Spring Is In The Air...Add It To Your Decor

It’s that time of year when we all start thinking about our gardens, planting schedules, and spring clean-up. Well…almost all of us. For me, it is the time of year to start thinking about bringing the outdoors in and adding it to the décor.

After Christmas, Easter is my favorite holiday. Pastel colored eggs hanging from trees or hidden in the yard, new spring outfits, kids home for spring break and, of course, the first blooms of the year. Every Easter, I have a big beautiful bouquet as my table centerpiece. No, not store bought, but from my yard: Forsythia. Even if they aren’t in full-bloom by Easter, they can be forced a week ahead of time. Simply cut long branches from the bush, bring them inside and put them in your prettiest glass vessel or other container (see Design Tip, below) with warm water and give them 5 to 7 days. Voila! Spring is in the air and at your table's center. These long-legged yellow beauties can actually be brought in as early as January!

I don’t usually hand out gardening tips, but if you aren’t lucky enough to have a Forsythia bush in your yard, I highly recommend planting one for next year, as they are one of the first signs of spring. But for this year, you have plenty of options even if you don’t have a yard. Another one of my favorites is the Hyacinth. I love these fragrant little gems at my table for Easter. You can find them anywhere, from grocery stores, to home and garden centers, local outlets, and farmer's markets. After I bring them home, I pull them out of their dirt and wash their bulb. I place each one in a  clear glass water tumbler, fill them with water, and place them in a long narrow basket. I fill the basket with moss, tissue paper, or even the kids’ Easter basket grass, and I have a simple flower arrangement. If you don’t have a basket, just line them up on the table in matching glass vessels. They dazzle on their own.

After the petals start to die off, put them in the ground in clusters or lined up as a border (I prefer clusters) for blooms next spring. In just a couple of years, you’ll have a whole bed of lovely Hyacinth! Other lovely spring flowers for purchase or from the ground are tulips, crocus, daffodils, narcissus, jonquils and violas. Don’t limit yourself to the table centerpiece. Arrangements throughout the house can add a lilt to your step. Try them on a bedside table, your kitchen countertop, in the bathroom (everybody eventually goes in there) or on a window with a dreary landscape or view.

Design Tip: Consider this arrangement in place of a standard glass container for your spring blooms. You’ll need: A gift bag (I used 10x12), 4 sheets tissue paper, 2 or 3 tall narrow tumblers (1 or 2 if the bag is smaller), long-stemmed flowers such as Forsythia or Gerbera Daisies (if you are using smaller flowers use a smaller bag. See Note, below)

Here’s How: 1. Fill each tumbler half-way with water and place in the bag. 2. Arrange flowers equally between the tumblers. 3. With all 5 fingers, grasp the tissue paper at its center in a pinching motion and snap it to create a cone shape. Stuff the pointed end in the front of one of the tumblers. 4. Repeat Step 3, stuffing another tissue paper in front of the tumblers and two behind the tumblers. 5. Smooth down the tissue paper slightly so it doesn’t hide or dominate the flowers. This arrangement works great for baby or bridal showers and holidays because the bag and tissue paper can be coordinated with the décor or theme.

Note: If using a bag larger than 10x12, assemble and disassemble the bag in its permanent location, as the bag is not rigid enough to transport. Remember this rule of thumb: Use groupings of 3. Three smaller bags lined up or grouped together is an eye-catching arrangement. 

For more ideas on spring décor beautification inside and out, don’t miss The Lakewood Home Fair Expo scheduled for Saturday, March 27 from 11 a.m to 4 p.m. at Harding Middle School, 16601 Hilliard Rd. See you there! 

Robby Zettler is a Home Design Consultant for Metropolitan Home Design & Real Estate Staging, located at 15226 Madison Ave.