Multiple choice

For a quick way to get more from plants and save a packet, pick plants you can easily split into multiples, says Bob

- Bob Flowerdew

YEARS ago, with an old gardening friend looking at some gorgeous new and pricey zonal pelargoniums, I bought a really good one. Then I mocked my friend who had bought a straggly, ill-looking ‘reduced’ specimen. However, he had the last laugh later that summer with a grand display, as he had divided his into several cuttings, plus the original. Likewise, this taught me to look for pots containing multiple plants or crowns that could be easily divided. This is often the case with herbs and even expensive plants such as gardenias.