Care for flowering branches in much the same way you care for your fresh flowers! You want to keep their water clean and protect their buds from too much sun and heat. Do so, and many varieties will bring you weeks of beautiful blooms.

Whether you're bringing in forsythia, quince, peach blossoms, pussy willows, viburnum or cherry blossoms, follow these simple steps:

• Use a sharp knife or shears to cut your stems at an angle. This allows the stems to drink up as much water as possible.
• Allow them to bloom slowly. Keep them in a cool spot out of direct sunlight and away from heat vents.
• Once they bloom, put them in a sunny spot and mist branches daily to encourage more blooms
• Change the water every other day to keep the branches from rot
• Recut your stems when you change the water to keep them drinking up as much as possible.