In the food blog I looked at the idea of handmade Christmas gifts, but what about some Christmas gifts from your garden?
If you started off cuttings now, it gives them a few weeks to get established. We have three huge hanging baskets near our back door filled with the most beautiful plant that flower in mauve flowers rather like a violet only larger and they flower all year round in the shade. They look brilliant. They all started from one little cutting from a friend that grew to be enough for one hanging basket. We then took cuttings from this and ended up with two more. Now we have friends who have asked us for a cutting to grow their own.
Some plants that will grow easily from cuttings are geranium, pelargonium and fuchsia. I have grown all these from cuttings. They are perhaps three of the easiest plants to grow from cuttings as they are all hardy plants. Fuchsias are so spectacular with their trumpet shaped flowers and amazing variety of colors. And added advantage is that they will happily grow in shade as not many plants will.
Azalea and rhododendron, buddleia, butterfly bush, camellia, crepe myrtle, gardenia, hydrangea, roses, wisteria and ivy will all grow from cuttings. Personally though I can’t understand anyone wanting to grow ivy, as once you’ve got it you can never get rid of it. So make sure the person your gift is intended for doesn’t think it’s a weed like I do. Buddleias we have successfully raised as number of from cuttings.
What we usually do is out the cutting in some root or hormone powder and then put it in a pot with potting soil. Keep it well watered but not over watered.
My theory is you’ll never know what will grow from cuttings till you try it. So experiment a little. What are you going to lose – only one stem of a plant?
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