Those Awesome Summer Grasses

As I type this, the wind is howling and the temperatures are dropping.  Summer is finally coming to an end.....and so will all those great summer grasses planted in the City containers.  Unlike the begonias and coleus, which will melt with the first freeze, the grasses will just go into their "tan" look.  While that might be okay in a garden, not so good in a container.  But I have to tell you which one was the winner in the group that I used.  A big surprise to me....it is Pennisetum 'Fireworks'....because earlier in the season I complained that it was not keeping up with its cousins.

 

 

This picture will not do justice to the colorations that finally came out as the summer ended but this grass really did look like a fireworks scene.  The leaves took on more red but it was the "flowers" that were most impressive -- almost glowing in the sunlight.

 

 

 



'Fireworks' also grew a little smaller and tighter than the common Pennisetum 'Rubum' so there was less flop.  Something to keep in mind if you have a small space to fill.

 

And speaking of 'Rubum'.....

 

 This one did great in the containers -- not surprising though since it is a tried and true grass.  You can see the slight differences between it and 'Fireworks'.  There is more green in Rubrum's leaves and the flowers droop a little more -- less of that "fireworks" effect.

And then there is 'Skyrocket'.....I did like this one a lot.  Clean lines, upright structure, lots of flowers.  Nothing special about the colors but if you need a good background grass this is one to look for. 

 

Scattered about in various containers were some Carex 'Ice Dance', Carex 'Evergold' and a new comer Carex 'Amazon Mist'....no pictures cause they are not very photogenic on their own.  Of course, Ice Dance and Evergold  will always be in my containers cause they do so well and add lots of texture and movement.  Amazon Mist got lost in the crowd of big players so I don't know that it is best for these containers.  For smaller pots where it can stand out on its own it should be considered. 

 

I'm prejudice about grasses and would use them at every opportunity but maybe next summer season I'll try something that is more willing to share the container space. 

 

Next posting....let's talk "bugs"....a few managed to get by my systemic barriers....and we'll talk about why.