"A person cannot love a plant after he has pruned it, then he has either done a poor job or is devoid of emotion"

The process of pruning a plant is both a physical and emotional act, one that involves care, judgment, and a vision for future growth. Pruning is not simply cutting branches or shaping leaves; it is an engagement with the life of the plant. When a person prunes, they intervene in its natural development, making choices about which parts to remove and which to encourage. This act requires empathy and understanding, not just knowledge of horticulture, but an appreciation for the living organism in their care.

A genuine gardener approaches pruning with a kind of affection, a desire to help the plant thrive. This doesn’t mean avoiding difficult decisions. Sometimes pruning is severe; branches or flowers, even lush growth, may need to be sacrificed for the health of the whole. Yet, the caretaker’s connection to the plant should ultimately be strengthened through this act, not diminished. Witnessing a plant’s resilience, its capacity to regenerate and blossom anew after pruning, often inspires feelings of awe and tenderness.

When someone fails to feel love or renewed appreciation for the plant after pruning, it suggests a lack of thoughtful engagement. If the job was done poorly, if the plant is left mutilated or the cuts were made without regard to its welfare, regret or indifference may follow. More troubling is when a person finishes a careful, necessary pruning and still feels nothing; this hints at emotional numbness or detachment. Such absence of feeling disregards the subtle relationship between caregiver and cared-for, between human and nature.

Pruning serves as a metaphor for all acts of stewardship. True care shapes, disciplines, sometimes corrects, but always seeks the good of the other. Imagine a world where all interventions in nature, or even in human relationships, were performed with the same loving intent that a true gardener brings to a plant. To fail to love what one has nurtured is to miss the deeper meaning of the act itself.