This week we had the pleasure of visiting Helen and her husband, Van, at their home in Upper Township. We had been looking forward to the visit for a while, but probably not as much as my son William.

William was especially eager to meet Van and see his garage. Van has spent years collecting tools, restoring antique cars, and tackling one project after another. His latest undertaking is a 1955 truck that has only recently made its way into the garage. To William, who loves anything mechanical and is always tinkering with engines, it was like walking into a dream. Every corner held another tool, another project, another possibility.

william in van's car
van and william with car

While the boys disappeared into the garage, Steve and I had the pleasure of touring Helen’s beautiful property. Van built their home 45 years ago, and everywhere you look you can see the care and craftsmanship that have gone into both the house and the gardens over the years. Helen proudly showed me her growing areas, and of course, I was especially interested in seeing how her cut flower seedling kit was doing.

I was impressed.

The seedlings were thriving, and the beds were starting to color. But as we walked through the garden, Helen admitted something I’ve been hearing from many people who purchased the cut flower seedling kits this year: they’re having a hard time cutting the flowers.

And I completely understand.

After you’ve watered them, weeded around them, watched them grow from tiny seedlings into beautiful blooming plants, cutting them can feel almost wrong. You finally get the garden looking exactly the way you imagined it would, and then someone comes along and tells you to cut half the flowers off.

But here’s the funny thing about cut flowers: they were bred for exactly that purpose. Unlike many landscape flowers, the more you harvest them, the more they produce. A zinnia left uncut will eventually slow down and focus on making seed. A zinnia that’s harvested regularly keeps pumping out bloom after bloom all season long.

In a way, it reminds me of Van’s garage. Those antique cars aren’t meant to sit untouched under a cover forever. The joy comes from working on them, driving them, and bringing them back to life. Flowers are much the same. They aren’t at their best standing untouched in the garden. Their purpose is fulfilled when they’re brought inside, shared with a friend, placed on a kitchen table, or brightening someone’s day.

So if you’re one of the gardeners struggling to make that first cut, consider this your permission slip. Grab the scissors and do it. Your plants will reward you with even more flowers, and you’ll get to enjoy them where you spend most of your time.

After all, that’s what they were grown for.