February here in Charleston may not be filled with mounds of snow, sleet and ice, but it remains winter all the same.. which is why it’s so much fun to bring some early spring into your home, and brighten everything up with blooming branches. Depending on the weather, these branches may start as early as December, and continue until April, but late February and March is almost always perfect for finding some great varieties like Quince, Forsythia and Cherry, not to mention other local favorites like Dogwood, Japanese Magnolia, and Peach!

Quince

Quince is often the earliest blooming branch we see in the shop, and, at least for me, is best when used sparingly to showcase its unique architectural form. It arrives, like most branches, almost bare, but each day you will see a new bud or bloom popping out while others fade away. Even where you didn’t think there was a bud, somehow one will magically appear and open into a flower. Individually, each flower lasts only a few days, but the blooms continue to pop out over the course of several weeks, so the look changes all the time, and continues for a while. It comes in white, light pink, or a salmon tone often referred to as red.