BINGO!
Out of 50 seed, I got 5 plants. The one pictured is 2 years old. I gave 3 to friends for Christmas or birthdays, and 1 to the local community food garden as a gift for all they had taught me. I will do a separate post about the community food garden another day.
So seeing that I was now providing very generous gifts for birthdays and Christmas with very little outlay, I was hooked on propagation!!
Succulents are easy to propagate, and are readily available at Food Swaps. Various succulents have become 'Thank You' presents for the many friends and colleagues who have assisted me when unwell, and dazzling Christmas presents. My Kris Kringle at work was so coveted, there was competition to receive the succulent I had prepared. Propagation has saved hundreds of dollars in presents and gifts over the last 2 years. Succulents are great indoors, particularly in a bathroom, as they require little water, and are very difficult to kill. The perfect gift for your friends who work long hours.
Pigface is a great Australian succulent, and edible. Masterchef featured this little Aloe Vera plant on one of their cook-offs. Although I haven't cooked it yet, I hear that it is an acquired taste, and you have to know what you are doing. It is a ground cover, and produces beautiful pink flowers when in season. Very easy to propagate - just cut a piece off and plant in pots or the ground. It will take root independently like any succulent.
At one of last years swaps, a kind gentleman had propagated 10 to 20 Goji berry plants. What a treat!! The bush produced hundreds of Goji berries in a very short time - delivering great taste to my daily breakfast cereal or porridge. What a treat - Goji berries are about $33 per kilo in the shops, and I just walk into my back yard and pick them for free!! Packed with vitamins and taste, I felt like a princess :-)
So this season, I learnt to propagate Goji Berry plants from Youtube, and now will be gifting them to relations for Christmas!
In this photo, the propagated plant has full roots growing out the bottom, and small buds beginning to pop up in the middle of Melbourne's July. So they are healthy and ready for fruiting in spring, and then gifting for Christmas.
I am reminded of this silly children's song. I don't celebrate this festival myself, but there are truths in this little tune. Just substitute 'dreidel' for your favourite fruit.
Generous gifts, for next to nix..... whoever said 'money doesn't grow on trees'?
Cath. You've demonstrated this so eloquently.
ReplyDeleteGreat ideas!