Genus: Stipa

cool

Thanks for that, will leave well alone.

nature wouldnt pick them out so realy i think its up to you.i would just pick up the dead bits myself

No, don't cut it down, leave the 'flowers' until the spring to enjoy seeing the frost on them. In the spring, cut off the flowering stems and clean out the dead leaves. It is an evergreen, so it doesn't get cut back in late winter like the deciduous ones do.

Stipas can be divided from mid-spring to early summer if the clumps get overcrowded/too big.

nice combination of plants... brings up nice colors

Greenthumb and Skippy - the purple plant is Ajuga repens 'Braunherz'. I only planted it early summer, so it's spread loads (only 3" pot when bought). I'm really pleased with it - it goes great with the other plants I've got in this patch - shows everything off nicely and is good thick groundcover - no weeds have got through it :-)

I love the feathery grass but I, too, would like to know what the purple plant is..

Beautiful Sid, I love grasses and they look very healthy too.

Looks great. What is that deep purple plant growing beneath it?

Looking good

Looking good :o)

Lovely combination.

What's a crowd as long as they don't kill each other....looks great...bottlebrush is a favorite of mine...

Many thanks everyone for all your help - it's very much appreciated!

Seed heads on grasses through the winter are very attractive and good for birds. Dig it out in the Spring chop into pieces and replant what you want.

I would only add that established grasses die out in the center, so when you divide just use the outer vigorous portions for replanting and discard the rest. I would also say most grasses are best left for winter interest and cut back in late Feb to early March.

Ah, right, then first job when it has finished for this year is to clear away all the old growth altogether. And I mean down to ground level. It is the accumulated old growth which is not helping your plant. Interesting thing about all grasses is that they grow from the base of the plants rather than the top. This is why you can keep on cutting a lawn without killing the grass. When I have finished clearing up our grasses there is nought to be seen but the bare soil and perhaps a few tiny green shoots if it is later in the season and the tips of the old shoots here they emerge from the soil.

It's definitely Stipa G - I have the original label! The leaves do go browny, but the clump stays the same size.

Then I am not sure that it is Stipa gigantea. That is definitely a deciduous grass. It dies back to straw like leaves in a clump in November.
The large evergreen grass is Pampas grass (Cortaderia sp.). That is more difficult to deal with.

Thanks owdboggy - this stipa is evergreen - at least the clump just sits there all year. Do I cut back now and then divide in spring?, or not cut back if I'm going to divide?

I think it definitely needs splitting. You will get a lot of plants out of one that size!!! Lovely grass it is too.

Thinking about it, your clump is probably in need of splitting and replanting with some fertiliser under it. This is done in spring when the new roots are beginning to grow.

I begin cutting down all our herbaceus grasses (ie the non evergreen ones) in November and continue doing it through out the winter, aiming to finish by February when the first shoots of the year begin to appear. So any time when the plant is dormant is the right time.

Thanks so much for the info Buzzbee. I'm definitely going to check into this beauty !

I don't know Flcray - it's common name in the UK is Feather Grass - Stipa tenuissima.

This one really looks great, is it ponytail grass?

I love this grass Buzzbee

Thanks F1 - I had to be quite to take this photo as the sun kept going behind clouds. There is also a Miscanthus s. 'Zebrinus' in the bed.

Love the lighting in this photo too, like the way you've incorporated some grass in your flowerbed.

They looked to fragile - I was amazed they were hanging on! And in each and every one - a reflection of the the rest of the garden :-)

Rain drops Look just like Small Perfect Glass Balls :)

Thanks Bonkers - don't think they would have lasted long in todays wind...

Nice shot , Sid look like rows of glass beads waiting to roll off one by one.

Lovely. I love grasses.

Thankyou both of you.I'm going to try to track down seed so I can have lots at the same stage and possibly a prairie this year-even if it's a short one! If not, I'll get a couple of plants.Regards Tulipdamen.

Hi Tulip! IT was me I think! I'm growing S. tenuissima from seed for the first time this year. I bought the packet from a garden centre - in fact it was one of these 'collection' packets, which contained 4 different types of grasses. It cost about £2, so I think it was a bit of a bargain. Wyeboy is right that if you bought a plant it would seed itself about, but of course that would take a couple of years and the plants are not particularly cheap if you need enough to do a 'prairie' type planting. My seedlings are doing very nicely, but to be honest, I don't think they will provide much of an impact this year - they have a lot of growing to do, but they might just surprise me and get a real growth spurt on! The seed packet said to transplant the seedlings singly, but I've sown several seeds per 1" plug in the hope of getting bigger plants sooner. Hope this helps - Good luck! Sarah.

If you buy one plant ,in a couple of years you will have a prairie, they seed all over the place very easily .They do not grow tall, about 1/2 a metre. A specialist seed place may have them , but a plant is not very expensive.

Thanks again. I can now name another unknow plant. Must right names down when I plant out.!

Well done Sid - hope they flourish!

Just wanted to come back to this picture to say that my stipa seedlings came up today! Yeay! Very tiny fine shoots, tho. Hope they bush up a bit for my prairie!!

That sounds a great planting combination Sid - true prairie style!

I'm growing this Stipa from seed this year. I want to try and get in 'en masse' mixed with Echinacea and Rudbeccia.

Pretty grass Spritz but I really like the Pulmonaria

This grass is lovely Looks like a Big Firework :)

it looks like rain !

lol lol ok I agree with you! The common names are not ones to conjure the beauty of the plant. I'll just practice the pronounciation ;o )

I agree - however, it has two common names - 'Reed grass' and 'Smallweed'.(YUK) On second thoughts, I shall stick to Calamagrostis!

Beautiful plant. Why do they give such long latin names to GRASS ??
;o )

You are right, Jacque - this photo was taken when the grass was in 'flower' a few months ago. - that's the feathery, fluffy look. I added it to 'My Garden' because I finally found out what species it was! I love it.

Looks All Fluffy :D

what a lovely colour!

Thank you Hoya - there are matching steps the other end of the border! I'll take a photo when (if) it stops raining! I am ashamed to say that we haven't yet done the rounds of the gardens in our area yet - went to the Kent/Sussex ones frequently before the BIG move to Somerset! Must make the effort and see the steps at Hestercombe...if we get a sunny day????

Lovely stipa! and what great steps - a la Hestercombe!

I fell in love with this plant when visiting Garden Organic Yalding,they had it at the side of a walkway, it's tall beautiful, and you can still see through it, very sensual plant..