Once clean, I'll be walking around the yard looking for things to mangle. I don't ask a plant if it has a patent or not. I just play with what I have in my own yard. Salvia caradonna has lovely deep purple stems that play well against the foliage. I've never tried this salvia before. We'll see what happens.
Salvia guaranitica 'Black and Blue' will also be stuck. I tried this earlier in the spring when I was pinching these plants, but the cuttings died. I think I need to increase the 'off' cycle on the air pump. Salvias tend to rot if exposed to too much water.
I would consider trying this blue Salvia farinacea "Blue Bedder". But it reseeds so easily, I don't think taking cuttings is worth the effort.
The long view. Standing at the top of the first set of stairs, this is the area known as the Perennial Bed. It's almost 2 years old at this point. I started adding plants in the summer of 2008. Right now, the majority of blooms are in the blue and pink families. Reds, yellows, and oranges will arrive in summer. There's a lot of foliage in there right now.
It's 64 degrees. The high today will reach almost 90. Starting Friday, there's a chance of rain in the forecast for the next 5 days. No chance today. The soil is already dry again. I'll be watering the potager this morning, as well as the seedlings I planted out yesterday.
10:10am - The cloner is clean and new cuttings have been stuck. I used 24 styrofoam cups to pot up the several rooted cuttings and the oakleaf hydrangeas. I hope they root. I have a pending trade with a gardener in Texas for some purple irises if I can succeed. The mother plant is slowly coming back from the roots, again.
I also stuck several types of sedums from the upright to the groundcovers. I want to turn the area around the yellow yucca into a succulent bed. It seems to be the one thing I'm missing in my garden. Hot and dry all summer, the area should be perfect for sedums. I've got a nice range of plants thanks to Jim and Jason as well as a couple of purchases last year.
It's 77 degrees and muggy.
6 comments:
Your Caradonna should root very well. Stem tip cuttings seems to work good. I've not noticed a huge problem with rot but I don't usually enclose my cuttings.
Your perennial bed is just beautiful. Good luck with the cuttings -- I've never tried it, my garden being so small, but I like the concept of "free plants". :)
I have been taking some cuttings of few things around here. One of my Blue Bedder Salvias stayed green all winter..it does reseed easily...your garden looks beautiful. Can't wait to see it in the summer.
Dave, thanks. In the cloner, I've found that semi hardwood roots best for most things. I took cuttings of weigela, salvias, and a crape myrtle. I think it might still be too early for the CM, but why not give it a shot.
Thanks Nancy. If I had to buy all the plants I want, I couldn't afford to eat. LOL.
Darla, my Blue Bedder stayed green too, except during that nasty week of below freezing temperatures. It sprang back pretty quick in March.
The last photo is a great example of 'Axis' in the garden. Walk right off the end of the front (?) walk across the driveway into the garden. Inspiring.
I have 'Snowball bush' to prune and root, I think next month is when MIL rooted shrubs.
That salivia does look like the one I planted in the fall. When it blooms, I should be able to tell.
Black and blue salvia is one of my favorites, too.
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