QUESTION: I have a question about my angel's trumpet plant. I read somewhere on the Internet that they propagate by seed, but I can't see any place there are seeds. Can you tell me how to propagate it?ANSWER: The flowers will eventually bear seeds, but they are slow to germinate. An easier and faster way to propagate angel's trumpet is to take cuttings. Cuttings, a few inches long, root easily after being dipped in rooting hormone powder (Rootone). Then the cut end goes into a pot of seed-starting mix where it is kept watered.New leaves on the cutting signal that the plants are starting to sprout roots.

QUESTION: Can I divide my platycodon (balloon flower)? I have a lovely clump of it now.ANSWER: That lovely clump is destined to have a long life where it is.Unlike daylilies, balloon flower will not benefit from digging and division. Like peonies, it should be left where it is for years. Since yours is prospering, you have no reason to move it to a better spot.If you wish to have more plants, it would be better to buy young ones grown in small pots that can be transplanted with minimum disturbance to the roots. They only cost a few dollars, and you could expand the color range at the same time.However, there are good reasons to move plants like the balloon flower. Maybe you're moving, and there is a strong sentimental attachment to this plant. It might have been a gift from someone special or an heirloom passed down in the family. No amount of trouble is too much for plants like that.When you must dig up the plant, do it in early spring, having marked the plant's location with a golf tee the previous fall. Platycodon comes up later than many other perennials. Dig up the entire clump so you get deep roots.You could also propagate the plant from cuttings. Snip off 2- to 3-inch pieces of stem, dip them in rooting hormone powder and set in a pot of sterile potting soil or seed starting mix. Pop on a lightweight plastic cover propped up with a little stake, and keep the pot in a coolish, shady spot.

QUESTION: My phlox (tall, pink and three years old) came up beautifully this spring, bigger than ever. Now it's wilting and dying from the center out. Any suggestions?ANSWER: It has root rot and I don't have a tremendous amount of hope for your plant. But I have two suggestions:The first is to dig up the clump, shake off the soil and look over the plant for healthy green pieces of crown with roots attached. Cut away these sections from the dying center. Get off any tissue that looks diseased Then replant each in a small pot of potting soil, and keep them in a sheltered place while they regenerate themselves. Once you see signs of growth, you should feel good that your plant is on its way to a second life. Then replant in the fall in a well-drained spot in the garden. Your plants simply grew in soil that stayed too wet in recent weeks. The same thing happened to some of my phlox.A second method is faster, but may not be as reliable. Apply a dose of root stimulating fertilizer to the plant to encourage some fresh root development and see if that regenerates the plant satisfactorily.Send your gardening questions to Nancy Brachey, The Charlotte Observer, P.O. Box 30308, Charlotte, N.C. 28230.