maire-aine,

Easiest and most sure way, if there are low live branches of the rhody, is to "peg" it.    Loosen and mix a little compost into the soil under the branch where it will come down to the ground, pull the branch down to the soil, cover it with a little bit of soil, then weight it down with a brick or rock to keep it in contact with the soil. Pay attention to watering that spot some over the summer - but don't over-water - uniformly moist, not wet.   If not this fall, then by next spring, roots will have grown from eyes, and you can sever the branch from the main shrub, dig it up, and plant it.

After quite a nice spring, it has turned really hot and dry - dry, we are getting used to - days and weeks of mid and upper 90's in late May and early June, we are not, so having to try to irrigate much more, and much more often than is typical this time of year.

I'm in the process of trying to work out just what is possible for me in terms of gardening at this particular point in my life. Had a good crop of spring greens, lettuce, snow peas and kale, because the weather co-operated with little intervention on my part - and most of it did not get eaten because I didn't have time to harvest and/or cook. So not planting any summer veggies in my little raised beds. No way will I keep them adequately irrigated and fertilized. And no ornamental plantings in pots. Will focus on keeping alive what is in the ground and the stuff in pots I still haven't managed to get into the ground.

Satisfying gardening takes time, and I simply have to accept time is one thing I do not have. Learning to love wonderfully resilient day lilies, and need to learn to love other plants for their ability to survive our climate and neglect.

Reading the posts to this thread is a joy to me, even though I am myself doing virtually no gardening. Thank you, you lovely people, for sharing.