Decorated Potted Plant Gift

Materials Needed:

• selection of shrubs (rose, red currant, azalea, blackcurrant and philadelphus)
• garden shears
• some broken pottery or pebbles

• organic, peat-free, multipurpose compost
• selection of pots (terracotta, wicker and coconut matting are all suitable)
• pot tags labeled with the name of the plant and with instructions to plant the cuttings after Christmas, then dig up the established seedlings the following winter and replant them separately

Step 1

Cut approximately 10 long stems from each selected plant, about 8 to 12 inches in length. Cut just above a bud on the parent plant.

Enlarge Photo+Shrink Photo-DK - A Greener Christmas © 2008 Dorling Kindersley Limited

Step 2

Arrange in separate piles and select the healthiest-looking stems. Remove the top 2 inches of softer growth at the tips of the stem.

Enlarge Photo+Shrink Photo-DK - A Greener Christmas © 2008 Dorling Kindersley Limited

Step 3

Cut each stem into 3 or 4 at an angle to enhance growth. Trim the base of the cutting just below a bud and the top just above a bud.

Enlarge Photo+Shrink Photo-DK - A Greener Christmas © 2008 Dorling Kindersley Limited