A bittersweet aspect of receiving a gorgeous flower gift  you love is the inevitable fact that plants in containers have a much shorter lifespan than those in the ground. However, there are actually a number of flowers and herbs of which you can regenerate an entirely new plant  from the leftovers of the original arrangement! The portions taken from the parent plants and re-rooted are called cuttings. Some can potentially grow healthy enough roots that if in the right container and sunlight, will continue to grow indefinitely. This gives you the opportunity to keep some of your favorite Echelon flowers and continue the memories that came with them!

Which plants regenerate from cuttings?

Many plants have this potential when the process is done correctly, especially perennials, such as roses, honey suckles, azaleas, hydrangeas, lilac, juniper, yew, and many more. The season and weather conditions must be considered as they effect how well the flowers will fare given their normal growth patterns.

Read instructions on how to grow flowers and other plants from cuttings here:

http://www.savvygardener.com/Features/flowers_from_cuttings.html

http://www.melindamyers.com/Radio-Propagation/propagation/expand-your-garden-with-plant-cuttings.html

In addition to decorative flowers and herbs, there are also plants that you can regrow from what you can find in your kitchen, such as lemongrass, avocado, fennel, leeks, pineapple, celery, lettuce, ginger, and many others. Here’s a useful list of kitchen scraps that will regrow:

http://blackthumbgardener.com/1-plants-you-grow-from-kitchen-scraps/

 

How does it work?

In the case of herbs, many reproduce asexually  by producing offshoot bulbs that begin to grow independently.  When  a plant is cut, like any other living organisms, its cells immediately start working to heal the wound, and for a severed stem, start a new set of roots. The roots are most likely to grow from a stem wound in direct contact to moist soil. Read more about how to go about it here:

http://www.motherearthliving.com/gardening/growing-herbs-from-stem-cuttings.aspx#axzz2b7XJpzoS

So if you don’t want to tell your lovely vase of flowers, pot of herbs, or even plate of vegetables goodbye, try some of the included methods out, and you could have a healthy garden of your own!