Garden Detective

Put your wallet away. You can multiply many plants simply and easily with stem cuttings. I did this recently with my Sedums and Catmints and had great success. Try it. It's not only economical -- it's fun.

Take cuttings early in the morning or in the evening, when the sun isn't at its strongest. Cloudy days work, too. To increase your success rate, propagate early in the growing season:

Click photo for a step-by-step slide show:

Click photo for a step-by-step demonstration

Here are some perennials that can be propagated successfully with stem cuttings:

Alyssum

Artemisia

Aster

Bee balm (Monarda)

Bellflower (Campanula)

Blanketflower (Gaillardia)

Catmint (Nepeta)

Chrysanthemums

Clematis

Coral bells (Heuchera)

Coreopsis

Dusty miller (Senecio)

Lavender

Montauk daisy

(Nipponanthemum)

Penstemon

Phlox

Sedum

Shasta daisy (Leucanthemum)

Yarrow (Achillea)