Spring may be the time of year when our daffodils bloom, but with a little creativity and know-how, you can enjoy beautiful floral arrangements all year long whether you have a greenhouse or not…

Beutler also offers some great tips for cutting flowers to prolong their staying power. For example, some flowers like daffodils have sap in them that’s actually poisonous to the cut flower, as well other flowers in the same vase. Beutler says the secret is to flush the sap out of the flowers. “You need to put them in a vase of water for 10 to 15 minutes, then take them out. The cloudy water in the vase is because of the sap. Put fresh water in the vase and soak them again, until the water is clear.”

Foliage and branches also add interest to arrangements, she says. - Witch hazel and other winter branches can be cut early in the season, brought inside, and “forced” - coaxed to bloom early - by putting their stems in warm water for a few days.

Another favorite of Beutler’s is sambukus, or elderberry. “I like sambukus gold. The new growth is chartreuse. If you don’t keep cutting it, by mid-summer, it’s an average green. But if you keep cutting it, that new growth will be a lovely bright green.”

The Forest Grove News-Times, By Carl Grimm read the full article here http://www.forestgrovenewstimes.com/features/story.php?story_id=121078495991907500