Roots and shoots part three. Trachystemon orientalis is an easy plant to propagate. It spreads vigorously by rhizomes. Break off a section of rhizome and plant it somewhere else. That's about it really.

 T. orientalis thrives in shade, even deep dry shade. Sometimes called Oriental Borage it has Borage-like flowers in early spring. The leaves start small and grow considerably larger forming an effective ground cover through the summer months.  

 These Aquilegia vulgaris were part of the delivery of bare root plants I got from Shipton Bulbs recently. I haven't decided where to plant them so I potted them up a couple of weeks ago to plant out in the spring. They've sprouted the greenery in that short space of time so they're certainly in good health.

 

 Roots and shoots part two. The curiously named Fox and Cubs (Pilosella aurantiaca) spreads all over the allotments though it's native to alpine areas in southern and central Europe. Where it likes the conditions it can spread prolifically by seeds, stolons and rhizomes.

 As an experiment I dug up four or five and planted them in a large ceramic pot. That was last year and since then they have multiplied to cover the whole of the pot:

 

 One of the nice things about planting bulbs in autumn is that it creates the anticipation of what is to come just as the year starts to wane. My recent order from Shipton Bulbs included Crocus tommasinianus, Erythronium 'Pagoda', Wild Tulip, Star of Bethlehem and Winter Aconite.

 

 I also ordered five Stinking Iris (Iris foetidissima) as bare root plants with my recent order from Shipton Bulbs. NB they don't stink, the foliage just smells a bit musty if crushed. This is a tough as old boots plant that will grow in the deepest shade be it damp or dry. The flowers in early summer are exquisite though not prominent; the bright orange/red berries in autumn are hard to miss.

 As the photo shows they are sent out with some soil still attached wrapped in damp newspaper. This is sufficient to sustain them for a day or two during transit. I aim to unpack bare root plants immediately on delivery so they get air and sunlight. In this case I knew I wouldn't get around to planting them till later in the week so I sat them in a bag of compost with the fronds poking out. They will get some nutrition through the roots in the meanwhile.

 A plant as hardy as I. foetidissima won't be deterred by a bit of rough handling in this fashion. 

 

  Soloman's Seal (Polygonatum multiflorum) was one of the plants in my recent order from Shipton Bulbs. In fact it's a rhizome rather than a bulb. Propagation is by division; in this case chopping off a section of the rhizome where a bud has formed. I ordered five such and they arrived in a small bag of soil to keep them moist. Unlike many of the bulb species they would not survive being dried out.

 I've had mixed results trying to establish them and they seem quite picky as to location. Soloman's Seal is a spring flowering native of ancient woodlands but I can't say I've ever seen them growing wild. Perhaps I haven't looked hard enough or in the right places. The patch shown below is a naturalistic planting on the edge of Regent's Park:

 Delivery of bulbs and bare root plants from Shipton Bulbs who specialise in cultivating wildflowers. When plants are dug up and transferred bare root from one place to another the roots and foliage inevitably take a bit of a battering. Tough plants like these will recover however. In fact I find they bed in better than pot grown plants which are often 'potbound' by the time of purchase.