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Miscanthus

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Daisy

  • Sr. Member
Miscanthus
« on: September 20, 2011, 09:34:45 AM »
My Miscanthus sinensis var. condensatus Cosmopolitan has just started flowering.
This grass is very happy here in Crete.
It is yet another of the plants that I hauled here from my garden in Cornwall.
It looks better in the garden than it does in a photograph! Honest!
Every winter, I chop bits off of it for various friends and neighbours who admire it.
Daisy :)






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Amateur gardener, who has gardened in Surrey and Cornwall, England, but now has a tiny garden facing north west, near the coast in north east Crete. It is 300 meters above sea level. On a steep learning curve!!! Member of both MGS and RHS

ezeiza

  • Full Member
Re: Miscanthus
« Reply #1 on: September 20, 2011, 11:06:11 PM »
This is certainly useful information with so many interesting variants of garden Miscanthi. Can you upload a close up of the foliage, please?
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Daisy

  • Sr. Member
Re: Miscanthus
« Reply #2 on: September 21, 2011, 09:37:45 AM »
I am away from home at the present, so cannot take another photograph.
However there is a good photo on the R.H.S. website.
Daisy :)

http://www.rhs.org.uk/Gardens/Hyde-Hall/About-HydeHall/Plant-of-the-month/September/Miscanthus-sinensis-var--condensatus--Cosmopolitan
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Amateur gardener, who has gardened in Surrey and Cornwall, England, but now has a tiny garden facing north west, near the coast in north east Crete. It is 300 meters above sea level. On a steep learning curve!!! Member of both MGS and RHS
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John

  • Hero Member
Re: Miscanthus
« Reply #3 on: September 23, 2011, 03:10:12 PM »
I might be wrong but the variegation doesn't look bold enough for 'Cosmopolitan'?
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John
Horticulturist, photographer, author, garden designer and plant breeder; MGS member and RHS committee member. I garden at home in SW London and also at work in South London.

ezeiza

  • Full Member
Re: Miscanthus
« Reply #4 on: September 23, 2011, 06:03:04 PM »
That's why a close up was of use.
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Daisy

  • Sr. Member
Re: Miscanthus
« Reply #5 on: September 28, 2011, 04:47:59 PM »
I am back now and have taken a few close up photos of my miscanthus.
It was labelled Cosmopolitan when I bought it about seven years ago in England.
See what you think. :) :) :)
Daisy :)





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Amateur gardener, who has gardened in Surrey and Cornwall, England, but now has a tiny garden facing north west, near the coast in north east Crete. It is 300 meters above sea level. On a steep learning curve!!! Member of both MGS and RHS

ezeiza

  • Full Member
Re: Miscanthus
« Reply #6 on: October 05, 2011, 02:34:58 AM »
Yes, it is, Daisy. Thanks.
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John

  • Hero Member
Re: Miscanthus
« Reply #7 on: January 31, 2012, 11:54:35 PM »
I have just come back to this and yes it does seem right for Cosmopolitan. Here it is in London with Euphorbia ceratocarpa.
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John
Horticulturist, photographer, author, garden designer and plant breeder; MGS member and RHS committee member. I garden at home in SW London and also at work in South London.

Daisy

  • Sr. Member
Miscanthus
« Reply #8 on: December 05, 2013, 02:18:12 PM »
I wrote about my Miscanthus sinensis Morning Light a couple of months ago.
http://www.mgsforum.org/smf/index.php?topic=1519.0
It is a beautiful plant for 11 months of the year.
In late winter, I cut it back to the ground. It soon regrows to look beautiful.


may 2013 008 by Daisyincrete, on Flickr
Here it is in early summer.


025 by Daisyincrete, on Flickr
...and here it is this morning. A dull, cloudy December day.
Daisy :)
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Amateur gardener, who has gardened in Surrey and Cornwall, England, but now has a tiny garden facing north west, near the coast in north east Crete. It is 300 meters above sea level. On a steep learning curve!!! Member of both MGS and RHS

Daisy

  • Sr. Member
Re: Miscanthus
« Reply #9 on: January 18, 2014, 03:54:22 PM »
It is amazing how much abuse Miscanthus sinensis Morning Light can take.
Not only can it take the full force of gale force winds for days on end, without turning a hair, but now, my new, little cat has decided that it is the best place to play hide and seek.
She enjoys jumping into the clump to hide, then leaps out at my other cat, who is her best friend.
They then enjoy a punch up in the miscanthus, before going on to their other favourite game, which is leaping up to catch it's seedheads, dragging them down to the ground and chewing them.
After all of this, the miscanthus looks just the same, still graceful and beautiful.
Here it is now in mid January.
Daisy :)


007 by Daisyincrete, on Flickr
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Amateur gardener, who has gardened in Surrey and Cornwall, England, but now has a tiny garden facing north west, near the coast in north east Crete. It is 300 meters above sea level. On a steep learning curve!!! Member of both MGS and RHS
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Imogen

  • Newbie
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Re: Miscanthus
« Reply #10 on: February 04, 2014, 04:32:16 PM »
Hi Daisy
I'm a newcomer to the forum, and to gardening in the Mediterranean, and keen to learn more about suitable grasses and perennials for hotter climes (I've been gardening in Norfolk so I'm used to incredibly dry conditions but not quite so much heat!) Can you tell me do you water your Miscanthus at all? I've grown M.malepartus, plus 'Punktchen' and 'Flamingo' without watering in the UK, relying on spring and the minimal summer rain to get them through but how does it work in Crete?
Many thanks
Imogen
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Gardening in the Minervois, south-west France.  MGS and PGG member, https://gardeninginthemediterranean.wordpress.com/

Daisy

  • Sr. Member
Re: Miscanthus
« Reply #11 on: February 05, 2014, 10:51:58 AM »
Hello Imogen. Welcome to the forum.
Because I have mixed plantings, I hand water my tiny garden once a fortnight in summer.
The miscanthus never flags in between waterings, no matter how hot it is.
I also have Stipa tenuissima and Deschampsia cespitosa. They are equally as happy on my regime. The stipa seeds around a bit, but not enough to be a nuisance.
I don't know how they would do with less watering, perhaps someone else who doesn't water during the summer can tell you.
I have just planted a new Stipa gigantea and a Muhlenbergia capillaris.
This will be their first summer. I am looking forward to seeing them grow.
I can tell you which other perennials are happy in my garden, but I had better do that on a separate thread.
Daisy :)
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Amateur gardener, who has gardened in Surrey and Cornwall, England, but now has a tiny garden facing north west, near the coast in north east Crete. It is 300 meters above sea level. On a steep learning curve!!! Member of both MGS and RHS
*

Imogen

  • Newbie
    • Email
Re: Miscanthus
« Reply #12 on: February 05, 2014, 11:37:51 AM »
Thank you for your reply and welcome Daisy. I'm really interested to know which grasses are suitable so I can add them to the many lists that I am compiling this year. I am just working my way through the forum, it's a great first hand reference isn't it! Stipa gigantea was stunning for me in Norfolk, I only watered it at first planting then it grew enormous along the dry banks, gorgeous seed heads too, I hope it works well for you. And yes please to advice on perennials! My recent gardening experience is with late summer flowering perennials, I worked on a Piet Oudolf garden so I'm hoping to find that some of my favourite plants may cut it in the summer heat in France. Wishful thinking I'm sure :0)
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Gardening in the Minervois, south-west France.  MGS and PGG member, https://gardeninginthemediterranean.wordpress.com/

Umbrian

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Re: Miscanthus
« Reply #13 on: February 05, 2014, 12:50:53 PM »
Yes, a warm welcome to the Forum Imogen. I grow Stipa gigantea here in Italy and after establishment never water my plants. My original plant flourished so well that last year I decided to move it as it had outgrown it's position. It moved well ( with the occasional watering to help it along) and even produced some flowering heads. I think you will find it OK for your new garden. Good luck :)
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MGS member living and gardening in Umbria, Italy for past 19 years. Recently moved from my original house and now planning and planting a new small garden.
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