When you're next taking a winter walk or out in your yard for some fresh air check to see if the buds on trees are beginning to swell. If they are, this means it's the perfect time to cut some branches for indoors and trick them into early flowering. 'Forcing' simply means getting something to bloom ahead of its natural cycle.
To decorate your home by forcing flowering branches first go outside to your yard and see if there's a tree that could do with a trim. If you don't have anything suitable then ask a neighbour or friend if they do, or turn winter walks into foraging expeditions by looking for windfall branches of flowering trees and shrubs you can take home. Always be sure to ask permission before taking out your pruning shears. And remember that all you need is one decent branch to make a display.
