Let’s face it, dogs are not easy on some of the plants in the garden. It may be easier to have just lawn, but truthfully, most of us would prefer some variety and beauty in our yards beyond grass.
Recently, I planted some hydrangeas in the north facing front flowerbed next to the house to add some color to it. The area was bare and needed some beautification beyond the red lava rock that the last owner had filled the bed with. No flowering plants, no green of any kind, just plain red rock which is far from an ideal mulch in my mind, but it’s there until I deal with the removal later. Until then, I thought these hydrangeas would be perfect for the bed, bringing both green and some bright pink blooms to an otherwise drab area.
This particular hydrangea, Red Sensation, is a somewhat compact variety that will mature to 3’ x 5’ if left to grow as it will. Where it is placed under some windows on the house, it will likely be trimmed in future years to keep it from blocking the view. The plants have been in the ground for a few weeks now and are establishing themselves quite well. I have been pleased with the pops of color the new plants have given the shady front area and think they are going to be a wonderful asset to the garden for many years to come.
With this being a new-to-us home, there are some things about the yard that are less than ideal for the dogs. Right now, the biggest issue is the lack of a fence to fully enclose the yard. We are working on remedying that quickly, but until it is fully in place, the dogs are going out on leashes for exercise and to do their business. It’s been fine, but today, one of my new hydrangeas fell victim to Tillie, our over-zealous, bird and squirrel finding Brittany girl. In her quest to sniff out the best smells this morning, she ran through the bed on her long lead and broke off two of the young plant’s branches.
My dismay was soon replaced with hope of new plants for the garden. Those broken branches were large enough to turn into cuttings which can be rooted easily and later transplanted into other partly shady areas of the yard. I love tying gardens together with multiple plantings of the same plants, it gives the garden continuity and cohesiveness from one area to another. A few minutes of work, using things I already have on hand is a great way to increase the number of plants without spending a fortune.
After I finished walking Tillie (let’s be realistic here, being tugged around the yard by Tillie), I gathered the broken off branches, some pots, rooting compound, and potting soil.
It’s really a straightforward and easy process to root new plants, it just takes a little work and patience for the new roots to develop. First, I trimmed the cuttings so they were shorter, about 6 inches long. Then, I stripped off the lower leaves and carefully scraped the outer part of the stem in a few places.
Next, I dipped the end of the cutting in some water and then dipped it into the rooting hormone powder.
Carefully I knocked off the excess powder, then they were ready to pot. Using the potting mix I had on hand, I filled some pots and dampened the soil.
Using my finger, I made a hole deep enough for the cutting to go into, leaving enough room around the cutting so I didn’t scrape off any more rooting powder. Gently, I put the cutting into the soil and tamped the dirt around the stem.
Last, I gave the new pottings a careful watering, just enough to fully dampen the soil. All that was left was setting them in a shady spot to wait for roots to grow.
I will keep them damp, and in about 4-6 weeks, roots should make their appearance. After that, they’ll be encouraged to keep growing in the pots until they are big enough to transplant into the flowerbeds.
Next time your pup makes a mess of your plants, evaluate the damage to see what you can salvage. If you are fortunate enough for the plant to be one you can propagate through cuttings, I say go for it. When you’re handed broken stems, make plants with them!
