as an Easter table centerpiece as is. Add moss to the bottom, succulents, and a cute bunny to finish it off.

Make a curly willow wreath to set into the tripod



2-Urn Centerpiece
There is nothing better than an urn as an elegant vehicle to display plants and animals. Adding a curly willow wreath at the base grounds the arrangement and shows off the accessories and plants that you decide to add.



3-Long Table Arrangement

For the Easter dining table, it is nice to have something rectangular and low so that you can speak across the table. Start with a bed of soft moss, add some plants still in their root ball, and add some kiwi branches, pussy willow, and succulent cuttings.

4-Easter Basket






Another Easter basket of fresh flowers-stock, tulips, hydrangeas, and a handle of pussy willow

5-Cluster Container
Cluster containers are simply three or more containers connected together to become one piece. I have several of these and this is one of my favorites. To get the same effect, you can group either identical or similar containers together in a cluster to act as one container. Placing short stems of lilies, daisies, purple statice, and wax flower makes a colorful easy arrangement. These cluster containers do the arranging for you! You could easily buy a bunch of assorted flowers at a big box store and throw them in one of these and you look like an accomplished floral arranger.

Blue Stone Patio job….exquisite!
Love the bunny plant arrangements that use living plants…the best part.
Picking up my first NUC from Central MD Beekeeping Club April 7. I would love to spend some time with you in your apiary sometime this Spring/Summer.
Norann Redding, Hollyberry Garden Club member in Severna Park 4439292227 norannb@gmail.com
Are you a first time beekeeper? I am also picking up a couple Nucs from them in April
Yes, my first hive. You have inspired me. If you ever want some company or help with your hives, I would love to do so. I have so much to learn.
Where do you live??
Thanks again for showing such beautiful arrangements step by step. I’m filing away the curly willow ideas as I have one. When it was given to me they called it tortured willow. You really prune! I only found out about our company last night so I’m taking the easy way out and using a pretty basket with a blooming hyacinth in it, and adding ceramic chocolate bunnies of different shapes and additional egg cups with ceramic, enameled, and painted eggs. Happy Easter to all…
Send me a picture!