Anyone can call themselves a gardener. It doesn't take much skill to purchase a few plants or potted annuals and decorate your garden beds. In fact, if I was clever enough, I think I could train my dog to accomplish this (as soon as I get a dog, that is).

But, the litmus test of a true gardener is whether you can propagate your own plants or not. Taking cuttings, germinating seeds and grafting some of your favourite trees is all part of plant propagation. It's the art - ok, science - of reproducing your garden.

So where does a gardener, or at least someone who desires to be a gardener, start with plant propagation? And, how do you achieve success by propagating the plants you love and enjoy?

To understand plant propagation one has to at least acknowledge the basic needs of a plant. They need light, water, air and minerals. Too much, and they will die. Too little, and they will die. Too much of one need to the detriment of the others, and your plant will deform. That's it. Basic Plant Needs 101 has concluded.

So, now that you understand a plant's needs, you now need to learn the basic structure of a plant.

The two main components of a plant (and this is very basic stuff) are the stem and the roots. The stem holds the leaves, stems, buds, fruits and flowers which captures the air and the light requirements. The roots hold the plant in its growing medium and sources the water and minerals.

When it comes to plant propagation then and being successful at it we only have to ensure that the needs of the plant are maintained and the structure is encouraged.

Understanding all of this, it's now time to learn a few propagation techniques.

Propagating by division is by far the easiest form of plant propagation for the home gardener. It allows you to divide many of your tuberous, bulbous or rhizomous plants such as daylilys, irises, gladioli and agapanthus simply by dividing the clump. You don't even have to be really gentle about the operation. More details...

Collecting garden seed is the next on the list of least difficult plant propagation techniques. Many annuals, natives and perennials produce their own seed which can be harvested and later grown to reproduce the parent plant. More details...

Propagation by plant cuttings is my preferred method of choice although it can't be used on all plants. I enjoy taking a cutting, potting it up and then watching it grow over the next few months. There is a sense of satisfaction that only comes from this type of plant propagation and until you've achieved it, you won't understand - so give it a go. More details...

Using leaves to propagate plants isn't as silly as it sounds. In fact, if you're trying to propagate begonias and african violets it's probably the most successful method you could possibly use. This technique will grow small plants straight from the veins of your leaf and it likes quite weird. More details...

Soil layering is a great technique that you can employ on a plant which happens on site. Rather than taking a cutting and growing it through some plant medium, a branch is scored and then repositioned in its own soil. A short time later it produces its own root structure and you have a whole new plant. More details...

Air layering is similar except that you don't need the branch to connect with the soil - a great advantage if the stem you're using is far away from the soil. A compress of nutrients and growing medium is wrapped around the scarred tissue and held in place until this too produces its own plant. More details...

Finally, grafting is another plant propagation technique. It can be quite complex so I won't discuss it much in this post only to state that slow growing shrubs and plants can easily be grafted to produce much faster results. Grafting is also used to combine the best characteristics from two or more plants so that the chance of plant survival or aesthetic value is easily realised.

The world of plant propagation is incredible and if you haven't tried it yet then maybe it's time to take your gardening hobby to the next level. Have a go. Learn from your mistakes and celebrate your successes.

You can call yourself a 'real' gardener now.