Go ahead and cut those gorgeous garden flowers. Snipping a few blooms here and there is actually good for flowering plants and will allow you to savor the fruits of your labor both indoors and out.

1. Cut them in the morning. That’s when stems are most firm and full of water, so blooms won’t wilt right away.
2. Snip them right. Use clean, sharp garden scissors or clippers when cutting flowers. Ordinary household scissors will crush stems and prevent proper water intake.
3. Fill a vase with lukewarm water. Aside from bulb flowers like tulips, which like cold water, blossoms are best hydrated with warm water, which moves up the stems more quickly.