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Lynell
Gardening
GeneralKeep plants moist and in shade until you put them into pots or the garden.
Most plants are quite hardy, especially once they are established.
Plants that will grow well where you live are the ones you see in many of your neighbours' gardens. You can, of course, try many other plants which may do as well.
Making cuttings
Many plants can easily be propagated by cuttings.
To make geranium and pelargonium cuttings, take a piece of stem with a "knobbly bit" and make a clean cut underneath it so the cutting is about 10 - 15 cm long. Leave two or three leaves on the cutting and pinch or cut off the others. Put the cutting in damp soil, either in a pot or in the garden and keep it watered. If the weather is very hot, provide shade with a light-coloured umbrella, cloth, or paper, allowing air to circulate around the cutting. These cuttings should do well in a shady spot to start with, but should thrive with little attention in full sun when established.
There are many good videos on the internet showing how to make geranium/pelargonium cuttings.
Bulbs, corms, etc, etc
These usually respond well to a little initial care and then look after themselves, with the underground part multiplying so you can break it up and get more plants.
Soak the plants while you dig a hole in the garden or prepare a suitable pot. (Put a stone or some weed mat in the bottom of the pot, fill it almost to the brim with soil or potting mix, make a hole big enough to fit the plant.) These plants may multiply quickly so a bigger pot is better than a smaller one.
Pour water into the hole and let it soak away. Then position the plant where you want it in the hole, being careful of small roots. Tuck the soil around the plant firmly, usually up to where the stem comes away from the bulb/corm/rhizome. Water again, and provide shade (as above) in very hot weather.
