Question
Elderly friends in Cheshire were given a Betulia plant this year. It has flowered well and they have brought it into their house for the winter.  They would like to know how to take cuttings of it as they would like to grow another one to give to their granddaughter. Can they do this or would it be better to let flowers go to seed and plant them. Is there any other way to grow another plant from theirs?  Any advice would be very welcome.

Answer
Doreen,
They will be better off propagating from cuttings, not seeds. That way they will get plants that are just the same where a seed-grown plant may be different.

This video explains cuttings very well: http://www.videojug.com/film/how-to-propagate-semi-ripe-stem-cuttings

The basic process is to
1. Cut a stem that's about six inches long and take off all but the top set of leaves.
2. Fill a pot with damp potting soil that doesn't have fertilizer in it. Use a sterile potting compost, not garden dirt. Seed starting mix works well. Make sure it's already wet - you might have to mix water into the mix in a bowl as just spraying the pot of soil often doesn't penetrate the mix into the middle.
3. Cover the stem with the rooting powder and stick this in a hole that you've made in the soil with a pencil. Push the soil against the plant and loosely cover with a plastic bag. I don't seal my bags as they do in the video, but that's just my way.

I hope this helps!
C.L.