Multiplying a Gift

Recently I received from my friend R’s garden, a gift of gorgeous deeply hued hydrangeas. They lasted, in one form or another, for nearly three weeks but there’s no need to let it stop there. In all my years of poring over garden books I’ve seen a lot of articles about starting new plants from stem cuttings; I’ve tried it from time to time with mixed results so I decided to try it with the hydrangeas. I had a pot and remembered an old package of rooting powder. Though the powder is very old, it’s been zip sealed so it has possibilities. I made holes in the soil with an old pencil, dipped the stem cutting ends in the rooting powder and stuck them in the soil pressing it down, then watered. I stripped most of them of their leaves—we’ll see whether it makes a difference. This is regular potting soil but I may have to change to something with sand in it. I think I have some. I may do two sets. It seems that I have nothing to lose but I surely would enjoy my own beautiful hydrangeas.