jayco: I think your success would probaby be greater with cuttings than with layering. Keeping the area around the part of the layer where you want roots to form is not easy in the summer. The plants you want to multiple should not present any great difficulties. There is a lot of information about cutting propagation online and in most complete gardening books. Now, I've got to ask if you are perhaps confusing layering with suckering. The two plants you mention as having rooted themselves into the mulch naturally produce root suckers, especially the clethra. These can be carefully dug, potted and planted out when they're big enough. Layering involves bending a branch (or using one that's already close to the ground), wounding it, pegging it down and covering with a moisture retaining soil mix, and waiting until there are enough roots to allow the new plant to grow on its own. Sometimes plants do naturally layer themselves, but generally not ones that normally grow upright.

That's a great article. Nice to see someone recommending more than just KOs for a change. I like that they broke them into categories from beginner to advanced too.

I have several Piedmont Azaleas that LOVE our south GA humid heat. They are in filtered sunlight with about an hour of full on sun and thrive! (its just baking hot here now) very fragrant blooms. One has white blooms and one white with pink. Also a butterfly bush that is about 2.5 feet wide and only 4 ft. tall. blueish purple. (more blue looking, soft, love this plant, the size is great! I have it staggered by a rose and it is beautiful. doesn't get out of bounds.) I have several clematis that I could cut from. I have rooted them easily! I also have Becky daisies that I traded for a couple of years ago and they have been blooming for almost 3 months! Blooms are very strong and about 4ft high. We have had a few very strong storms and nothing makes them lay down! They multiply and spread wonderfully! I could dig you some of those. I am happy to share. We bought a foreclosed home (not lived in for three years and had to just tear the yard apart! People here were so generous with their trades and got me off to a great start! (I should have dug up a lot of my things from my old house, but I was so darn tired of moving, I just didn't care..) I also live in a rural area and just don't have access to fab nurseries like others! I can cut you some butterfly weed. Roots easy and is a blooming machine!

Gregory! What an absolutely beautiful article and all that you have done..I love teh pictures and that is exactly what I would do to my place if I bought a house down there. I have friends from Thailand that live in St Petersburg and all they do is spend all day in their gardens trying to gorw what they could over seas.. Splendid and I really appreciate you sharing this with us.. What a beautiful family you have too... Thank you Mike:-)))