We stumbled on these when we were shopping in Soho last weekend. Someone had set branches of cherry blossoms out for the garbage. The blossoms where nearly gone and the branches were on the curb in the freezing cold. But one branch looked relatively salvageable and, much to the dismay of our companion, we plucked it right up and rode back home with it on the train...
While on the train, a nice lady was admiring the branch and advised us that we might be able to get some new blossoms out of the branch if we put it in warm water when we got home. We did just that and it's been blossoming like crazy all week!
The branch is about 7' in length and we're keeping it in a large vase on the mantle. Thanks for the advise, lady on the train, whoever you are. It brought a special treat to the entire week!
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How wonderful. Your post reminded me of A.E. Housman:
Loveliest of trees, the cherry now
Is hung with bloom along the bough,
And stands about the woodland ride
Wearing white for Eastertide.
Now, of my threescore years and ten,
Twenty will not come again,
And take from seventy springs a score,
It only leaves me fifty more.
And since to look at things in bloom
Fifty springs are little room,
About the woodlands I will go
To see the cherry hung with snow.
how wonderful. NY trash finds always make me smile. and how perfect that that woman made such a successful recommendation. I don't know about you, but I would have never known that.
oh - I love blossoms... and they last so long when you take proper care of them... I kept mine on the mantle last year as well, and it kept blossoming more and more everyday (click name)
But to salvage one from the cold, that's quite an achievement..
Asli, your blossoms look fantastic against your wall color! What color is that?
Hi Michael
It's a Behr color from Home Depot. It's actually a soft greenish color, but looks more grayish.
I can try and find out the exact color for you if you like...It's in my files somewhere..
Hi, Asli
Yeah, it's showing as a slate gray on my screen. Don't worry about finding the color name. I'm heading to Home Depot this weekend and I'll browse the paint chips.
Thanks!
Good for you! So happy to know others are picking up branches they find on the street. One of the loveliest things I own is a 6-foot long Sycamore branch. Found it on a walk home like six years ago and have moved with it three times now.