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Post by Jasmine on Oct 28, 2011 17:39:42 GMT
5/6"...ish - they're supposed to not have flower buds on them but I just nip the buds off if there are any. I take longer ones too sometimes - they make bigger plants as soon as they've rooted.
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Post by Missredhead on Oct 28, 2011 17:42:37 GMT
my side shoots are tiny, I did cut the bigger ones last time but they died on me...
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Post by Jasmine on Oct 28, 2011 17:48:11 GMT
Try some little ones then Missy - I take cuttings of all sorts of sizes. Come spring they'll get chopped back completely and I sometimes cut long stems into 3 or 4 pieces. I don't know if there's anything scientific about it but cuttings in water don't seem to take as quickly at this time of the year as they do in spring and summer  (That's not just penstemons either). |
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Post by Ladygardener on Oct 29, 2011 5:45:53 GMT
I've ordered 2 of each Ladywitch so I could let you know the names and share some if any of them take your fancy!  Me too LW   Thanks very much for your kind offers i221.photobucket.com/albums/dd161/GWDAdmin1/Smilies/Default/smiley.gif but at the moment I'll decline because I don't believe I can get them through the winter here. All the cuttings I've taken have all died off, well one is hanging on for dear life. I just can't seem to get it right with them. |
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Post by Auricula on Oct 29, 2011 9:07:49 GMT
Sorry, LW, I wasn't clear - I'll keep them through the winter and then if you want any in the spring, you can choose which ones and I'll send them to you  Same goes for anyone else who'd like any I'll let you know what is big and bushy and you can choose which ones I send .............................................always supposing they all ( over 150 of them) survive the winter in my insulated and slightly heated greenhouse ;D ;D |
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Post by Jasmine on Oct 29, 2011 10:30:20 GMT
You should do a Boot Sale BB! ;D
I'm going to get organised so I have enough stuff to do a plant stall at the school summer fair! ;D
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Post by Ladygardener on Oct 29, 2011 10:47:01 GMT
Belladonna that would be great thanks very much. We'll see what gets through the winter then decide. To be honest, I'd be happy with any of them, they're all lovely and I've only got a ocuple of varieties in the ground. I'm hoping they'll survive the winter. They're in a fairly sheltered spot and I'm going to put some home made leaf mould around them this winter I think. |
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Post by Missredhead on Oct 29, 2011 11:08:41 GMT
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Post by Ladygardener on Oct 29, 2011 11:35:16 GMT
Belladonna that would be great thanks very much. We'll see what gets through the winter then decide. To be honest, I'd be happy with any of them, they're all lovely and I've only got a ocuple of varieties in the ground. I'm hoping they'll survive the winter. They're in a fairly sheltered spot and I'm going to put some home made leaf mould around them this winter I think. I should have said Belladonna and Morticia that would be great and thanks very much.   I was busy pming and got mixed up. As I've said I would be happy with any of them.  |
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Post by Jasmine on Oct 29, 2011 11:45:25 GMT
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Post by Auricula on Oct 29, 2011 11:58:20 GMT
My pleasure LW That's a thought Morticia  |
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Post by Jasmine on Nov 24, 2011 7:40:28 GMT
How are your Hayloft babies Auricula?
Mine are out in the mini greenhouse and I am being very mean with the watering!
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Post by Auricula on Nov 24, 2011 10:13:21 GMT
They're all fine thanks Jas, growing like mad  They are in my unheated greenhouse and being kept quite dryish. I had to pot on some cuttings which I took in September cos they were bursting out of their pots ;D I now have nearly 200 cuttings in the greenhouse............I'll have to do a car boot sale or my garden will become exclusively penstemons ;D ;D |
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Post by Ladygardener on Nov 24, 2011 10:36:10 GMT
It's not even winter yet and all mine have died.   |
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Post by Jasmine on Nov 24, 2011 11:26:19 GMT
Don't give up LG - they may burst back into life come spring! There sounds like there may be plenty of spares too from the sounds of things! ;D
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Post by Auricula on Nov 24, 2011 11:29:01 GMT
Oh yes ;D ;D OH looked in the greenhouse yesterday and said " You'd better pack this lot in the car next April and go round the country foisting them on your GWD friends, before we are swamped by them" ;D ;D
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Post by Jasmine on Nov 24, 2011 15:36:55 GMT
They do exagerate don't they! ;D
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Post by Auricula on Nov 24, 2011 16:00:58 GMT
;D
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Post by Ladygardener on Nov 24, 2011 16:38:36 GMT
The ones I have in the ground are ok Jasmine, they've done great. It's just I'm no good with cuttings. I have high hopes for the ones in the ground.
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Post by Jasmine on Nov 24, 2011 16:40:44 GMT
Ohh, I misunderstood LG! The cutting of Sunburst Amethyst that fell in my bag at RHS Rosemoor curled up and died - that'll teach me  |
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Post by Ladygardener on Nov 24, 2011 16:44:01 GMT
That's a real shame Jasmine but it was worth a try. Perhaps it would be worth carrying round some plastic food bags in our handbags when visiting these lovely places. |
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Post by Jasmine on Nov 24, 2011 16:47:27 GMT
So that the cuttings fall in the plastic bag instead ;D I've heard that suggestion somewhere else - it helps prevent the cutting drying out. Funnily enough I did that with my hydrangea cutting that I got from Illfracombe and it is doing really well! |
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Post by Missredhead on Nov 24, 2011 21:30:01 GMT
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Post by Auricula on Nov 25, 2011 10:10:48 GMT
Don't forget...........I don't like lemon drizzle cake Missy ( but I do love fruit cake ) |
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Post by Missredhead on Nov 25, 2011 20:46:19 GMT
okidoki......I can do fruit cake...
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Post by Jasmine on Dec 4, 2011 7:51:19 GMT
Hayloft are doing an offer in the paper this w/e of '10 rare penstemons' for £9.95.
They include: Heavenly Blue, Freshwater Pearl, Ted's Purple, Ice Cream Vanilla, Louise Wilson, Marilyn, Pensham Skies and St James (none of which sound too rare) but they're also offering Ice Cream Pomegranate and Ice Cream Cherry which I've never heard of before. Ice Cream Pomegranate looks a bit like Hidcote Pink on steroids and Ice Cream Cherry looks a bit like brambleberrry.
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Post by Auricula on Dec 4, 2011 11:11:42 GMT
Ooh, I like the sound of Ice Cream Pomegranate.............but the first 8 are not rare at all......I have all of them ;D ;D
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Post by Jasmine on Dec 4, 2011 17:33:30 GMT
Freshwater Pearl, Ted's Purple and Pensham Skies aren't rare are in my garden - they are prolific! ;D
I quite like the look of the 2 new ones but I don't need anymore babies to overwinter I don't think! ;D
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Post by Auricula on Dec 4, 2011 18:43:17 GMT
I could be tempted |
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Post by Jasmine on Dec 4, 2011 18:50:30 GMT
Good - you can keep them warm and cosy in your greenhouse then there'll be cuttings next year! ;D
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(That's not just penstemons either).
Same goes for anyone else who'd like any 
They are in my unheated greenhouse and being kept quite dryish. I had to pot on some cuttings which I took in September cos they were bursting out of their pots ;D I now have nearly 200 cuttings in the greenhouse............I'll have to do a car boot sale or my garden will become exclusively penstemons ;D ;D
