Ornamental grasses in bloom
Miscanthus sinensis ‘Adagio’
Two weeks ago, I posted a preview of my ornamental grasses, which were just beginning to bloom. Though not yet at peak, most of them now wave their feathery flags, so I decided it was time for a follow-up.
Miscanthus ‘Adagio’ is my current favorite. The blue-tinged grass remains compact while the copper seedheads stretch upward and fan out.
Miscanthus ‘Yaku Jima’ looks suspiciously similar, but it’s hard to be sure because it’s sandwiched between a Cuphea ignea and a Salvia leucantha. I’ll have to remedy that.
The mystery pennisetum is still blooming nicely, alongside a ‘Carefree Beauty’ rosebush.
From a different angle, you see it paired with a fall aster, covered in buds.
My little Gulf muhly (Muhlenbergia capillaris ), unfortunately crowded beside a softleaf yucca, has sent up a few gorgeous pink seedheads. This is one of the more beautiful grasses when situated better and massed for effect.
Lindheimer’s muhly, another Texas native, hasn’t bloomed yet, but it’s close. The muhlies tend to bloom later than the exotic grasses.
Bamboo muhly (Muhlenbergia dumosa ). Or Cousin Itt? I trim this one frequently because it grows out front in a small entry bed.
In my naturalistic garden in back, I let it alone, and it looks like this, cascading in feathery bunches. Actually, this plant is a few years older, and at first it was more bunchy like the one out front.
Bicolor iris (Dietes bicolor ) isn’t a grass, but it reads like one. It stands about five feet tall and wide. I really need to divide it this fall ; it’s a chore I’ve been postponing. That’s ‘Valentine’ rose in bloom to the right, underplanted with bat-faced cuphea.
Inland sea oats’ (Chasmanthium latifolium ) toasty seedheads dangle under a yaupon holly.
This mystery muhly is another of my favorites. The grass stays compact, and the seedheads are creamy pink—very pretty. I divided this one last spring, and it looks better than ever.
A closer look at the seedheads
After all the to-do about ruby grass (Melinis nerviglumis ‘Pink Crystals’) this summer on other blogs and in gardening magazines, I had to buy a few. Unfortunately the weather has been too warm to think about putting them in the ground (mid-90s all week), but I’m excited about trying them out. Sources say it can be invasive, but I’m willing to take a chance for that gorgeous pink inflorescence.
By the way, I turn 40 today. Yesterday someone pointed out that it was the last day I’d ever be 30-something. An inclination to do something out of the ordinary—to save the day in memory—arose but faded away in the daily activities, and in the end I let the last hours of 39 slip quietly by. But it was a good day, busy with people I love and things I enjoy, and I trust that the days to follow will be too.
Happy Birthday, Pam! I was admiring your grasses and considering adding some when I came across that news. What could be more perfect than slipping into 40 amid your garden and the richness of your day-to-day life? I turn 40 next summer, and I hope I can do the same. To hit these life markers and recognize that you love where you are seems to me both gift and affirmation. Enjoy! –Vive
Perhaps it all comes down to that trite adage, Bloom where you’re planted, eh, Vive? Thanks for the birthday wishes. I plan to have a good one! —Pam
I love looking and and learning more about ornamental grasses, and you have some beautiful plants. They go so nice with the agave in the background. AND a very Happy Birthday! Mine was yesterday the 3rd. We are both Libra. That’s great. I also love to see your bottle tree combined with the various plantings. Have a wonderful day and celebrate. 40th is a milestone! I saw that a long time ago.
Hi, Bev. I agree that ornamental grasses and agaves play off each other nicely. And happy birthday to you too! I know you celebrated early with the Santa Fe trip, which sounded delightful. I’d love to do that too—maybe next year. —Pam
Now that’s more like it. I love those ornamental grasses, very tactile don’t you think? I like them much, much better than those spiky things. They’re like little fountains of gold, very pretty as they dance in the breeze.
Happy birthday Pam, hope it’s a lovely one! And 40 is just a number. 😉
The ornamental grasses do invite you to run your fingers through their “hair.” But your agave aversion is unfounded (unless you’ve been stabbed by one, and then it’s understandable). It’s the contrast between spiky and soft, between wide, sharp leaves and thin, wavy feathers, that makes them such good companions in the garden.
Thanks for the birthday wishes. Yep, 40 is just a number. Just a bigger number than I’m used to. 😉 —Pam
Lovely grasses! I think counting the Dietes as a grass works for me, too – especially since the flowers are so few and infrequent.
You were going to get a private note – but since it’s on your blog – Happy Birthday, Pam!
There may be something appropriate in the date – October 4th is the traditional day to celebrate the life of St Francis of Assisi. Maybe it’s not just coincidence.
Annie at the Transplantable Rose
I didn’t know or I would have done a bird post today. Thanks for the good wishes, Annie. —Pam
Happy Birthday Pam!!!
Thanks, Julie. —Pam
I love grasses this time of year when they are in full bloom. Yours look so healthy and beautiful. Happy Birthday!
I love grasses in fall too. Last year I saw the most beautiful grass garden at the Antique Rose Emporium. Thinking of that makes me want to go back for another visit. Thanks, Robin. —Pam
Okay, a birthday means that I must come out of Lurksville! Happy Birthday, and I’m glad that I got to meet you! Hey, I’m a long way past 40, but I will tell you that I enjoyed the 40 decade much more than the 30 decade. (And the 50’s ain’t bad either!)
Now to the grasses. What do you think – will deer leave any of those grasses alone? I would love to grow the Miscanthus ‘Adagio’ or the Bamboo muhly.
Thanks for dropping in from Lurksville, Cynthia! It was great to meet you when Kathy came to town. What a fun morning that was.
According to the City of Austin Grow Green guide, bamboo muhly is highly deer resistant. Good news! I’m not so sure about the miscanthus, but for what it’s worth, I do see it growing in the deer-infested neighborhood to my west. Might be worth a try. Let me know how they work out for you. —Pam
Happy Birthday Pam! Welcome to the 40’s. I’ve been enjoying them for ‘several years’ now, and you are in for some fun. I can think of no better way to spend a birthday than in one’s own garden, especially one as nice as yours. (My birthday is in January, when the ground is frozen and there is likely to be snow or ice or both. Not a day to spend in a garden…) I hope you had a great day!
Carol at May Dreams Gardens
Thank you, Carol. I’m glad to hear that the 40s have been good to others. I’ve always enjoyed October as a birthday month. The weather at that time of year is pretty nice no matter where you are. January is tougher, but good for curling up by the fire and dreaming of May, right? —Pam
Happy Birthday, Pam!!! The day sounds wonderful in that satisfyingly low-key way. May the next year find you with more of the same. 🙂
By the way, I kept scrolling between the cutback and loose versions of the bamboo muhly, trying to decide which I like better. I’ve finally determined… that you’re lucky to be able to have both, because I’d want them both!
Thanks for the good wishes, Kim. —Pam
Happy Birthday! I thought the 40s were way better than the 30s. Hope you find it so.
That’s promising. I thought the 30s were pretty fun. Thanks! —Pam
Happy Birthday a day late! Or, if you’re like my sister, Happy Birth Week! Thank you for sharing the wonderful photos of your grasses. I bet they put on quite a show in a breeze. I’ve done a little looking around for a small clumping grass for my front “symmetrical” beds (we’ll just call them that…I should call them the big fat dead mess beds after this long drought!) Thinking about maybe prairie dropseed. I love the pink plumes of some of the muhlies, tho. Hmmm…
I also really appreciated the school garden photos in your previous posts. Amazing! I’ll show my mom, a retired middle school teacher. She helped get together a butterfly garden at her school, but the landscapers kept weedwacking the “weeds,” which were mostly natives. Ugh!
Thanks, Pam! It can be hard to choose an ornamental grass or two for the garden, as there are so many great choices nowadays. And I feel for your mother, with the out-of-control “weed”-whackers at her school. It can take a while to get landscapers to appreciate native plants as garden plants, not weeds. —Pam
40 is a fine number. As you start adding more numbers to it, you may begin to get a littled baffled as to how you got so far along in life and why did you ever think way back then that 40 somethings were so ancient.
Happy Birthday Pam.
Thanks, Christopher. “So far along in life” though? A Freudian slip, perhaps? 😉 Luckily, many of my good friends are already over the 40 hump, and they’ve shown me that 40-something is just fine. —Pam
Happy Birthday, Pam! I can almost remember my 40s and all in all, I’d rather still be there! Enjoy them to the hilt. Your grasses look like I wish mine did. As usual, I didn’t allow them enough room to grow so I’m delighting in looking at your photos. Good job!
Thanks, Lost Roses. You’re right—grasses take up more room than you think they will. I have a few that I’ve crowded also. I must fix that! —Pam
Hope you had a wonderful birthday. Mine is next week-so we are both Libras! I love these grasses,I never realized the sheer variety of lovely ornamental grasses I could grow in my climate.
Happy birthday to you too, Nicole! Maybe you can treat yourself to a beautiful ornamental grass for your birthday. 🙂 —Pam
Your grasses look absolutely great. I just decided to pot some of mine, as I couldn’t compose them properly – no idea why. Probably there is no time for them yet to be nice to me. In my garden which in zone 6 I can not grow agavas in the garden, but we like them a lot as home plants 🙂 I remember my grandfather was owning a huge one, so in order to be able to get it outdoor, he had to wait for his sons to come for vacation. I think I was 8 at that time 🙂
Happy Birthday! 40 is 40 🙂 long life in front of you. Doris Lessing, literature Nobel prize winner 2007 just hit 88 !! 🙂
Greetings:) I will drop more often to see more 🙂
ewa
Hi, Ewa. Thanks for visiting. Aren’t grasses wonderful? I bet they look great in pots too. I’ve potted Mexican feathergrass (Stipa tenuissima) before, and it worked great. I can’t imagine having such a huge agave indoors, as your grandfather did, but how wonderful that he appreciated them that much. I read on your blog that cold weather is fast approaching, but I hope you have more weeks in your garden ahead of you. When it gets too cold there, feel free to come back here and enjoy a Southern winter. —Pam
Hi Pam — Thanks for the great photos of your ornamental grasses! And happy birthday wishes a bit late. The ’40’s can be really enjoyable — a nice, mellow but not too mellos, combination of experience and energy – For all of us, here’s hoping this year has plenty of time to “play outside” in your garden.
Thanks for the good wishes, SuzAnne. Now that fall is here, I’m definitely looking forward to more playtime in the garden (summer is too hot for that here). Happy digging! —Pam