Making a Pussy Willow Arrangement
This post is part of the 2016 Grow Your Own Challenge. Besides growing most of our produce for the year, we show you tips and tricks for decorating your home using native plants and resources! Isn’t that cool?! Today’s post will demonstrate how to cut (harvest) pussy willow and turn it into a beautiful arrangement that can be used indoors or out.
The pussy willow tree grows in zones 4-8 and is known for its spring time silvery buds. It is also produces a very pretty foliage and nice fall color. Learn more about the pussy willow tree at ArborDay.org. Here I am after taking the lopper to some of the top branches in my tree.
This is what they look like up close:
It is very easy to make the arrangements. Cut the branches in varied lengths so that you get a nice looking bundle. Take a bucket, container, or pot and fill it with sand. You do not want to water the willow branches. It is best to let them dry out. They will preserve themselves quite a bit and last a long time. If you water them, the buds will come out and not only will they ruin the look of your arrangement, they will make a big mess.
The arrangements are beautiful for table tops, in corners, or as larger displays. We made one larger display by the front door to welcome guests to our home.
We also decorated one for indoors with hand knitted Easter eggs to celebrate the Easter season.
Other ideas for these arrangements could be to include dogwood to add a nice red color to the plants, and also decorating them with christmas lights.
Have you ever used pussy willow branches before? Let us know in the comments below! For more DIY tips, check out our DIY page here.
