Make Mine Old-Fashioned

The old adage of Prune When the Plant is Dormant is so hard to apply in our climate. I know you prune roses here in late December/early January, but there are blooms on a good many of the plants, and even new tender growth. At some point you just bite the bullet. When all the pruning was done a couple days ago, I rescued these confused flowers and brought them inside. Then began a new round of confusion: we can't have cut flowers in the house because our two dear and inquisitive cats will investigate any new thing very thoroughly. This means the plants will be tasted, the stems will be tested for playfulness, and the water will be spilled. Ah, but since the cruel humans do not allow the cats in the bedroom, there is a little space on the crowded bureau, near my mother's old hand mirror and a lovely glass pot that used to sit on a doily by her jewelry box.