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'Karl Foerster' grass,1 large or 3 small?

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  • AnniDAnniD Posts: 12,585
    Personally l wouldn't split grasses at this time of year. I agree with @Wilderbeast, go with the smaller size plants @Astraeus   :).
  • AstraeusAstraeus Posts: 336
    Thanks @Wilderbeast, @AnniD and @Pete.8. I had been working on a spread of 1.2m when calculating that I'd need three plants for three linear metres. Would it want to be double that in 2L plants?
  • Pete.8Pete.8 Posts: 11,340
    Here are 4 of mine that I split - 3 are fine, one is a bit weedy



    Billericay - Essex

    Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
    Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
  • AnniDAnniD Posts: 12,585
    I think you might be surprised at just how fast they grow @Astraeus. Once they're in the ground they just seem to take off (in my experience). 
  • AstraeusAstraeus Posts: 336
    Do you think calamagrostis would work with stipa gigantea? I'm sitting now in the spot which is to be screened and I think stipa would be too tall along the full 3m so I'm inclined to use one plant, then have a slight break and possibly use something like echinacea, sunflowers or verbena, and then have a few calamagrostis. I'm assuming tall grasses like that are complementary?
  • LoxleyLoxley Posts: 5,698
    Stipa g. has a relatively compact of hump of leaves but the flowering awns spread themselves out to about 2m, outwards as well as upwards! It needs space around it so works best with lowish plants or on the corner of a bed. C. Karl Foerster is very vertical and the flowerheads are denser, it forms a good screen or 'hedge' when block-planted. Over a length of 3m I would just use the C. Karl Foerster. You could plant 6 combined with perennials like verbena and echinacea, or just the C. Karl Foerster (in which case you'd need more like 9 of them IMO).
    "What is hateful to you, do not do to your neighbour". 
  • AnniDAnniD Posts: 12,585
    I tend to agree with @Loxley, Stipa gigantica is lovely, but l think it would be too much. I would let the Karl Foester be the star of the show. 
    V. Bonariensis would look good l think, but as with all these things it can be trial and error. 
  • AstraeusAstraeus Posts: 336
    You two really are ace - thank you. 👍

    Karl Foerster it is! I do like the look of verbena in amongst it and will have a look at a few prairie planting combinations but helianthus and echinacea seem to work. I would go for rudbeckia but I rather overdid them last year and wouldn't mind a less yellow garden this year!
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