Sunday, July 10, 2011

Good Morning Sunshine

Luminous quality
One of my favorite ornamental grasses is the Miscanthus sinensis cultivar 'Morning Light'.  It has fine variegated leaves that look fresh all summer.  Its reddish blooms show up at the end of summer.

Best in full sun, but can take light shade.  In fact, it looks better without the harsh midday sun.  The grass practically glows when backlit by morning or afternoon light.

At four feet high, plays well with others

This particular Japanese silver grass grows to about four feet so I use it often in mixed beds as accents.  It stays more erect and doesn't flop in late season like Miscanthus sinensis 'Gracillimus', allowing 'Morning Light" to play well with other plants in a bed.


Miscanthus sinensis 'Morning Light' and geranium 'Nimbus'

According to Rick Darke, in his Pocket Guide to Ornamental Grasses (one of my favorite books on grasses),  'Morning Light' has been a popular cultivar in Japan for a century but only introduced in Western gardens in the late '70s.   So really not that new, but still a fresh alternative to many of the other Miscanthus varieties routinely planted around here.

3 comments:

F Cameron said...

I saw your post on Gardenweb, Carolina Forum about agastache. I grow many varieties. I was just in Newport and NYC recently and thought the gardens, especially the Battery Park Gardens, looked lovely.

Freda Cameron
Defining Your Home, Garden & Travel blog

Jeff, Gardener in Chief said...

Love the Battery Park gardens. Designed by Piet Oudolf, a designer and plantsman that provides me much inspiration. Have you seen the High Line gardens in NYC?

F Cameron said...

I didn't see the High Line Gardens. My husband will willingly see 1 garden per vacation! LOL