For manzanita, the layering technique works well. You make a small slanted cut in a branch, dig a hole by the plant where you can bend the branch over, plant it a few inches deep where the cut is. You can place a small pebble in the cut and peg it down with a garden staple, too. Cover the hole, water well and some people say put a rock over the top. I have groundcover manzanita that is naturally layering, so I made some of these cuts and have a few plants going. They say to leave it for a season, then carefully dig up to see if you've got roots. When it has its own roots, you have your new plant. I haven't checked mine yet, but it seems pretty foolproof because the plant is still attached to its mother so it gets the nutrients while it's growing new roots. You can do this with salvia too and probably ceanothus. I started some salvia cuttings in half sharp sand builder's sand and half peat moss and they haven't died yet. About three weeks old. Good luck.</p>