Aye, been learning propagating plants for a couple of years now. Sad to see young trees die but also it's a miracle when you cut a small branch of some bush or tree, stick it into soil and a whole new potential plant takes root and keeps growing as a new individual. So far I've had some success with rosemary, lavender, lemons, lilac, and a fig. I planted a fig stick just to mark the edge of something and before the year was out it had leaves and now it has a few branches of its own.
The lemon can't stay outside in winter. In shall need some solutions soon.
Some of the plants I bought. Like 8 pots of strawberries for about 2-3 euros each. Two years later they are over 80 plants and I have them in two gardens.
Lavender was a bit more expensive and so far... harder to propagate. But I think I am net positive on the count. But I am making it in two stages - a cutting taking root into a pot. Then transplanting the pot into the ground somewhere. That second part is harder to get right.
Rosemary came from a couple of discarded branches somebody gave to a colleague and she cut some of those for me. I then cut them further into smaller twigs and I think I have about a dozen still living. A bit easier then lavender so far.
Olive trees look like they might not make it through a whole year. All 3 out of 3 survived the drought last summer but now they look like 0.5 + 0.25 out of 3 survived the harshest cold which was about -16 C for a few days.
Just some of the examples. I think rosemary and strawberry could feel well even in Finland.
I would love to have a lot of lavender in the garden, but it just doesn't seem to do well enough here - or at least, I am doing something wrong. Lilacs are awesome though, as the flowers smell so great too, even though they don't last long. We have two lilacs, but one is going to have to go, as it is falling down and in a weird place.
I think the problem you have with the lemon is the same I have with everything. I am just not sure what to do for the winter.
The herbs go well in Finland for the short summer, and I like mint, basil, parsley and the like. We had rosemary last summer, but my wife doesn't like the taste. Strawberries are always on the list, and my daughter wants to put some in her garden area. We are going to build some boxes so they are off the ground and away from the rabbits and pheasants.
Leave some space for each of the strawberries to spawn their minions. Up to four-five in a chain per root per season I had.