This year, despite having had our first frost a couple of weeks ago, October is brimming with subtle colour; in the early morning the plants are lightly shrouded in dew, often covered in cobwebs, and the grasses stand effortlessly among them all, unifying the picture.
Although they have been on the gardening scene for a long time now, grasses are still quite a daunting prospect when it comes to making the right choice and it’s well worth doing your homework. Some, once they get their toes stuck in, are quite a battle to remove even after just a few years!
I can assure you; you won’t want to take out Calamagrostis brachytricha once you’ve planted it. It’s in the mid-height range, clump forming to about a metre, hardy, and undemanding. Its growth is upright, and in late summer and early autumn, the pink-tinged feathery plumes are held well above the fresh apple green linear leaves and look gorgeous shimmering and sparkling under the early morning dew. These plumes last well into winter. Best in full sun but very tolerant of part shade.
I grew mine from seed bought from Derry Watkins of Special Plants. Her seed catalogue is a wonder, crammed full of enticing plants, and I await the new season’s issue with excitement!
NB Louise has published a beautifully produced book of her plant profiles – A Plant for Each Week of the Year. It costs £9.99 inc P & P and is for sale in our online shop here.
More NB If you’d like a bit more gardening chitchat from the3growbags, please type your email address here and we’ll send you a new post every Saturday morning.
