Pussy Willow

I have become enamored of the Pussy Willow plant. I have heard of it before, but in all my 55 years I don't remember ever seeing it before this morning. This morning one of my coworkers brought in a bunch of branches of it that she had pruned from her plant. I immediately fell in love with it. It's just so pretty and exotic looking and I love the little furry buds. They are just Heaven to touch. What a stress reliever. It's almost as good as petting my cat, Heckle.

I have put several branches in a vase with some silk roses that I have in my office as well as a couple of smaller branches that I can touch when I feel stressed. I'm also taking several branches home to put into a dried flower arrangement that I have. In my kitchen I have the ceramic bottom of my grandmother's old butter churn that I put some Eucalyptus in. I want to add some of the Pussy Willow branches to it. I'm also going to try to root several branches. I did some research this morning on the Internet and I understand that you can either put them in water or moist soil. I think it's better to put them in soil, that way I can keep them inside until spring and them plant them outside.

Pussy Willow
(Yin liu, Salix sp.)
Since the Chinese like numerous blossoms on a branch, the many buds of the willow
make it a favorite flower for Chinese New Year. The fluffy white blossoms of the
pussy willow resemble silk, and they soon give forth young shoots the color of green jade. Chinese enjoy such signs of growth, which represent the coming of prosperity.