I love flowering quince. I have a peach colored one called, "Cameo." There are pink ones, too. They can be forced in the spring, like forsythia.

In my case, forsythia is nice to look at but blooms too early to be used for market. Mine is toward the end of its bloom now. Market starts May 7th.

Curly willow - YES! Nothing adds height and style to a bouquet like a twig or two of curly willow placed RIGHT THERE.

I've found I don't use my red-twig dogwood for cutting much. The red darkens and isn't as pretty by the time market starts, cut or left on the bush. Or were you considering a red-flowered dogwood? I haven't tried that - yet.

Just for foliage, how about some snowberries? I don't grow them, Mother Nature does a great job on that here, so I get to use their foliage, which is especially precious early in the year before much else is available. I know there are commercially available types.

Jeanne

It might be well to determine your target market, KM. Jeanne doesn't use the red-twig dogwood because it doesn't time well for her summer market; I use the twigs in winter arrangements. Some of the weeping cherries do beautifully in a large, free-flowing arrangement in a lobby, but might be problematic as part of a dinner centerpiece.

And you'll have to figure out what's going to match your cranky weather.

Ray

Kristen, If possible I would add callicarpa americana, boxwood, Hypericum, and fantail pussywillow. There are a few others I am trying this year. I will have to let you know.

Bryan

When I lived in Texas, one of my favorite (and my florists that I sold to) was pitosporum. I used it all the time. I miss it so.

Dana who lives in Michigan now.

Dana, Can we grow pitosporum here in Michigan? I have purchased in from the floral supply house before because I like it in arrangements.

Kristen, Can you grow flowering Almond in your area? And, what about Winterberry?

Does smoke bush ( Cotinus coggyria ) grow well in your area? The purple foliage lasts well in arrangements.

Chris

You mentioned not being able to grow hydrangeas because of the alkaline soil. I have been told that the pink one can take it.

Also, there is a web site of questions and answers. You may want to try it. The following is on hydrangeas.

http://www.recipegoldmine.com/gardengary/gg77.html