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Miscanthus Sinesis

Mary AnneMary Anne Posts: 118
in Garden design
I want to clump 3 Miscanthus Sinesis together and cant decide which 3 would look the most striking...any suggestions from these welcome:
  1. silber feder
  2. ferner osten
  3. malepartus
  4. flamingo
  5. graziella
  6. kleine fontaine
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Posts

  • MarlorenaMarlorena Posts: 8,705
    I've grown 5 of those... not Graziella... I can't comment on that one..

    Despite what Monty Don said about Malepartus on a recent edition of GW... yes it's a nice red...it's the Miscanthus by which others are judged,  but my favourite without question is 'Kleine Fontaine'... it's shorter than most, about 5 foot,.. starts to flower earlier [on the south coast it was in flower at the end of June]... mid July where I am now.. it has a most elegant shape with fountain like cascading flowers, that even look good in the rain... a single plant is enough, they develop quite quickly at the root....
    ..but if you want a group of 3 be prepared for some hard work as they usually need dividing every 3 years... tough job when it comes around...

    ...I had a group of 3 Flamingo - lovely Miscanthus, taller than KF, floriferous... that would be my 2nd choice... Malepartus my 3rd... Silber feder my 4th and F Osten my 5th...
    I've also grown Punktchen [fabulous, purple plumes, if floppy]... Kleine Silberspinne, lovely little one... Ghana.. beautiful red autumn colour... Morning Light, nice variegated foliage.. not many flowers... one or two more whose names I've forgotten..

    ...be also prepared for that fact that they are often mixed up in commerce.. and you could well find yourself with the wrong one if ordering online...  
    East Anglia, England
  • Mary AnneMary Anne Posts: 118
    Great advice Marlorena.....I will rethink my options with more confidence .....thank you so much.
  • MarlorenaMarlorena Posts: 8,705
    @Mary Anne .. that's ok... thank you... I've just checked my book by expert Roger Grounds about Graziella… this is what he says.. roughly..
    ''large panicles held well above the foliage...silvery at first gradually turning pure white..then fading to beige...  somewhat resembling ostrich plumes..''..

    6 foot tall..

    He wrote from Hampshire and in his garden Malepartus and Ferner Osten were the first to flower late June.. all these are from the Early Flowering Group of Miscanthus... my experience down in Eastbourne where I grew them all [great nursery nearby].. Kleine Fontaine was first to flower but not by much...
    East Anglia, England
  • Mary AnneMary Anne Posts: 118
    Thank you so much .....could you let me have the name of your Roger Grounds book please....
  • MarlorenaMarlorena Posts: 8,705
    edited September 2019
    @Mary Anne … these links are to Amazon.. but the books may be available elsewhere..

    ..this is the one I have...
    https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/0715306383/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_hsch_vapi_taft_p1_i2 

    ...but there are lots of others, published more recently... anything by Mr Grounds, Piet Oudolf [he's the foremost landscape designer] and Michael King should be good..oh and I shouldn't forget Neil Lucas... I think he runs a nursery,...
    ...some nice books here...
    https://www.amazon.co.uk/s?k=gardening+with+grasses&i=stripbooks&crid=M05AISOING5L&sprefix=gardening+with+%2Caps%2C159&ref=nb_sb_ss_i_1_15
    East Anglia, England
  • Mary AnneMary Anne Posts: 118
    Brilliant thanks again Marlorena!!
  • AnniDAnniD Posts: 12,585
    Just popping in to add, @marlorena mentioned Neil Lucas  - here's a link to his nursery and gardens. 
    Well worth a look if you're in the area.

    https://www.knollgardens.co.uk/
  • Mary AnneMary Anne Posts: 118
    Thanks AnnieD....looks fab this nursery...Im almost 450 miles away...but I can at least contact them for advice and potential online purchasing.....
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    It's a great nursery.  :)
    I remember wanting Flamingo a very long time ago, but nobody stocked it. So much easier now that we can buy online  :)
    Morning Light is very pretty though. I did have that. This is the only pic I have with it in it  :)

    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • Hostafan1Hostafan1 Posts: 34,889
    @Fairygirl, I hate to contradict you ,m'lovely , but that's not Morning Light. It's lovely , but no ML. 
    https://www.google.com/search?q=miscanthus+morning+light&rlz=1C1CHFX_en-gbGB480GB480&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjH6rWO3LHkAhWXi1wKHapxDX4Q_AUIESgB&biw=1517&bih=730
    Devon.
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