Dyngus Day is less than two weeks from today, but florists are already peddling pussy willows, the long branches bearing fuzzy buds that Buffalonians love buying for the post-Easter Polish holiday.

Rather than spending bunches of dollars on the branches, said to be used by flirtatious Polish youngsters as a kind of whip with which they hit each other as a sign of affection, why not grow your own? As it turns out, it’s not so tough.

You don’t need a lot to get started, Yahoo contributor David Farrell points out. Gather a vase or jar, a pussy willow branch and water, and then follow some basic steps:

1. Add water to clear jar or vase
2. Take the freshly cut twig, place it in a clear jar
3. Add water regularly, and change water so it doesn’t get cloudy or stagnant
4. Once roots begin to grow, remove twig from water
5. Now that your pussy willow branch is well on its way to becoming a blooming bush, transplant the twig in a pot. Martha Stewart suggests supplementing the plant with peat moss, leaf mold or compost. Just about any soil will do. Lots of sunlight is suggested but not required for growth.

It’s that simple. To keep the plant from overgrowing, pruning may be necessary. Once the weather warms up, the plant can be uprooted and planted outdoors.

Now that you’re pussy willow bush (or tree, if you’re growing the weeping willow variety) is well on its way to growing, start planning out some cute crafts utilizing the budding branches. Pinterest is full of springtime crafts featuring this particular plant.