Fabulous grasses @VictorMeldrew, especially the Stipa gigantea. I wish I had the space for one.
Thanks @Loxley. Yeah I know the clue is in the name but I wasn't expecting it to be quite so big, and it isn't fully grown yet. I've already extended the bed and moved it a couple of feet. The OH is always ribbing me about it
Clay soil - Cheshire/Derbyshire border. I play with plants and soil and sometimes it's successful
My garden is quite new and suffered from a hail storm on the 20th June but it's recovering and flowering. I bought my house in Jan 2021, no flower beds then.
Dordogne and Norfolk. Clay in Dordogne, sandy in Norfolk.
Some really cracking photos - beautiful light in the last picture Victor.
Thanks @Fire. Sun behind the Stipa is the only situation that brings out it's outline. Pity the clarity disappears though when uploaded. Latterly I've been taking shots using a Canon SLR. I aim to upload files of no more than 400k so I crop them in Photoshop Elements. Whatever size I crop down to, the forum seems to resize to fit the space and that's where the clarity is lost. I've tried 'Inspect' -ing the code to see if I can find the display size in pixels but can't make head 'nor tail of it.
Clay soil - Cheshire/Derbyshire border. I play with plants and soil and sometimes it's successful
@VictorMeldrew I love the grasses in pots. Do they just die back and resprout the following year? What would be a good one to start with? Ive never grown grasses before. My garden isnt big so pots would be easier,also do you have to dead head?
The whole truth is an instrument that can only be played by an expert.
@VictorMeldrew I love the grasses in pots. Do they just die back and resprout the following year? What would be a good one to start with? Ive never grown grasses before. My garden isnt big so pots would be easier,also do you have to dead head?
Hi @Valley Gardener, some just die back (eg. Pannicum), others retain interest through the winter (eg. Calamagrostis, Miscanthus, Pennisetum etc.) and can be cut back to a few inches above the ground in Feb/Mar.
I went for years dismissing Miscanthus because the leaves did nothing for me but having seen some mature specimens later in the season I just had to have one (well two now). But some of the Miscanthus, Calamagrostis & Stipa are really too big for normal-sized pots. It also depends on whether you want flowers during the summer or are prepared to wait until the autumn (with some winter interest). I've recently bought Deschampsia cespitosa 'Schottland' for the first time cos' I saw it flowering in June in a mature garden (Bluebell Cottage Nursery) and really fell for the delicate 'wafty' flowers and the deep green leaves. This one or one of the other cultivars would be a really nice one to start with. Or go for one of the smaller Miscanthus for late-season interest.
You'd only really need to dead-head to prevent them seeding everywhere. Many are sterile though so that isn't always an issue. But in many cases the flower stems still provide interest for a long time even when they've gone brown.
Have fun experimenting.
Clay soil - Cheshire/Derbyshire border. I play with plants and soil and sometimes it's successful
@VictorMeldrew Thankyou so much for all that brilliant info,you certainly know your grasses. Ive made notes. I used to live about 3 to 4 miles from Knoll Gardens,it used to be a Bird Garden,and changed just before we moved. I love the sound of the "Wafty" one,but I will look up some youve mentioned. As I look at my various pots of annuals,now drooping in the heat,I feel annoyed at spending so much on them!
The whole truth is an instrument that can only be played by an expert.
To be honest @Valley Gardener I'm relatively new to grasses but I just have this habit of sounding as though I know what I'm talking about For me they have added that dimension to the garden that was missing for years and have a longer season of interest than many plants.
Several forum members have a lot more experience with grasses than me. Starting a new discussion or finding an old "Grasses" one might be the way to go. From memory @Plantminded was quite a keen grass grower.
Clay soil - Cheshire/Derbyshire border. I play with plants and soil and sometimes it's successful
Yes, I'm a fan of grasses @VictorMeldrew, but have never grown them in pots. Just elevating them that bit gives them more stature, you've given me some ideas!
@Valley Gardener, I would strongly encourage you to explore the world of grasses, they are easy to grow and maintain and they give you a fantastic presence in your garden over winter when everything else looks miserable!
The owner of Knoll Gardens, Neil Lucas, has written an excellent book, "Designing with Grasses", and the gallery photos on the Knoll Gardens website are very good for more inspiration!
It’s been some time since I have posted on here. I was working from home since March 2020 and have only recently returned to the office 2 days a week. Being on the laptop all day at home seemed have had the affect of massively reducing internet use when not working.
Fabulous plants, planting schemes and garden photos from you all. Inspirational.
Getting crowded here -
Oil tank area where the odds and sods go . Plenty of nettles in there too.
Some other bits and pieces including a clematis ready to take off which I now know is Clematis Dorothy Walton.
Posts
Thanks @Loxley. Yeah I know the clue is in the name but I wasn't expecting it to be quite so big, and it isn't fully grown yet. I've already extended the bed and moved it a couple of feet. The OH is always ribbing me about it
I play with plants and soil and sometimes it's successful
Thanks @Fire. Sun behind the Stipa is the only situation that brings out it's outline. Pity the clarity disappears though when uploaded. Latterly I've been taking shots using a Canon SLR. I aim to upload files of no more than 400k so I crop them in Photoshop Elements. Whatever size I crop down to, the forum seems to resize to fit the space and that's where the clarity is lost. I've tried 'Inspect' -ing the code to see if I can find the display size in pixels but can't make head 'nor tail of it.
I play with plants and soil and sometimes it's successful
I love the grasses in pots. Do they just die back and resprout the following year? What would be a good one to start with? Ive never grown grasses before. My garden isnt big so pots would be easier,also do you have to dead head?
Hi @Valley Gardener, some just die back (eg. Pannicum), others retain interest through the winter (eg. Calamagrostis, Miscanthus, Pennisetum etc.) and can be cut back to a few inches above the ground in Feb/Mar.
As to which ones to start with I'd look at some photos and get an idea what shape you prefer and which one(s) would suit your intended pots. Take a look here - Knoll Gardens | Ornamental Grasses and Flowering Perennials
I went for years dismissing Miscanthus because the leaves did nothing for me but having seen some mature specimens later in the season I just had to have one (well two now). But some of the Miscanthus, Calamagrostis & Stipa are really too big for normal-sized pots. It also depends on whether you want flowers during the summer or are prepared to wait until the autumn (with some winter interest). I've recently bought Deschampsia cespitosa 'Schottland' for the first time cos' I saw it flowering in June in a mature garden (Bluebell Cottage Nursery) and really fell for the delicate 'wafty' flowers and the deep green leaves. This one or one of the other cultivars would be a really nice one to start with. Or go for one of the smaller Miscanthus for late-season interest.
You'd only really need to dead-head to prevent them seeding everywhere. Many are sterile though so that isn't always an issue. But in many cases the flower stems still provide interest for a long time even when they've gone brown.
Have fun experimenting.
I play with plants and soil and sometimes it's successful
Thankyou so much for all that brilliant info,you certainly know your grasses.
Ive made notes.
I used to live about 3 to 4 miles from Knoll Gardens,it used to be a Bird Garden,and changed just before we moved.
I love the sound of the "Wafty" one,but I will look up some youve mentioned.
As I look at my various pots of annuals,now drooping in the heat,I feel annoyed at spending so much on them!
Several forum members have a lot more experience with grasses than me. Starting a new discussion or finding an old "Grasses" one might be the way to go. From memory @Plantminded was quite a keen grass grower.
I play with plants and soil and sometimes it's successful
@Valley Gardener, I would strongly encourage you to explore the world of grasses, they are easy to grow and maintain and they give you a fantastic presence in your garden over winter when everything else looks miserable!
The owner of Knoll Gardens, Neil Lucas, has written an excellent book, "Designing with Grasses", and the gallery photos on the Knoll Gardens website are very good for more inspiration!
Fabulous plants, planting schemes and garden photos from you all. Inspirational.
Some other bits and pieces including a clematis ready to take off which I now know is Clematis Dorothy Walton.