Spring cleaning makes everything fresh and welcoming. Clear out the winter stuffiness by opening up the house and scrubbing everything. Get the whole family to pitch in, and it won't take as long as you think it will.
Plan the Easter decorations. It's too early to buy cut flowers, but it's just the right time to bring branches in for forcing.
Forsythia, cherry, quince, laurel, redbud, and dogwoods are all good candidates for forcing, if you have some in your yard. Pussy willow and witch hazel are good, too, and they grow wild. Wherever you get your branches, be sure to choose some that have budded nicely.
Cut them and bring them into a warm room. Full a vase with warm water, submerge the cut ends of the branches, and cut them again under the water. Put the branches in the sun. You'll have blossoms for Easter.
If you'd rather go with cut flowers, this is a good time to order them from the florist. You can also do it yourself. If you have nothing in your garden that's ready to cut -- or you don't want to sacrifice the look of the garden for the sake of the indoor decorations -- scope out sources of cut flowers now.
Here's the secret of do-it-yourself floral arrangement: it takes skill to make a few blossoms look elegant and lovely. It takes hardly any skill to make dozens of blossoms look good. So if you have limited knowledge of flower arranging, scout around for the best prices and plan to buy a lot of flowers.
Mass them in pretty vases or jugs on your mantelpiece, coffee tables, or any other flat surface. If you have enough, it'll distract guests from any lack in your spring cleaning, too. For the table, order a Sweetique centerpiece now and you'll have it in plenty of time for Easter.
