'Tis the season of "smice." That's my name for the hellish substance one finds in the North this time of year, a conglomeration of snow, mud and ice. In bad winters, mountains of it loom over mall parking lots, with no intention of melting until April. But don't wait for April to counteract the ugliness of smice. If you learn how to force forsythia flowers, you can enjoy a bit of spring in February.

Read article: "How to Force Forsythia Flowers"

_{Photo ©2005 David Beaulieu (licensed to About, Inc.)}