Propaging pleasure

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Do you grow from seeds, cuttings or split plants to augment your stock? If you do may I share my passion with you. I admired a little primula growing in a friends garden. Her husband is a doctor and he finds gardening is a great way to relax. He pulled off a non rooted cutting in full flower and said to pop it in our north facing rockery where it would grow beautifully. This was my first attempt at propagating. I thank him for sharing his knowledge. It does feel good to be successful.

I bought one bulb of Galanthus ‘Springstone Surprise’ I chose this one because on the day it was cheaper than another yellow snowdrop which I did buy later. I dk if it is situation but this one has done much better in propagating itself than the other. It was discovered at Spindlestone in Northumberland in 1997 by Ron McBeath and Jim Jermyn

I used to open my garden to fund raise for the local school and the pensioners club. The plants donated by local residents included a tray of seedlings of Bronze Fennel plants. I bought one and love it. It has lovely bronze plumes of new foliage in spring followed by large flat bright yellow multi flowered heads in the autumn. It self seeds gently. At six foot plus it is great for both the herb and perennial borders.

A Goy friend sent me an alpine dainthus. I liked it so much that I decided to grow some different ones from the SRGC Seed exchange list. I have been successful and will add those to ‘My Garden’ as I cannot show you them in flower yet. I will add websites where I know of them to let you see what they look like in flower The following are all on https://www.plant-world-seeds.com
Dianthus glacialis is fragrant, white-throated, pink flowers on very short stems, open on compact cushions of narrow green leaves. Growing at up to 10,000 feet in the Alps this rare and tiny plant is perfect for rockery, scree or pot in the alpine house.
Dianthus alpinus require full sun and sharp drainage and prefer neutral to alkaline soil. Flowers are a really strong, vibrant, cerise-pink, produced in quantity from dark buds in late spring / early summer. It has the typical, nice, glossy-green foliage and is a good grower.
D. arenarius
Above dense clumps of slender grassy green foliage arise thin stems of fragrant, one inch white flowers with deeply fringed, almost feathery, petals. Plants prefer a sandy well-drained soil in full sun but will tolerate afternoon shade and thrive for many years in a rock garden with virtually no care and little soil. It often self-seeds into tiny crevice in rocks.
D. deltoides common name pink maiden This is the wild form of this very easy and popular rockery or container plant carrying masses of deep pink flowers over clumps of green leaves. It positively thrives in a hot spot!
D. deltoides ‘Flashing Light’
A very easy and rewarding form of this popular rockery or container plant carrying masses of deep crimson flowers over clumps of dark green leaves. The hotter it gets the better it thrives!
The next one is on https://www.thompson-morgan.com
D. deltoides ‘Artic Fire’ A spectacular first year flowering perennial Dianthus that is quick to flower. Dwarf plants of deep green foliage, are smothered with dainty white serrated flowers complemented by an attractive fiery red eye. These delightful ‘Pinks’ are long flowering, and look stunning as ground cover in borders or added to rockeries. Height: 15-20cm (6-8in).
Culinary note: Use the clove like tasting petals for adding to cakes, either for flavour or decorating, suitable for soups, salads and sauces too. For more details about edible flowers
This one is on https://www.shootgardening.co.uk
D. ‘Supernova’ is compact, cushion-forming, evergreen perennial with linear, grey-green leaves and stiff, erect stems bearing fragrant, double, dark pink to reddish-pink flowers with paler, fringed petal margins and dark red centres.

I am looking forward to seeing these in flower.

• 18 Mar, 2020
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