With the low autumnal light, and in spite of the periodic windy and wet weather, the garden and its plants continue to perform and amaze. Needing only a small amount of encouragement from some warm sunshine, such as this morning, to provide some truly beautiful moments.
The Decennium borders mix of woody plants perennials and grasses combining to offer a wealth of autmnal colours shapes and textures.Being one of the tallest of grasses, the silvery pink and red flowers of Miscanthus Malepartus are amongst the first of the grasses to catch the morning sunshine in the Decennium border.While on the other side of the Decennium border the rather more compact, and very floriferous, Miscanthus Cindy waits patiently for its turn in the sun.The impressive wine red tones of Euonymus alatus is framed by the taller Cortaderia Sunningdale Silver and the shorter, and very new, Pennisetum Black Arrow in the Decennium border.Looking across the Gravel garden to the Lower Lawn and Mill End borders. The soft yellow flowers of Scabiosa ochroleuca in the Gravel have been in constant flower all summer, and are as popular with pollinators as they are with us.In the Gravel garden the flowers of Scabiosa ochroleuca are so popular with bees that they seem happy to wait their turn! (image taken earlier in the week).While this particular bee has spotted the tasty looking flowers of a nearby catmint, Nepeta Chettle Blue, on the edge of the Decennium border. (image taken earlier in the week).The dew covered flowers of our newly launched fountain grass, Pennisetum Black Arrow, radiating and reflecting every drop of early sunlight in the Dragon garden. As the sunlight gently creeps around the Dragon garden its the turn of Molinia Poul Petersen to show the warm honey brown colours of its autumnal outfit. The Dragon garden has been planted in the Prairie style which uses a mix of grasses and perennials such as the golden orange daisy like flowers of Rudbeckia deamii.Solidago Fireworks is a golden rod with a gently arching habit that creates a virtual sea of individually tiny golden yellow flowers that works beautifully set against taller grasses such as stipa and miscanthus in the Dragon garden.Still awaiting the first rays of morning sunshine stipa, miscanthus, panicum, aster and achnatherum create a constantly varying tapesty of soft flower and foliage in the Dragon garden.A Knoll Gardens selection, the flowers and foliage of Panicum Merlot in the Dragon garden showing why this most lovely plant was given its name. Looks good enough to drink!Panicums in general are especially effective at this time of year, and the soft sea green to grey ensemble of Panicum Sea Mist is no exception.Equally stunning but rather taller is Panicum Thundercloud whose upright habit and soft green foliage and flowers are so effective where some greater height is required.Pennisetum Black Arrow growing on the edge of the Decennium border and seen through a haze of airy Molinia arundinacea flowers.
