As the year fades and light levels are lower, our gardens take on an architectural aspect. Lit by autumn sunlight, plants can produce dramatic effects and the main actors in these theatrical displays are the grasses. Grasses have seen a huge resurgence in recent years. Most are structurally strong, many carry their flower heads high above a border or container, so giving a 3D perspective, and they are great food sources for foraging birds and small mammals as the year draws to a close.
At this time of the year the real stars are Miscanthus, Penissetum and Calamagrostis.
Miscanthus are large clump forming beauties that carry their plumes well above the foliage at different heights depending on the variety. Miscanthus sinensis ‘Malepartus’ is a stately 1.8 m in flower with lilac purple plumes that fade to silver grey. Where as Miscanthus sinensis Zebrina has striking horizontally cream zebra striped foliage and carries pencil like silver plumes on 1m stems. Finally, Miscanthus sinensis ‘Morning light’ is an ethereal grass that has silver striped foliage that glisten in low angled light in October.
Penissetum grasses come in annual and perennial forms. Pennisetum alopecuroides 'Hameln' or Chinese fountain grass is a hardy perennial form with amazingly long cylindrical panicles of silver seed heads right through the autumn. For a more dramatic colour grow Pennisetum setaceum ‘Rubrum’ from seed in the spring. This tender perennial form has arching mahogony red foliage with deep purple panicles. It is great in containers or middle of the border for a real colour contrast with orange dahlias or silver foliage.
Calamagrostis (reed grasses) are my final recommendation, as they have adapted to moist soil in the wild and with our wet winters. They are a great additions to heavier moisture retaining Yorkshire soils. The standout stars are Calamagrostis × acutiflora 'Karl Foerster’ a very hardy variety that produces pink panicles at about 1,4m high in large clumps. Calamagrostis brachytricha is commonly referred to as Korean feather reed grass and produces plumes of silver white fronds between 1.4 and 2ms high. And lastly Calamagrostis x acutiflora 'Overdam’ that has striking silver striped foliage as well as lovely plumes of silver grass heads.
These recommendations are a joyful addition to the autumn garden and can be left over the winter to give height and interest. A hard cut back in late February, just before the new foliage starts to emerge and a feed of fish blood and bone and that is all that is required to look after these low maintenance, must-haves.
Garden of the Month
Scampston Walled Garden. For a masterclass in using grasses in your garden there is no better place to visit than garden designer Piet Ordolf’s planting at Scampston the home of the St Quintin family since around 1700. The garden design has received a great deal of international acclaim, Oudolf's planting ideas are very much admired. The Walled Garden is an outstanding example of how to combine grasses and other herbaceous plants with other structural shrubs and using hedges as a backdrop for all this inspiration. I guarantee you will be writing names down as you travel around the space to take back and look for to use in your own patch next year.
Plant of the month. Hesperantha coccinea
This south African hardy bulb is such a joy in an autumn border or container. Better in containers of well drained soil than our heavy soil, but if you are lucky enough to live on a well-drained sunny slope, then this is the plant for you. The flowers are star like and carried clustered along tall stems through October and November. They combine well with grasses and late flowering chrysanthemums as the scarlet, pink or white flowers are not very common in the late autumn garden. Fully hardy if kept in gritty soil to stop winter wet rotting the corms. These are great in large mixed containers lifted off the floor on pot feet through the winter.
Can you tell me the best way to store my fruit crop so that it keeps over the winter.
You don’t say which fruit you want to preserve. Apples and pears can be stored individually wrapped in newspaper sheets and stored in trays in a cool dark place. Check the fruits on a fortnightly basis and remove any fruit that is starting to wither or rot. If you don’t have anywhere to do this the next best way is to bottle the fruits or make preserves such as chutneys. This also encompasses preserving plums, greengages, and quinces. Recipes and you tube videos are really useful to follow to get the best results. Gluts of fruit can then be used all the way through the winter months.
I’ve got a phalaenopsis orchid that my daughter bought me last year and although the leaves are looking healthy, it won’t flower, and roots have grown over the edge of the pot. What am I doing wrong?
Don’t give up on your orchid. The plant sounds very healthy. It just needs some extra TLC to get it to flower.
Phalaenopsis or Moth orchids are the easiest orchid to grow and flower again and once you give them the right conditions, they thrive in our warm living rooms or bathrooms. Firstly, lets deal with the roots growing over the edge of the pots. In the wild these orchids are epiphytes and grow anchored on branches. In our homes we force them into pots and the roots that in the wild grip the branches rise out of the pot looking for the light. So, this is a normal response and nothing to worry about. This is not a sign to re-pot your plant either. Most phalaenopsis can stay in their original pots for upwards of three years. However, it is beneficial to change the bark compost once a year in the spring and cut out any withered roots. Finally, the feeding regime is key to getting flowers. Never use houseplant feed, it is too strong and will burn the roots. Use orchid feed and feed three times out of four waterings. The fourth watering use plain water, which will wash off any build up of feed on the roots. You should see two new leaves develop and then a flower spike should form.
