One of my favourite times in the year is when the grasses comes into their own. During the summer, the Pennisetum Hameln in my garden form an attractive mound of fine long grass, providing a calm backdrop to the showy agapanthus or echinacea, but come late August / early September they start to flower......soft, tactile brush-like flowers emerge and provide a great late summer show!
This year, I discovered a new variety - Pennisetum 'Summer Samba'. It has dark burgundy leaves, and the flowers start out as very fine dark burgundy flowers, and then soften to a sandy, fluffier flower - I'm loving watching them grow this summer and hope they settle in well and grow even better next year. They are very restful to watch when there is a breeze!
On a recent visit to RHS Wisley, the grasses were in fine form there too - Pennisetum macrourum was looking spectacular, along with the Calamagrostis brachytricha behind it.
Grasses really help to add structure and interest to a late summer garden - definitely worth giving them a go, and finding one that works for the space. Remember to consider the aspect (sunny or shady), conditions (dry or damp) and the ultimate size and spread that you have room for (some are low mounding grasses, some grow really tall and thin, and everything in between!) The Knoll Gardens website has a great tool to help select the right grasses for every space!
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