Steel edging

When I did design/build in Denver most of the plants purchased were from Alameda Wholesale Nursery, because their range of plants went from 1 gallon to 8" caliper, but the one thing that I definitely purchased was their steel edging. Yes it eventually rusted, unpainted, and in time they came out with a rubber cover because the steel would cut a child if they fell on it. It came in ten foot sections and had pins, like hangers bent in half, to keep the edging in place. The one good thing about using steel versus the plastic crap garden centers sell, is that you could pound the edging into the turf with a sledge and it would automatically cut the sod so if there were areas where sod had to be removed for a bed, the sod was already cut. Since I used free flowing lines, a bane of the sprinkler guys, it was a snap to lay out the bed with the edging instead of guesstimating with the junk plastic edging. Grass never grew on the other side of the edging and plants didn’t grow into the grass, since it was 4" deep and 14 gauge scrap galvanized rolled top steel. One had to wear gloves carrying it and it was floppy. If only someone would produce edging like that everywhere gardeners wouldn’t be so frustrated keeping their beds in place and the expense of buying painted edging that eventually rusts away is costly.

Polemonium-Jacob’s Ladder

Propagating Polemonium or Jacobs’ Ladder can be accomplished either in the spring or fall by digging up the clumpy parent plant and dividing into how many transplants that have good root systems. In warmer zones Jacob’s Ladder is evergreen and its foliage, fern like and mostly variegated, often dress up a shade garden, leaves burn in sun, besides their bluish tinted flowers that produce blooms in May through July while deadheading will extend the blooms or it is a prolific self-seeder if you allow the flowers to go to seed, since they are fragrant and attract butterflies. Also deer resistant, the plant reaches a height of 15"-30," and prefers a moist soil.

Bidens ferurifolia-Bidens

Propagating Bidens should be done in the fall since it is only grown in Zones 8-10, by dividing the root ball or layering then transplanting when the roots are mature. This plant has yellow to orange blooms in mid summer to early fall, can reach a height of 6" and because it is fragrant honeybees and butterflies are found nearby. It is also a prolific self seeder and prefers a moist well draining soil, full sun, is evergreen, its leaves are dark green and fern-like, needs to be pruned back hard periodically and would be great in hanging baskets and is deciduous.

Hibbertia procumbens-Spreading Guinea Flower

Propagating Hibbertia should be accomplished in the fall by dividing the parent plant into as many pieces that contain a good root system. It has yellow/gold flowers that can appear in the spring and flower through to fall. It is evergreen, in Australia it is considered a shrub, and grown only in Zones 7-8 , is deer resistant, drought tolerant and a plant that should be seeded annually considering its blooming period. It reaches a height of 4".

Pratia “Celestial Spice”-Celestial Spice Pratia

Propagating Pratia is best done in the spring or fall by digging up the rooted branches that spread out from the parent plant. Be careful this is a tiny plant. This is also one plant that will not take to drought and blooms from late spring throughout the summer so plant in semi shade not in the afternoon sun since it prefers a moist well draining soil. This is a plant that might be started in the spring from seed because it is only hardy in Zones 7-9, it has deep blue flowers, there is also a white variety, it reaches a height of 1"-2" and takes light foot traffic, useful amongst pavers and it is even used for a small lawn planting or for patio containers. It is evergreen in its perspective zones. Prune in the spring.

Acinos alpinus-Alpine Rock-thyme

Related to Thyme but not as woody these plants can be divided in the spring by digging up the clump and splitting it into how many rooted plants you believe will transplant well. This thyme will bloom all summer long, is drought resistant, and is loved by honeybees and butterflies for its nectar. It is hardy down to Zone 4, but is only evergreen in warmer climates and will thrive in a sand /gravel soil structure. Its blooms vary from violet, purple, pink, grows to a height of 4"-6" and will presume is deer resistant.

Stachys byzantina-Lamb’s-ear

Unless you have sloppy unfertile soil I have no clue why anyone would want to propagate Lamb’s-ear, but if you do dividing the clump is simple either in the spring or fall. In NC it is a weed and I have killed most of it off when it invades my lawn, thanks to neighbor’s weed patched surroundings. It does have a magenta/pink flower in June which will reach upwards of 18", will take light foot traffic and its leaves are a felty silver grey. On my lot, recently cleared, loads of wildflowers have taken over and I spotted a tiny plant this past weekend with a beautiful half blue tip/half white throat, 3" in height, that I transplanted for safe keeping. It reminded me of Chinodoxia, which it could be since squirrels dug up some bulbs after planting, but normally they bloom with crocus, which had gone by. Recent burned/cleared properties yield tons of plants with unusual flowers that a person would not normally see along with poison oak so if one gets a chance explore do it, because the odds are they will not be found in a nursery. Lamb’s-ear is drought tolerant and deer resistant. Check out the native plant list for your state and usually they have photos.

Armoracia rusticana-Horseradish

Propagating Armoracia or Horseradish is done differently than most of your herbs, root cuttings, whereby you dig up the plant and slice off pieces of the root then replant. From my experience, in Upstate NY, Oswego County, I owned land that was a catch basin of sorts for water that had a muck soil, great for gardening, and no matter if we had a drought or not, the grass and Horseradish always flourished. Since I didn’t cultivate the plant, I’ll presume seeds from the plant propagated themself although I’ve read that the plant itself is sterile. Supposedly it is an evergreen from Zones 5-9, but where I lived it was most definitely Zone 3 and it remained evergreen. “Don’t always believe what you read” when you know differently. It has a fragrant white flower and reaches upwards of 2' in height and I doubt deer would browse and can become invasive if left to its own devices. A good plant to have if you enjoy hot sauces, because they prefer a moist composted well draining soil.

Trifolium repens “Dragon’s Blood”-Variegated Clover

Propagating Variegated Clover should be done in the spring or fall by dividing/ separating the crown. Bees will love the clover for its blooms and many butterfly and moth caterpillars use clover as food but don’t plant this species where it will overtake another. It is an evergreen in warmer climates and grows to a height of 4"-5". Variegated leaves of green, white and red and will do well in clay poor soils. Since clover is a legume it does affix nitrogen to the soil but do not plant around camellias or gooseberries.

Uncinia uncinata-Red Hook Sedge

Propagating this grass like perennial is done in the spring by digging up the parent plant and dividing it into how ever many plants that show a good root system, but it will also self seed depending on the soil, however transplants are slow to respond. It is an evergreen and only hardy in Zones 8-9, it’s a native of NZ. Its flowers are insignificant but the reddish to brown leaves stand out in full sun and throughout the winter, with slight cutting the tips back in the spring. For those living in the Bay area, the San Francisco Botanical Garden will have a plant sale on May 2, and Uncinia is included because is not normally found at retail nurseries. It prefers a slightly acid soil and bog like conditions, reaches a height of 12"-18", is deer resistant and when sold it is generally mis-labeled as Uncinia rubra.

Phlox subulata-Creeping Phlox-Update

Last summer I dug around my existing Phlox bed, 2009 photo, and ripped off a container’s worth of cuttings and planted a half a dozen sprigs into 1 gallon pots, with no roots to speak of, into a sand/manure mix with bonemeal, because I plan on moving and want some early spring color at my new residence. The accompanying photo shows what I got this spring. Three things to remember when dividing plants to transplant, good soil mixture, bonemeal to stimulate root growth, and water. I prefer transplanting into pots versus soil because I pay closer attention to the containers, watering, then to my overall garden beds. Most people have used pots lying around, but when I ran out I went to E-Bay and bought them from “plasticflowerpots” who sells new 1 gallons in lots of 25, inexpensively. I would never buy used pots, because I have no clue how they were used and some think they are valuable or that consumers are clueless. I recently visited Wal-Mart, who marked down their 1 gallon Azaleas to $2.00 so I bought a few and transplanted them into 3 gallon pots and plan on pinching off the flower buds to push the leaf growth, because they sell at HD, 3 gallon, for just under $20. In NC’s climate I can have a full 3 gallon in a year. Those are the tricks of the trade and don’t allow anyone to tell you differently and why everyone should only purchase 1 gallons and transplant into a larger containers, say a 3 gallon, then in the fall if the plant is a perennial divide the 3 gallon into 1 gallons. In one growing season you can double or triple your plants, then the following spring transplant into your garden bed. It’s called stretching your dollar. Don’t forget to add the bonemeal, because too much super phosphate has a tendency to burn.

Muehlenbeckia axillaris-Creeping Wire Vine

Propagating Muehlenbeckia or Creeping Wire Vine can be difficult because of its smallish leaves however since it creeps along the ground and is invasive, pruning off rooted stems and transplanting in the fall but do not plant amongst other perennials because it will smother everything in its path. Generally it is used to retain slopes and not for show because its flowers are insignificant and because it mounds, like hammocks, it wouldn’t be good to plant in between flagstone, tripping, although it will take foot traffic and should be mown to encourage thicker growth in the spring. It is only hardy and evergreen in warmer zones, but read some varieties will take frost. It reaches a height of 2"-4" and is deer resistant. It can also be used as a screen because it will climb up wire fencing but do not plant around wood structures, because it will raise havoc like ivy.

Blechnum spicant-Deer Fern

Propagating Blechnum or Deer Fern is done one of two different ways, either by transplanting the rooted rhizomes in the spring or dividing the parent clump and breaking off well rooted transplants either in the spring or fall. Deer Fern will reach a height of 18"-24", is evergreen, a native of the Pacific NW, deer resistant, prefers a moist acidic well draining soil, and will thrive in shade or partial sun as long as the soil remains moist.