After taking home some branches of a cherry tree that my neighbor and I pruned, the memory of a Winter semester in Stockholm came back to me. Sweden has many inexplicable traditions that my friends there adhered faithfully, yet without awareness of the history, symbols or meaning behind them. I seldom argued- how can you not participate in cinnamon roll day!?
One such tradition can be found at the corner flower markets around this time of year, where bundles of bare sticks have a colored feather tied onto the ends of each twig in monochromatic bunches. All I could get out of my friends is that it had something to do with Easter.
As a California girl lonely for the color green in her snowy environs, I kept my bundle long past the holiday and allowed them to leaf out. It was as if a small tree had materialized in my little room- reassurance that Spring had arrived.
With that memory in my mind, I've waited patiently for the sticks to leaf and bloom in our dining room and they have not disappointed me. While I don't have snow to contend with, it's always nice to bring the outside in when raindrops and chills keep me away from the garden.
They do look beautiful, and very spring-like. Isn't it amazing how plants can evoke strong memories in us?
ReplyDeleteI pruned our Satsuma tree this year, and it was just starting to burst with buds (in January no less). I didn't have the heart to throw the branches away either, and was amazed at how well they bloomed indoors. So glad I didn't toss them out!
nice photos, they look great agenst the red back drop
ReplyDeleteI did this with a branch from a maple I pruned. So far no luck. It does have a lot of buds though. Maybe soon.
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