Bonnie’s Plant Blog Will Mellor Celeb Garden Episode 8
Miscanthussinensis ‘Morning Light’
Silver variegated maiden grass
This deciduous grass adds instant height and elegance, with the delicate leaves reaching 1.8m tall, and spreading up to 1.2m. The leaves have a silvery sheen when the light catches them, which makes them stand out against a green backdrop and contrast well against purple foliage. Red tinged plumes last from October and into winter, when the top foliage should be left on, and then chopped back to ground level in late February.
Miscanthussinensis ‘Zebrinus’
Zebra Grass
Zebra grass gets its name from the prominent cream stripes that imprint the leaves. Like most grasses they enjoy a sunny spot with a free draining soil, and again need to be chopped back to ground level in late Feb. In autumn maroon-purple leaves appear and the rest of the foliage turns a rusty brown tone which will blend in well with the Imperatacylindrica ‘Red Baron’. Pinkish white fan shaped plumes can appear in autumn. This useful plant reaches a height of 1.2m and spreads up to 90cm, but can be divided in March/April to help keep it small…time to spread the plant love and give away your new plants.
Imperatacylindrica ‘Red Baron’
Japanese Blood Grass
Japanese Blood Grasses are like exclamation marks in a sentence, they give impact to a planting scheme. They look gorgeous mingled in with other grasses and their compact habit of 40cm tall by 30cm wide means they work well at the front of a plant bed. Their blood red tips contrast against the bright green base. They should be cut back to base in late February, and it is a good idea to mulch them with straw or compost to protect the roots from the winter cold.
Canna ‘Pacific Beauty’
Indian shot
These tropical style plants have big, purple leaves that contrast well with most planting schemes. This variety reaches about 1m tall and 50cm wide. Bright orange flowers are bourn from mid-summer until early autumn. They will need a winter mulch to keep the crown and the roots warm through winter, or if growing them in pots you should bring them into a cold greenhouse/conservatory.
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