Forcing Branches and Sharing Gardens

By C.L. Fornari

Published February 14, 2026 at 3:50 PM EST

An image of a forced forsythia in a vase.

On The Garden Lady C.L. Fornari spoke with volunteer master gardener Pat McDonald about the pleasures of sharing a garden for the benefit of local nonprofits. They spoke about the Cape Cod Hydrangea Festival and the pleasures of having a garden open and on tour. C.L. read a postcard about cutting branches for flowers in the winter, and took listener calls on a variety of topics.

The Garden Lady on CAI

C.L. Fornari

C.L. Fornari is the author of eight books, including Coffee for Roses and The Cocktail Hour Garden. She’s a professional speaker, the former host of GardenLine on WXTK, and co-host of the Plantrama podcast. She is a frequent speaker to groups nationwide, and has worked for a family-owned independent garden center for 25 years. C.L. grows vegetables, flowers, shrubs, trees and numerous other plants at Poison Ivy Acres on Cape Cod. In 2015 C.L. launched the Cape Cod Hydrangea Festival, a ten-day regional celebration of gardens that typically raises over $100,000.00 for local non-profits every year and draws public attention to Hydrangeas and gardening.

See stories by C.L. Fornari