For me, it was a spontaneous moment of breathtaking awe. As I spent Saturday afternoon systemically pruning my way around our back yard, I began to tidy around some of our pots. I was disentangling some alyssum from amongst our kalanchoe, which both shared a container with the liriope, when I discovered these beautiful flowers.

I had forgotten that liriopes even flower.

Purchasing them predominantly for their fountainous foliage, I had never even considered that there might be more to these plants than their strappy leaves. Honestly, I was a little surprised to find that it was producing flowers - and not just one spike but multiple emanating from what appeared to be the centre of the plant.

While this discovery was somewhat humbling, I did consider whether this knowledge would have affected my initial purchase decision. Alas, I reasoned that the foliage virtues were far more appealing to me than its blooming prowess.

In essence, liriopes are destined to be noted for their foliage over and above any other feature. And this isn't such a bad thing. Their common names; Lilyturf or Border Grass advance similar notions - and why not? We need foliage plants in our gardens as much, if not more, than flowering extroverts. They create the backdrop for our art-form like supporting actors help focus the attention on our movie prima donnas.

How to grow and care for liriopes

If you're looking for a border plant that won't be exposed to full-sun all day then liriopes might be a wonderful option. They actually prefer part-shade and can even tolerate full-shade locations provided they're situated in well-draining soil.

Liriopes aren't even fussy about fertilisers and can often reside in soil that is far from rich in nutrient base. But, if you want to get the most from these plants then rewarding them with a twice per year foliar spray might just encourage some better growth - and even a peek into their floral producing acumen.

Their watering needs are fairly minimal and they have few disease and pest problems.

Propagating Liriopes

The propagation of liriopes isn't overly onerous either. This plant, like many clumping foliage plants, is propagated by division. Simply lift the plants in late autumn or early spring and tease apart sections ensuring that each separation contains some rootstock. Then situate them back into their growing location or pot out in a well-draining potting mix.

Each plant can be propagated this way each year but you may want to give them a season or two before separating them out.

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Fortunately for me, my MIL has been growing a plant that I've wanted to grow in my tropical garden. Plumeria rubra is the common frangipani and has been on my "TO-GET" list for some time. However, I didn't just want to the very common white flowered variety but was more interested in the coral-shades. I had seen frangipanis growing my MIL's garden before but never observed it flowering to know whether it was the correct colour.

On a recent trip to visit the in-laws in Perth, I took a small cutting - certainly not big enough to notice that it had gone missing - and began drying it out. The wound excretes a fair amount of milky sap that can be quite painful if it comes in contact with the skin. This sap needs to stop flowing and the wound harden over before it can be planted out.

Once this process has occurred the stalk can be placed into some potting medium and kept moist and out of full-sun. While it's best to start the process while the frangipani is dormant - during the winter months - it can still be successfully propagated in its flowering season.

TIP: Don't take a cutting longer than 20cm in length and certainly don't pick one that is carrying flowers.

As we head towards winter, this cutting will lose its few leaves and be a bare stick but will regain its crowning glory again in spring. Hopefully, it might even flower but they don't usually within the first two years.

Here's some more info on growing frangipanis.

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If you've read my post on soil-layering then you're already a couple of steps ahead. Air-layering is a very similar procedure but rather than keeping the cut stem below the ground the process keeps it in the air.

It's a very successful technique which can be applied to most of the same plants that can be soil-layered. Read on for how to do it...

Continue reading "Propagating by air-layering" »

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Hardwood cutting propagation is similar to softwood cuttings except that the softwood technique uses the soft tips of the plants. Hardwood propagation utilises the harder growth of a plant and is usually undertaken towards the end of autumn or throughout winter.

Hardwood propagation allows you to grow many different plant species that won't work using the softwood propagating technique such as roses, grape vines, and other plants with a twiggy habit.

Continue reading "Propagating from hardwood cuttings" »

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I really enjoy this type of propagating because it is usually successful but always a minor miracle. Not because I haven't taken steps to ensure the cuttings success it's more a set-and-forget type process than other types of propagating and seems to procure these wonderful results regardless of my intervention.

This technique, like any other propagating technique, doesn't work for all plants but it will work for those that have leggy, pliable stems that grow leaves along them. Practise with some of your shrubs and analyse the results.

Continue reading "Propagating by soil-layering" »

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There are a few plants that can be propagated from leaf cuttings and the ones that are all have prominent veins. African violets and begonias are great examples of these.

This seems fairly insane that you could get new plants from just sticking a leaf in the ground but it is true and almost as simple.

Continue reading "Propagating from leaf cuttings" »

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Softwood cuttings are taken from the new green tips of perennial shrubs during their growing season in Spring. It's best to take your cuttings (usually about 10cm) first thing in the morning when they're holding the most water and keep them moist to avoid wilting. Remove almost all of the foliage bar a couple of leaves at the top of the cutting.

Dip the end of the cutting into some rooting hormone powder and then place into a good potting medium. I usually place about 5 cuttings per 200mm pot and then cover it with an a 2L soft drink bottle that's had its base removed. This produces a wonderful greenhouse effect and gives the cuttings a great start. Remember to label and date the cuttings and keep them in a shaded location.

Once the cuttings have taken root (usually 3-6 months) plant them out in to their own pots trying not to disturb their new root ball.

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Clumping plants often require division for their own general health and well-being but one advantage of this practise is that you end up with more plants. This is by far one of the easier and most succesful ways to propagate plants.

To learn how to do it, read on..

Continue reading "Propagating by division" »

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Seeds are a great way to propagate plants whether they're collected from your own plants or you're starting off some new ones in your garden. The beauty of seeds is seeing something that looks like it has absolutely no life actually spring to life.

I've just planted some seeds in my garden which I posted earlier that are now showing signs of growth. Little green stems are poking their way out of the soil and I'm optimistic that many will survive and grow well.

How do you propagate from seed?

Continue reading "Propagating from seed" »

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The cheapest way to get plants into your garden is to propagate them - making another plant from the one you already have (or a friend already has). This is also the defining arena for who is, and who isn't, a gardener.

See anyone can throw some plants in the ground and with limited understanding apply enough water, fertiliser and TLC to it that it can grow with some success. But to grow plants from something you already have instead of picking them up at a nursery - now there's an achievement.

Over the next week or so I thought it would be worth exploring some of the techniques gardeners can employ to propagate their own plants. There's a wealth of information out there but I like to build a reference that's quick and easy to get hold.

I found this helpful site (probably more helpful for Americans than us Aussies) but nonetheless helpful at understanding some propagation techniques for your plants.

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