Research shows that the home-based 'amenity' gardening market alone is now valued at over 1bn, a 70% increase over the last four years.

No less than 240m has been spent in the retail sector on plants alone, and this does not include plants used in 'commercial' gardens or landscaping projects, such as those around office complexes, shopping centres or hotels.

240 million makes for an awful lot of plants, and quantity is what you need to make a good show in the garden.

Happily, the lazy month of August is the perfect time to propagate many plants from cuttings, as they are now hopping with hormones and will strike easily. A simple, satisfying job, it demands little energy or financial outlay, but pays rich dividends.

Hebes, penstemons, rosemary, lavender, box, yew, zonal and ivy-leaved pelargonium (also known as tender geranium) are all ideal candidates.

So, too, are salvia, including kitchen sage, artemisia, senecio, hyssop, rue, bay, heathers, hydrangea, fuchsia, lilac, clematis, and semitender perennials such as felicia and argyranthemum.

Stem cuttings are taken in three ways: woody ones are pulled off with a heel attached; softwood shoots are cut cleanly across just below a leaf-node or joint; and some, such as clematis are cut across half-way between two sets of nodes.

Choose pieces that are almost mature and were produced during the current year. Depending on the plant, these can be anything from three to about 10 inches long.

Remove all the lower leaves to ensure none will be left below soil level when they are planted, either in a sandy, free-draining drill in the open ground or in boxes and pots.

A John Innes No 1 compost is ideal, or you could use a 50/50 mixture (by volume) of sand and peat. The cuttings don't need nourishment at this stage, just the right conditions to put down roots.

A trick when taking tender geranium cuttings (ie, zonal and ivy-leaved pelargoniums) is to leave them overnight in a dry place in shade to allow them dry a bit and develop a thin skin over the cut surface. This helps prevent the stem rotting when it's potted-up.

Some people prefer to omit this latter procedure and, instead, dip the ends of their cuttings in hormone rooting powder, then pot them up straight away.

Keep the potted cuttings in a shady spot, out of drying winds and preferably covered by glass or clear plastic to create a sheltered, waterretentive environment . . .

although this is not strictly necessary and not at all so for pelargoniums.

Not every cutting takes root or 'strikes'. Think of the number you need, then put in double that number.

By next spring, most of the cuttings taken now should be rooted and ready for potting.

Some things take longer than others to root so, if in doubt, just leave them alone for a while longer.

The fourth way with propagating from plant matter is to take root cuttings. This sounds quite daunting, as it suggests you have to dig out a precious plant to get at its roots, but it's often not much bother.

Flamboyant and exotic Oriental poppies are a good case in point. They have fleshy roots which are not for dividing, but really do lend themselves willingly to this method of propagation. It is remarkably easy and the month of August is the optimum time to do it.

Depending on the variety of poppy, you can dig up a whole plant, or part of a big cluster, and choose roughly one-inch pieces of healthy root. Each of these should . . . and usually does . . . grow into a full plant ready to take its place out in the garden next spring.

Put each piece of root cutting into quite deep, individual pots of garden (horticultural) sand, water them, and wait. When several leaves appear, the root cutting is ready for transferring to a pot of not overly-fertile, loambased compost for growing on. Something like a John

GARDENING COURSES

>> Sunday Gardening Courses with Klaus Laitenberger, former head gardener at the Organic Centre at Rossinver, Co Leitrim, and, more recently, Lissadell House, Co Sligo, where he restored the fabulous twoacre vegetable garden completely organically.

The series kicks off on 3 September with a Beginner's Guide to Organic Gardening. "We will take you step-by-step through the wonders of organic growing, hoping to instill the excitement and thrill of growing your own food, " says Klaus.

17 September is 'Grow Your Own Vegetables and Fruit' day, with the course covering crop rotations, sowing plans and learning how to grow any vegetable and fruit that takes your fancy.

'Growing in Polytunnels and Greenhouses' (24 September) covers ground preparation, crop rotation, propagation, soil fertility management, pest and disease prevention and control.

'Your Self-Sufficient Garden' (15 October) will teach you how to set up, prepare and plant your own organic vegetable garden.

'Complete Beginner's Hands-on Gardening Course' (29 October) is a practical workshop on how to start your vegetable garden. The course will involve digging, sowing, planting, making beds and composting. It aims to give people a basic understanding of working with tools and gaining confidence in the garden.

All the courses will be held at Milkwood Farm, Tawley, Co Leitrim, which is where Klaus lives and farms with his partner, Joanna, and their three children. The courses run from 10.30am to 4.30pm, cost 70 per day and are limited to 12 people. The price includes coffee and scones on arrival, and a home-cooked lunch with wine. For booking enquiries and directions to Milkwood, phone Klaus at 071-913 1855.