Frustratedattimes,
I know, at least for the lavendar you can take pieces of the
plant and bend them over, take a U shaped pin, carpet staple??, heck probably even a safey pin or bread tie shaped in a U, and hold the
plant branch down on the ground, throw a bit of dirt on top of it, and put the U shaped thingie on top of it, and push into the ground to hold it down, or even a small rock.
As long as it's attached to it's momma
plant, it'll still get nutrients for the momma and the node will then root into the ground, when it's got a good contact to the soil, it'll take root.
Weezie