Dave and I have more in common than just being Tennessee garden bloggers. He is a big cutting fan, and so am I. I have this awful thing about not throwing away anything. Plants need trimming during the growing season to stay bushy and compact; which leaves me with many trimmings-perfectly viable and live plant material. I decided to save the trimmings, stick them in some 'Rootone' hormone and plop them into seedling trays or window boxes. About two months later I have a plant ready to be planted out in the garden. Now that is the problem. Where shall I put all these plants??These are certainly seedling trays, but there are cuttings in these trays. My poor deck looks like a nursery! I really hate it that I tend to get it so cluttered during the growing season, but the deck is the most convenient spot for both me and the cuttings. The deck is ideal for me because it is handily accessible to a water source from the kitchen, and the plants like the deck because it is in partial sun to mostly shade. Cuttings don't do well in full sun for me.
Some are destined to be given away, but most will go in my garden. I want the full, very full effect so all of the plants are used.
Good plants to propagate from cuttings are: mums, veronica, cleyera, sedums, helenium, Russian sage, salvias, and others. Some of the others I have tried include things like helianthus. I don't like doing helianthus though because you can easily divide these perennials in order to make more. I do cut them back but leave the cuttings where they fall.
I simply cannot take a picture without my dogs in it. I understand the dogs think I might get lost without their constant company, but urrrrr-it doesn't make it easier to swallow when they ruin a picture. This little gal in the first picture is CeCe . Her name is comprised of my twin daughters initials doubled for the twin aspect. BJ's name is comprised of my sons first names initials.
The last picture is of more clutter on my deck rail. Sigh. More plants of course. These are callas and one pot of my tuberoses Nina gave to me. They are all growing nicely. The window pictured is my kitchen window so I get a good view of the flowers and hummingbirds which like to visit these flowers.
in the garden....
