Miscanthus ‘Gracillimus’ |
Miscanthus ‘Morning Light’ |
Miscanthus ‘Variegatus’ |
Grass on grass action – Miscanthus ‘Gracillimus’ and Miscanthus purpurascens |
Let’s talk ornamental grasses today, shall we?
Good, glad you are game. Onward.
By far the most consistent ornamental grass for me in terms of size, shape, bloom and winter non toppling over-ness, Miscanthus ‘Gracillimus’ is again kicking some serious booty, even in July:
You are looking at the best part of Calamagrostis (Feather Reed Grass) ‘El Dorado’:
But upon closer inspection, not all that great:
I have a bunch of these located all over the property and really none of them are impressing. The best looking one is in half shade so maybe that is the answer. More to come.
I know they are everywhere and similar to ‘El Dorado’ in terms of being rather “blah” (snobby horticultural term in case you haven’t heard it before) but I still like looking at the blooms on my ‘Karl Foerster’ Feather Reed Grasses from my deck, especially when backlit by the sun in late afternoon:
Another grass I’ve soured on of late is Pennisetum ‘Karley Rose’. The overall shape is weak and the bloom count has been small the past two years or so:
And another division from two years ago keeps on keeping on:
Aren’t you two beauties (AKA Miscanthus ‘Variegatus’) holding up wonderfully:
Miscanthus ‘Gracillimus’ |
Miscanthus ‘Variegatus’ |
Miscanthus ‘Morning Light’ |
Misacanthus ‘Gracillimus’, Calamagrostis ‘Eldorado’ and Miscanthuis ‘Purpurascens’ |
This is the second year for my Miscanthus ‘Purpurascens’ and so far, color me impressed:
The seed heads on my two different Chasmanthium latifolium (Northern Sea Oats) have matured nicely:
Northern Sea Oats |
Northern Sea Oats ‘River Mist’ |
You can count on an overwhelming amount of coverage on all things ornamental grasses over the next few weeks so brace yourself.
John
It is that time of year.
The time when the ornamental grasses take a giant leap forward, shake their ample booty and become THE focus in the garden.
Well, they do in my garden at least.
Here is just a sampling of these emerging superstars:
Panicum (Switch Grass) ‘Northwind’ when the blooms first appeared:
And now after said blooms transformed into a pinkish hue (love the blue/green blades as well):
Next, we have Panicum (Switch Grass) ‘Rotstrahlbusch’ (yes, I have memorized that spelling):
Miscanthus ‘Variegatus’ behind the same “Rots”:
Miscanthus ‘Morning Light’ not yet showing signs of bloom but still stunning in its own way:
Misanthus purpurascens (Flame Grass) with blooms just popping out in front of the giant Miscanthus ‘Gracillimus’:
Every night, I stare at these Calamagrostis (Feather Reed Grass) ‘Karl Foerster’ blooms from my deck as they are backlit by the sun. Good times:
And finally, Chasmanthium latifolium (Northern Sea Oats) are at their peak, as we speak:
More grass love to come in a future post as they continue to transform with the arrival of autumn.
John
This ornamental grass, with it’s variegation (equal parts white/green), is a welcome foil to all of the surrounding green foliage. I had no idea how many photos I had snapped of this beauty over the past year until recently. Before I share these with you, some bits of info on Miscanthus Variegatus are in order:
Now on to the photos:
Here she is (far right) at about three feet tall in July:
The variegation shining through the Panicum blooms:
The foliage of Miscanthus Variegatus contrasting well behind a Viburnum and amongst a sea of green:
Glowing in early evening:
Looks fantastic back lit by the sun:
Contrasts so well with the early autumn foliage of Itea ‘Henry’s Garnet’:
And Miscanthus Variegatus looks even better later in the fall:
And finally, like most ornamental grasses, Miscanthus Variegatus provides winter interest:
So what do you think? Are you a fan? Is staking a necessity?
Let me know already, won’t you?
John
And behind the Viburnum ‘Emerald Lustre’:
A very young Panicum (Switch Grass) ‘Northwind’ is only about two feet tall, but a few blooms just snuck out this week:
The foliage on Itea (Virginia Sweetspire) ‘Henry’s Garnet’ has begun it’s autumn transformation as you can see on the underside of the leaves:
And even more so on the bottom of the shrub:
The “oats” on Chasmanthium Latifolium (Northern Sea Oats) are maturing to their brownish/tan shade:
The aforementioned Boltonia is just showing the first signs of bloom:
And last but not least, the Panicum ‘Rotstrahlbusch’ blooms are a sea of red and look fantastic en masse:
I am already looking forward to the next trip to my car!
John