Spring Flowers in Toronto
We are all waiting for spring to arrive. This is the perfect time to enjoy flowering bloom branches indoors!
The streets of Toronto will soon smell fragrant with that fresh scent of trees leafing out and flowers blooming, like lilac, magnolia, lily of the valley………
It is my true joy to walk amongst flowering trees and shrubs. They are so beautiful. There is one redbud tree in the Bright Street Playground in Corktown, Toronto that I must visit every year to celebrate it’s stunning beauty.
Flowering Trees
Many years ago, I was very fortunate to have been in Japan right at the beginning of cherry blossom season. Lucky for me, I was able to walk under a canopy of blooming trees in Yanaka (Old Tokyo). I hold that memory very dear. It is so amazing to see how these marvelous trees deliver so much joy to everyone, all over the world.
Here in Toronto, one of my personal favourite places to go and enjoy the cherry trees is at the Japanese Canadian Cultural Centre on Sakura Way near the glorious Aga Khan Museum.
The trees on the University of Toronto campus in Scarborough and the St George campus downtown are really wonderful places to celebrate spring and cherry blossoms. What can be better than having a picnic and enjoying time with family and friends under the trees?
High Park is a marvel.
Cut Flowering Branches
In late winter Linden Grove Flowers brings in flowering branches that are “forced” indoors. Forced branches are cut outside when the buds are tiny. They are then cut on an angle with very sharp shears and put into water to promote the blooms to come out. This is a great way to have a pre-spring celebration, while it’s still a bit chilly outside.
Depending on the type of flowering branch you have, you can expect them to live for a few days to a few weeks.
Branches with more open blooms will last a shorter amount of time.
Happy Memories
Many moons ago I purchased a bundle of quince branches. They initially look like uninteresting straight, brown, dried out twigs with little bumps on the stem. A friend was here for a visit. He looked horrified as he saw me write a substantial cheque for the “dead twigs”. He cautiously said, “what are those”? I replied, “oh they are quince branches, and they will be blooming in about 3 weeks”. He laughed in relief , and to this day we often chuckle over the purchase of the dead branches. He couldn’t believe that anyone would purchase these. I assured him we couldn’t keep them in stock. We have our dedicated flowering branch clients.
Anticipation
The week of March 26, our much anticipated kwanzan cherry branches will arrive at Linden Grove Flowers.
We are located at 501 Queen Street East, Toronto.
The photo below is what they look like when they arrive. It’s hard to believe, but these little, insignificant buds will turn into big pink poofballs.
Pleasure
If you would like some gorgeous pink poofy cherry blossom branches, we will be happy to set some aside for you. There are offshoots on the branches, so we are happy to cut them to size for your preferred vase. If you bring them home while they are in tight buds, you can expect the flowering to occur in a week or so.
The branches are quite substantial, so using a vessel with some weight is recommended.
Additonal Delights
Other beautiful branches which are lovely to enjoy inside, are curly willow branches. If you cut these branches and put them in water, the leaves will start to come out. It’s like magic. They are so ethereal and if you have a garden and the stems start to produce roots, you could plant the stems in your garden. Only if you have a fair amount of space. Curly willow needs space, so a tiny garden would not be suitable.
They look amazing in planter boxes and will also leaf out. If you do this, you may want to pull them out in the autumn as they develop a very strong and sturdy root system. They could do damage to your pot if allowed to continue rooting.
Contact Us
If you would like to have a some spring in your home, please call us at the shop at 416.530-2427 or you can send us an email at info@lindengrove.ca We will be happy to have some cherry blossoms ready for you to pick up or to have a flower delivery made to you.
Our kwanzan cherry will be available on March 26th.
Just let us know your preference.
We will help you celebrate this yearly delight.
