The cutting crew

Use what you have now to get your patch ready for next year

- With DIARMUID GAVIN

Much of the summer colour in our gardens is produced by tender perennials such as fuchsia, verbena, coleus, Marguerite daisies, gazania, heliotrope and salvias.

While they are enjoying this hot August, they won't survive our cold winters and need to be brought indoors. It's not always practical to dig up plants and they can become woody over winter under glass, so it's a good idea to have a fresh batch for planting out next spring.

They are quite easily propagated from cuttings and now is good time to do so.