When it comes to flowers, more is better! Take a walk through your garden. Do you see areas that could use more blooms? Are there spots that look a little bare or sparse? You can easily fill these holes in your landscape if you increased the number of plants you’re growing.

The biggest problem with increasing flowering plants is the cost. The price of nursery stock has jumped this year. Boosting your flowers and plants doesn’t have to cost an arm and a leg. There are actually some easy ways you can get more flowering plants for free.

5 Free Ways to Create More Flowers

You can create more flowering plants to add into your garden beds. Here are five ways to build your stock without spending a lot of money. Some of these techniques are quick and easy, while others take a little time and effort. But these options can help supply more plants for your garden beds for free.

1. Grow Directly and Share the Abundance

Cosmos, Foxglove, Black-Eyed Susan, and Sweet William seedlings are growing abundantly in my garden. It’s easy to dig them up and move these flowers around when I want more blooms in other areas. How did I get these seedlings? Each year I allow some flower heads to go to seed and drop. Then in the spring and summer, I have an abundant supply of baby plants. These seedlings can easily be moved to other areas of the garden to provide more blooms.

When you allow seedlings to grow in abundance, you can also transplant extras into pots to give away. Most gardeners find it very difficult to pull the extra seedings and toss them. Instead of throwing your extra seedlings away, host a plant swap with other gardeners to share your excess. Not only do you bless others with new plants, but this can increase the variety of plants in your garden.

While having a physical plant swap is a fun garden activity, you can do a virtual swap online if you’re short on time. Send out a group text, or make a phone call to your gardening friends to organize the swap. Each person lists what they have to share, and the trading begins.

2. Save Your Own Seeds From Year to Year

Seed saving is so easy to do. With just a little extra effort, you can save your favorite flower seeds to plant next year. Allow some flower heads to go to seed. Once the seed heads have dried, remove them from the flower stalk and save for next year. I have a whole post on saving seeds which you can find here… How to Save Flower Seeds From Your Garden.

By saving your own seeds, you know exactly what type of flower you’ll be getting… the color, size, height, etc. You can then plant those seeds exactly where you want them. Saving seeds each year is a great way to expand your hardy annual and annual flower supplies.

3. Take Plant Cuttings

Perennials and shrubs can supply cuttings that will easily grow roots. Once they’ve developed roots, you can plant them in your bare spots. Follow these steps to grow new plants from cuttings.

Step 1: Choose Your Stems

Look at your plants and choose soft, new stems that have grown on the plant. Old wood does not work well, so be sure you’re selecting fresh growth. If you are cutting multiple stems from one plant, do not take them all from one spot. Instead, pick from all over the plant so the plant does not become imbalanced.

Step 2: Two Ways to Grow Roots

Once you’ve picked your stems, there are several techniques for stimulating root growth. The easiest technique is to put the stem in water and allow the roots to grow. The second technique is to dip the bottom tip in rooting hormone and plant the stem in a pot. When using this method, use shorter stems so the stalk is not top heavy.

For both techniques, it’s a good idea to remove excess amounts of foliage. By removing some leaves, you reduce the amount of moisture the stem needs. This helps the stem to focus on growing roots. Keep a small amount of leaves on each stem. For large leaves, such as hydrangeas, cut the leaves in half.

Step 3: Plant Your New Flower

Once you have a nice root formation, you can plant the stem in a container to allow more time to grow or plant directly into the ground. When you plant in a container, test your rooting after several weeks by gently pulling on the stem. If the plant feels firm, then there is significant root growth. However, if the stem gives easily, let it continue to grow before planting it into the ground.

4. Divide the Root Ball or Tubers to Get More Plants

Many perennials can be divided or split at the root ball. The best plants to divide are those that have a crown or clumping growth. Hostas, daylilies, oriental poppies, and peonies are prime examples of plants to divide. Split the plants in the spring or fall and transplant into new areas of your garden. Many of these plants actually thrive when they’re divided regularly (every 3-5 years).

To divide a plant, simply dig up the plant clump. Shake off excess dirt. Use your hands or a sharp knife to separate the clump into 2 or more pieces. Remove any dead foliage and clean up the plant. Return one plant to its original spot and plant the remaining sections in new areas or containers.

You can also divide bulbs and tubers to increase your plant stash. Dig up daffodils and tulips in the fall after the plant has died back. Clean off the dirt and separate the bulbs. Return a healthy bulb to your original hole and plant the remaining bulbs in other areas. Healthy bulbs should be firm. Throw away any soft or mushy bulbs.

5. Use Ground Layering to Grow More Plants

With this technique, you create a new plant by allowing a stem from the original plant to touch the ground. Use a U-shaped garden pin to hold the stem in place. Where the stem touches the ground, the plant will grow roots. Once the new plant has formed sturdy roots, cut the main branch apart from the new plant. Now you have a new plant that you can leave to fill in gaps or you can dig up the new plant and transplant it to another area of your garden.

Plants to Increase Through Layering…

• Perennial Herbs such as sage, lavender, rosemary, and mint
• Berries such as raspberries, blackberries and strawberries
• Climbing Roses
• Hydrangeas
• Flowering shrubs including forsythia, rhododendrons, azalea, and honeysuckle
• Holly
• Clematis
• Jasmine
• Vibernum

Do you ever wander around your garden wishing for more flowers to fill the gaps? Use these 5 techniques to help propagate new plants for your garden. With just a little time and effort, you’ll have more flowers to enjoy. Whether you pick them for bouquets, use them in potpourris, or give as gifts, try these simple ways to expand your flowering plants.

You don’t have to spend a lot of money to grow more blooms. With these simple methods, you can fill in your beds and have a lush, beautiful garden in no time. Try your hand at growing new plants with these free ways to create more flowers. From seed saving to plant cuttings, layering, dividing or just allowing some seeds to drop. Before long, your garden will be bursting with new blooms.