Seedlings and cuttings are thriving for Naomi Slade
Seedlings and cuttings are all thriving and growing strongly
Since I arrived at my new house, I’ve made a lot of discoveries about my tiny plot and one of the most exciting is that it turns out to be a really good garden for propagating.
In this department I’m rather unrestrained (the uncharitable might say obsessed) and I regularly lop bits off my plants to see if they’ll grow. But even by my own standards, there has been an astonishing amount of success in this garden: softwood, hardwood, semi-ripe and even plain old optimistic cuttings – they all grew.
This has left me pondering why. I’ve brought in some new plants, so it could be, in part, the material that I’m working with. Or it could be related to aspect – there’s always a cool, sheltered, shady spot but you can also gradually move things into the sun.
But drop a dahlia on its head or knock off a shoot; trim back the overgrowth or sigh as a mail-order plant arrives, upside down and mangled. Then pot up the promising bits, put them in a plastic bag or cloche and bosh! A fortnight or so later, they’re growing strongly. The same goes for chance seedlings coming up in the wrong place: they can be dug up, taken into protective custody and allowed to grow on.
I think, in many ways, it’s the size of the space. To be sure, there are all sorts of challenges and choices to make with small gardens, and each decision will affect the way you use and enjoy it – not least, because there are few places you can actually be. On the other hand, it does mean you have the time to check things regularly and act promptly when issues arise. You’re not overwhelmed, even when busy. Seedlings can be dealt with before they get too big. Cuttings get watered before they dry out too much, removed from the plastic bag before they rot and potted on in short order.
So, as long as you like what you already have, filling gaps becomes easy. As for the endless surplus, it’s a great opportunity to cultivate friends with gifts of salvias, roses, viburnum, dahlias and many a good thing!