Curly willow eggchanges.

I have a good friend who  happens to have a greenhouse. She also happens to live quite close and I make frequent forays to her yard to see what I can get for free  find that's interesting enough to consider bringing back to my own yard/garden.  Last week one day I mosey'd ...mosied....moseyed... went over to her house and she was just walking around to see what was sprouting or budding out.  I have always enjoyed early blooms which I  viewed as winter waving the white flag of surrender.  I have an old forsythia that hardly ever has a bloom on it. I cut it back to the ground last year, but it fought back by sending out long, trailing shoots that STILL don't have any yellow blooms. I'm bummed about that, and I'm thinking a nice chain attached to the tractor might solve that problem.  I don't think you can go wrong with pussywillow though and she not only had that but curly willow, as well. Of course, a quick exchange took place.

Me:  "Hi, Sandy. Whatcha doin'?"
Sandy:  "Just seeing what's starting to bud out."
Me:  "Can I have some of that?" (pointing to the curly willow)
Sandy: "Sure". (I love her).

Of course I had a dozen eggs with me, because you know a girl just doesn't want to appear as if she's begging  all take and no give.

I came home with a nice bouquet for the dining room table, with fat little pussy willow buds intertwined with the unruly wonderfulness of the curly willow.

It's hard to see in the picture how those darling  little branches corkscrew around, but it's a wonderful filler for cut bouquets in the summer and it's such an interesting bush in the winter, when there usually isn't much in the landscape to get excited about.  One week later, I have this:

Roots!

I'll be planting this in the backyard and heading over with another dozen eggs. Bless her generous heart. She knew it would do this. I just love eggchanges.

Blessings,

Brenda