Last week-end I hosted a plants sale in the front garden at Judi the Gardener’s HQ and lots of local residents came to visit us and buy our home-grown plants. Laying out my stall was such fun, it reminded me of being a little girl and playing shops.. which I’ve always loved doing. I felt like a kiddie in a sweetie shop with all my little babies around me, pruning and preening them in preparation for the sale.

I really appreciate the local support and intend to sell more plants in an autumn sale later this year. After a frantically busy spring with a gazillion seedlings to nurture now is the time for cuttings and preparations are underway. I have compiled a cuttings list and just about ready to prepare the greenhouse for a second batch of newbies.. This is the perfect time of year to be taking cuttings and I have been reading Carol Klein’s feature in Gardener’s World magazine this month (June 2012), where she writes about her mother who had a passion for propagating plants from cuttings. Carol is a wonderful inspiration and I have learnt a lot from her over the years. I am a big fan!

 

 

 

 

 

I took cuttings from Hebe ‘Black Beauty’ (my thanks to the Hebe Society for identifying the cultivar), Erysimum ‘Jenny Brook’ and Vinca major ‘Maculata’ last autumn and over-wintered them in the greenhouse. It was wonderful to be able sell home-made plants when just a few months earlier I wasn’t sure if they would take or not. With attention to detail and a watchful eye during the winter the cuttings grew into good healthy plants and the proof is in their purchase by local customers. I am now keeping an eye on the stock plants and ready with secateurs in hand to collect more cutting material to repeat the process.

My thanks also go to Benjamin Ranyard for his Centaurea cyanus ‘Black Ball’, Cerinthe major ‘Purpurascens’, Cleome spinosa ‘Pink Queen’ and Moluccella laevis seeds at Higgledy Garden.

Clients report on the how well their plants are coming on and I can see for myself how well they are doing because my home garden is full of them too. I shall publish some photos of the flowers over the next few weeks so do come back soon.

Happy gardening!