More plants...BY MAGIC!

Learn the skill of propagating and you'll never need to buy a plant again

-  GRAHAM RICE, GERALDINE SWEENEY, CHRIS MORLEY

Whether you want more plants to fill your house and garden or to give to friends and family, propagation is the way to go. All it requires is a little patience and some basic equipment – plant pots, clean compost and secateurs.

Smart cuts

The easiest technique is to take a cutting (a piece of stem) from a shrub or perennial and poke it in compost. It will then develop roots and go on to make a plant that is an exact replica or clone of the 'parent' it was taken from.

Softwood cuttings are taken from tender new growth in late spring and summer. Easy plants to propagate this way are perennials like penstemon, pelargonium and verbena, and deciduous shrubs such as fuchsia, hydrangea and salvia (perovskia).