Garden Tip #88

Make new plants by taking softwood cuttings. Cuttings Through the Year, a booklet published by the Arboretum Foundation(available for sale at the Washington Park Arboretum gift shop) suggests which plants to propagate month by month and how to do it. A few September plants include:
Rock Rose, Salal, Lavender, Holly, Penstemon, evergreen azaleas, Sweet box, Salvia, California Lilac and many others.

For a tutorial on taking softwood cuttings go online to a Fine Gardening article complete with clear color photos: www.finegardening.com/propagate-your-shrubs-softwood-cuttings

Garden Tip #154

The secrets to growing your own fragrant lavender field are sun and good drainage. Read Lavender: The Grower’s Guide by Virginia McNaughton (Timber Press, $29.95) to learn how to care for this tough, but particular Mediterranean herb. Pruning most types of lavender is essential for maintaining an attractive, long-lived plant, but don’t cut into old wood or your plant may not re-sprout.

For a complete lavender sensory experience visit the annual Lavender Festival in Sequim, WA.