Liz Cowen Furman - Home Tips

Gather baskets of all sizes and fill them with pots of spring blooming bulbs, when the flowers are spent, plant the bulbs outside for next spring's outdoor display.

Our kids receive resin figurines in their Easter baskets every spring. We use the previous years' collections to decorate the house. On the bottom of each figurine, I write the child's's name and the year, so that when they start a family (God willing), they'll have some childhood mementos to use as decorations.

Colorful bouquets of cut flowers - they're the most wonderful way I can think of to bring spring indoors. I set flowers here and there throughout the house. Some of my favorites are Peruvian lilies or Alstroemeria. They're inexpensive, come in a variety of shades - yellow, gold, apricot, blushing pink and red. Best of all, they last up to 3 weeks in a well-tended vase.

To add a touch of class to a simple arrangement, try scouting through cabinets to find a unique piece that can substitute as a vase - delicate crystal creamers or tiny serving cups look lovely holding small bouquets.

Start a collection of wreaths for every season. It's an easy way to keep pace with the changing times and kids love them. If I don't put up the next holiday wreath soon enough, I'm sure to receive notification about it from a member of the Decorations Police. (They're an observant bunch.)

Find a large clay tray - the kind that fits underneath a large planter. Set 4 - 6 violets of complementing colors, in their own little pots, in the tray. Water weekly from the bottom and add a splash of leftover coffee to their drink. They will bloom happily for months. Violets, like me, love coffee. My friend Jan said that the acid in the coffee makes them flourish. I love these cheery flowers so much, I once vowed that if I ever had a little girl, I would name her violet.

Plant some spring bulbs during autumn in a place where no one will see them blooming. Then you won't mind cutting the flowers to bring indoors for bouquets.

I love the look of flowerpots with freshly turned soil. It seems that they're just waiting for something wonderful to happen.