Page 64 • The HERALD • 17th July 2025 v SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL SPECIALISTS v All Aspects of Garden Work Undertaken • Driveways • Paving • Artificial Grass • Turfing • Decking • Fencing • Hedge Cutting • Landscaping Hythe Garden Contractors Family company established 1977 For a free quotation please call 023 8084 3556 or 023 8084 0378 Smithwood Landscaping Professional Gardening & Landscaping • Seasonal Tidy Ups • Garden Redesign • Fencing • Trees & Shrubs Carefully Pruned • Astro Turf • Rockeries Designed • Ground Cover No Job Too Small as I am a Local Gardener Any advice over the phone is freely given Contact Gary (Master Landscaper) 07707 433194 • HEDGE CUTTING • FENCING • PATIOS • TURFING • GARDEN CLEARANCES & MORE For a FREE quotation please call 023 8122 4550 or 07548 355262 AUTUMN LEAF GARDEN WORKS DOWN THE GARDEN PATH For all your Landscaping needs Patios, Decking, Turfing, Artificial grass and so much more. 07979 107630 Rogersrenovations2023@gmail.com IN PRAISE OF APPLES Bartley Horticultural Society’s next meeting is on Thursday 17th July for a talk by Charlotte Popescu titled ‘In Praise of Apples’. On Saturday 2nd August they will be holding their 112th Annual Show. Meetings take place on the third Thursday of the month at Copythorne Parish Hall, Pollards Moor Road, Copythorne SO40 2NW at 7.30pm. New members and visitors are always welcome. Visitor’s fee applies. For more information you can write to them at: Mavis Cottage, Pollards Moor Road, Copythorne, SO40 2NZ, call: 07789 352505 or visit their website: www.bartleyhs.org.uk Multiply Your Garden With Summer Plant Cuttings Tips Advice from British Garden Centres What plants can I take cuttings from? Taking cuttings is a well known gardening technique that allows you to grow new plants from existing ones. It’s a wonderful way for the green- ngered to get handson with their garden, and with a little care, you’ll soon have a thriving selection of young plants ready to grow on. Always use clean, sharp tools to take your cuttings, and try to do this in the morning when the plants are full of moisture. Salvias are a brilliant plant to start taking cuttings from. Salvias are known and loved for their colourful, nectarrich owers that are a magnet for bees and butter ies, and they root readily from so wood cuttings at this time of year. Look for healthy, non- owering shoots and snip o a piece about 10cm long. Remove the lower leaves, dip the cut end in rooting powder if you have some, and pop it into a pot of moist, gritty compost. Keep the pot in a warm, bright spot out of direct sun, and you’ll soon see roots forming, creating a new young salvia plant for you. Penstemons are another excellent candidate for taking cuttings from. ese cottage garden favourites are renowned for their long owering period and come in a range of colours to suit any garden setting. Like salvias, they’re easy to propagate from so wood cuttings in early summer. Take a shoot just below a leaf joint, trim away the lower leaves, and place the cutting in compost. Keep the compost damp and cover the pot with a clear plastic bag to maintain humidity while the roots develop for your new plants. Fuchsias are popular for their pendant blooms and are a staple for summer containers and hanging baskets, coming in both upright and trailing plants. ey are very simple to propagate by choosing a healthy shoot, cutting just below a leaf, and planting in a mix of compost and perlite or sand. Place them somewhere warm and sheltered, and in a few weeks, you should see new growth - a sure sign that roots have formed. Pelargoniums and geraniums are another favourite for summer colour, which can also be grown from cuttings. ey thrive in pots and borders, and taking cuttings is a great way to keep your plants going from year to year. Unlike some other plants, pelargonium cuttings prefer a slightly drier environment, so pop the cuttings into compost, water sparingly, and place them in a bright spot indoors or in a greenhouse. Lavender is an English garden favourite, loved for its fragrance and bee-friendly blooms, and now is an ideal time to take cuttings. To propagate your lavender, choose a healthy, non- owering shoot and cut a piece about 7–10cm long, just below a leaf node. Strip the lower leaves and plant the cutting into a pot lled with gritty compost or a mix of compost and sand for good drainage. Water lightly, then cover and place the pot somewhere warm and bright, but out of direct sunlight. Once the cuttings have rooted, pot them on individually and gradually acclimatise them before planting outside. Rosemary is a herb that’s easy to propagate from cuttings in early summer. Rosemary cuttings root well in a mix of compost and sharp sand or perlite. Insert your cuttings around the edge of a small pot, water gently, and cover with a plastic bag or place in a propagator to maintain humidity. Once roots have formed, usually a er a few weeks, pot up the new plants and gradually introduce them to life outdoors. Clematis can be grown on from cuttings this summer for multiple blooms next year. Start by picking a healthy stem that’s not too bendy or too sti , and then snip o a section between leaf joints, removing some of the leaves. Dip the cut end into rooting powder, then plant it into a pot with damp compost, and cover with a plastic bag to keep the air moist. Keep it warm and bright but out of direct sunlight, and in a few weeks, you should have a brand new clematis plant! Hydrangeas are great for cuttings during June to midJuly. We recommend you cut in the morning when the stems are rm and well hydrated, and choose healthy, non- owering shoots about 10–15cm long, cutting just below a pair of leaves. Insert the cutting about halfway into a pot lled with moist seed and cutting compost. Water well and cover the pot with a clear plastic bag to create a mini greenhouse, ensuring the bag doesn’t touch the leaves, and place it somewhere warm and shaded. When your plants are about 20cm tall, they are ready to plant outside. Julian Palphramand, Head of Plants at British Garden Centres, said: “Starting with cuttings is a simple and rewarding way to grow your plants even if you’re new to gardening. With a little patience and care, you’ll soon see your plants take root and flourish.”
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