Thursday, January 9, 2014

To cut or not to cut? That is the question.


I have always loved having fresh flowers in our house, and I make a happy habit of grabbing an inexpensive bunch of flowers as part of my weekly grocery shopping. I've always dreamed of having a flower garden hardy enough to allow me to cut flowers to bring inside without really taking away from the beauty of the garden.



The thing is, I plant flowers for the express purpose of being able to cut them and bring them inside. Why, then, is it always so bittersweet when I take the clippers and actually sever the flower from its growing place? Ah - it gets me every time!


But then I have a sweet little bouquet of flowers that actually came from my garden. A pretty reminder of what I planted and watered and nurtured, all before butchering them in order to enjoy a selfish floral display indoors.

Ok, ok, it's not that dramatic, but I really do feel a twinge of angst when I snip that flower stalk.

To cut or not to cut?
There really is no question,
but I still feel a little bad when I do.

17 comments:

helena said...

one of the reasons I love to grow sweatpeas (as well as how pretty they are) is that the more you cut the flowers the more they grow. But I do find it hard to cut my roses.

Susi said...

Lovely those little bouquets. If I could get some flowers to grow, I'd clip them to bring inside. I got up the nerve last summer to ask neighbors if I could clip some of their peonies and they said yes! They are lovely for indoor bouquets.

Jo said...

It's a toughie. I don't like cut flowers because they die but then the flower will also dies in the garden too so it's a circular argument that I have with myself :) I do know that they are meant to be enjoyed though and yours are lovely x

Sian said...

I've always dreamed of having a garden full of flowers I could cut too (and also of being able to take such pretty flower photos! I think taking and sharing the photos definitely more than justifies the cutting, if thta helps any)

scrappyjacky said...

The little vase of flowers looks so lovely....definately worth cutting.
I agree with Helena's comment on sweet peas....you can cut and cut and cut them.

Audrey said...

Haha, yes, I face the same dilemma when I cut flowers from the garden. But having fresh cut flowers in the house is truly one of my favorite things in life!!!

debs14 said...

By cutting them you double your enjoyment of them - inside and Outside!

Becky said...

I think that they can be enjoyed outside and in! Just wish we had flowers in the garden at the moment! All brown and dead here so enjoying your lovely photos :-)

Anonymous said...

I never have that dilemma as I don't have any flowers in my garden but I do like to buy bunches from the shop. Love the blue of those little blossoms.

Ruth said...

Put that way, you've made it sound very dramatic! I'm one for leaving be ~ if its survived my attempt at gardening/weeding, it deserves its place in the sun!

Stephanie @ La Dolce Vita said...

I'm the same way. The trick is, I think, to grow enough so you can leave some behind. Then you get to enjoy them both ways.

alexa said...

Oh my goodness, I hadn't expected to feel guilty reading your blog! Eek, you are making me think ...

Miriam said...

I don't mind cutting them, it does the plant good and I get to photograph them even on a windy day!

Karen said...

I definitely plant to cut, and enjoy them much more inside that I would outside. I usually have enough for both in the middle of summer.

Maria Ontiveros said...

Just plant more! LOL!
I want to cut more flowers and bring them in the house this year.
My mother had a huge number of rose plants, and we always had fresh cut roses in the house; plus she gave away bouquets.
Roses will always remind me of her.
Rinda

Anonymous said...

What a beautiful rose! I'm always torn too but I like what Debs14 said. Maybe I'll cut more this summer.

Julie Fisher said...

I don't think I'm even torn. I just can't cut it!

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