Real Gardeners...

In January, Country Mouse proclaimed "Real Gardeners Propagate" and delighted us all with a number of educational posts about propagation, including Tips from a Pro and More Tips from a Pro. I read those posts, and proceeded to buy about a hundred plants for my great front garden remodel from a plant broker. 1 gallon pots. Instant gratification. Kind of like a chocolate binge when someone tells you to watch what you eat.

But, truth be told, I also made some timid forays into propagation land, and my efforts have been rewarded. Last fall, I bought some bulbs from Telos rare bulbs and some seeds from the Theodore Payne Foundation. And while not all of the bulbs and seeds were a big success, and not all of the plants are regionally native, I'm happy and feel like a real gardener (who likes chocolate).

The bulb, pictured above, is Dichelostemma ida-maia (Firecracker plant). The photo does not do this beauty justice, it's actually a bright fire-engine red with a lime green edging. I love bright colors, and when I saw this plant last spring in another garden, I knew I wanted one. I planted a few bulbs in the front, a few in the back, and all seem to have germinated. (Like squirrels, I do sometimes forget where I planted something).


I was also lucky with Triteleia laxa (Ithurial's spear). What I love about this stunning true blue native bulb is the bright color and the long bloom time. I've had at least six weeks of Triteleia, slightly staggered and of different heights (the late bloomers did not get as tall). I also planted a white Brodelia which came up but did not produce blossoms. Maybe it wanted more water. Regardless, I'm conisidering the bulb experiment a success.

But bulbs probably don't really qualify as propagation, so I had to wonder whether a beginner like myself might be successful with propagation from cuttings and from seed. Being a bit timid, I started small.


A few pots with monkeyflower cuttings and some strands of Epilobium that I took out because it was overly enthusiastic. Then the seeds, covered with chicken wire as protection from birds.


It all looked reasonably promising, though when I read the propagation posts, I found I'd done a lot of it wrong. Thinning out? Well, it was too late for that. I was also never sure whether the babies of these sun-loving plants should be in sun or shade. I picked part shade, added some water every once in a while, and hoped for the best. Amazingly, the best did happen. A beautiful pot with Gilia tricolor, which is even locally native (though I've never seen one).


Gilia is also reaching up a baby Redbud in this pot.


I also tried seeds of Nemophilia maculata (Five spot), and was rewarded by pretty flowers about an inch across. I do love the pattern.


And even the monkey flower was an amazing 50% success. In spring, I planted some in the ground in the front garden and I planted a few in the large pots, to liven up the annuals. What amazed me was that the survivors insisted on blooming this spring. "Grow some more leaves," I said. "You'll be glad you did." But they all flowered. I hope they'll make it through the summer.


All told, the propagation experiment has been a great success, don't you think? And even better, I now feel like a real gardener. Now that calls for a celebration, maybe with some chocolate.