Plants for free: a beginner's guide to propagation Garden centres are full to bursting, but there is another way to replenish your patch – just walk out of the door and take some cuttings 3 May 2021 • 5:00am Rooting a shoot in water is a good place to start for beginners Credit: Flora Press/Sibylle Pietrek Have you tried to buy a plant lately? If so, you’ll know the normally serene world of garden centres is engulfed in a maelstrom at the moment. Lockdown-fuelled demand for all things garden-related has sent sales spiralling – but there just aren’t enough plants to go around (Covid, again, plus a smattering of Brexit). You’ll be lucky to pay below £10 for an unremarkable perennial, if you can find any on the shelves.