Do old ladies smell of lavender?

I admit that's a pretty unusual - and possibly mildly offensive - title to today's blogpost!

I just wanted to share with you a little trick I learned this week - how to propagate lavender from the plant with great success.

As regular readers will know, I try to live as simply as possible.

Friends and family giggle at how easy I do some things compared to other people, but that's because there is no need for unnecessary stress.  

For example,when we went to choose our motability car I had a list of things we needed from it:

• four wheels
• able to drive from A to B
• Man Wonderful wanted an SUV (I had no idea what that meant).

A friend of Man Wonderful's who came with us to look at cars had gathered a brochure from each of the brands - Volvo, Seat, Ford, Renault, etc, etc.

We walked into the first showroom and Man Wonderful said to me, "That's an SUV, there", as he pointed at one of the demonstrator vehicles

We went over and I sat in it.  It was comfy.  It had four wheels and as it was new with a guarantee so I assumed it would go from A to B.

The salesman came over and I said "We'd like this one, please."

He replied, "One like this?"

 I said, "No, we'd like this actual one."

Our friend threw the brochures in the bin.

A week later we had the showroom car at home, and it's been great!

Easy peasy.

Now then, back to the Lavender!

At the start of the summer, in the tiny front garden (to call it a garden is an insult to gardens, as it is 2m x 2m) under our front window, I planted 12 Lavender plants grown from cuttings.  I now want to extend this bush by another 12 plants between us and next-door neighbour.  But I don't want to spend unnecessary money so I've taken cuttings.

If you want to do the same, this is the right time of year to do it!

And it really is easy.

Take a cutting from a sprig of lavender that has not flowered this year, and cut down near to where it joins the main stalk.

Strip off a few of the lower leaves, leaving you with a stalk and then leaves at the top.

Dip your stalk into honey (yes, really) then into some potting soil.

Place on a windowsill and keep it moist but not damp.

Within four weeks it will grow roots.

Simple.

Now then.

Do old ladies smell of lavender?  Answers on a postcard please...

Tracey xx