Perennials: Panicum vargatum 'Cheyenne Sky', 2 by DonnaMack

DonnaMack wrote:
How wonderful. Thank you for sending me the Missouri link on grasses.. I had never seen it. And I had NO IDEA that Monrovia would ship to a garden center. I thought that you had to just run around trying to find things that are only available there.

Looking at it helps me to remember to diversify my grasses. I have owned several of the miscanthus the site suggests. In my new yard I have installled Graziela, Morning Light, Huron Sunrise, Strictus and Floridulous. Panicum is new to me. Pennisetum 'Hameln' is terrific. I installed it in a client's garden and it was such a smash I purchased some for myself - I had been looking for alopecuroides, which is the biggest and which I had a bunch of at home. It is apparently too big for a lot of people so it has gotten hard to find.

Frankly, miscanthus is much showier. Morning Light is spectacular! It is the last grass to bloom, in October. The first picture shows 5. I re installed 3 in my new home.

Sarabande is very much like Gracillimus, which blooms in September for me. This was the idea of my landscape designer. She put in 8! 2nd pic.

And Strictus! 3rd pic. To the left. Note that they don't recommend Silberfeder, to the right - it invariably flops. Not my designer's fault - mine. (Although Strictus and ML were my ideas!)

These grasses all bloom at different times. Strictus in July, Gracilimus in September, and ML in October. It was so cool that Missouri noted that. This way, you have a choice of BOOM all at once or a staggering of effect. As I am sure you can see, I like the stagger.

I am putting in 3 of the tallest panicum, Cloud Nine, and one Heavy Metal, and but I have already put in about 15 miscanthus and have more coming. The flowers of miscanthus are much more spectacular. The next one I want to put in again is prairie dropseed. Another native, and very elegant grass.

I'm trying to diversify, so when I saw the eragrostis I decided to go for it. I was growing an annual eragrostis, and had not realized that it could be hardy here.

Thank you so much for sharing this with me. I love when you post. You are always searching for more beauty in a measured and intelligent way. I'm so impulsive. You are an excellent influence on me.

I can't wait to see what other plants that we are considering in common!