How to Propagate 375 Plants

This is an illustrated directory of flowers, trees, shrubs, climbers, water plants, vegetables and herbs, with 650 photographs. It is an A-Z guide to 375 of the best plants for propagating, describing their size and shape, where they should be grown, and how and when to propagate them to get the most successful results. It covers all the standard propagation techniques: sowing seed; taking cuttings; dividing plants; growing suckers and offsets; different kinds of layering; how to create extra bulbs, tubers and corms; and grafting two plants together. It includes special feature boxes with information on what to plant where, different garden styles, choosing containers, creating borders, and how to deadhead and prune. It provides advice on dealing with pests and diseases, and a glossary of propagation terms, such as budding, hardening off, leaf cutting, mound layering, pinching out and potting up. Once you discover how plants reproduce themselves naturally, you can use the same techniques to make copies of your own plants at home. This book is a beautifully illustrated directory of 375 plants that are suitable for propagation. Each entry consists of a description of the plant, its height, spread and growing habit, the conditions in which it grows best, the best cultivars to choose, and how to propagate it. Beautifully illustrated with 650 plant portraits and step-by-step photographs and instructions explaining key propagation techniques, the book is an ideal resource for everyone who would like to create more plants for free.

Richard Rosenfeld began his career as a publisher, then became a freelance garden journalist. He was voted Garden Writer of the Year in 1993 and has written many gardening books, including A Garden for All Seasons; Propagating Your Plants (both Southwater); and Tricks With Trees (Pavilion) with Ivan Hicks. He has been a regular contributor to the Sunday Times Magazine, the Sunday Telegraph the Sunday Express and the Daily Mail, and has designed gardens in Italy, the USA and England.