You can multiply many perennials simply and easily by rooting stem cuttings taken from established plants. It's an economical way to fill in gaps in your flower beds or produce extra plants for swapping with friends and neighbors. Take cuttings early in the morning or in the evening, when the sun isn't so punishing. Cloudy days are good, too.

Choose a fresh-looking stem that has not yet flowered. Cutting diagonally with sharp pruners, remove a 3-inch piece from the tip of new growth, just below a leaf.

Remove leaves from the bottom half of the cutting.

Dip the cut end of the stem into rooting hormone powder, to increase your success rate, and plant it in a small pot filled with a lightweight, packaged potting soil for a few weeks, until roots begin to grow.

Keep the pot in a shady area. You'll know the time is right when a gentle tug on the stem is met with resistance.

Old-timers often put rootings into a clear, sealed plastic bag to create a humid incubator.

Transplant into the garden or a container – 1 ½ to 2 inches deep – and water regularly.

Some common perennials that can be propagated by stem cuttings:

Artemisia

Aster

Bee balm (Monarda)

Bellflower (Campanula)

Blanketflower (Gaillardia)

Catmint (Nepeta)

Chrysanthemum

Clematis

Coral bells (Heuchera)

Coreopsis

Dusty miller (Senecio)

Lavender

Penstemon

Summer phlox

Sedum

Shasta daisy (Leucanthemum)

Yarrow (Achillea)