The fountain grasses, Pennisetum, are attractive perennial grasses from warmer parts of the world. They look their best in late summer and autumn.
What sets them apart from other grasses is the mass of bristly bottlebrush spikes held upright or arching, like fountains, above slender, graceful foliage. The flowers may be creamy or biscuit-coloured, some with pink or red overtones, with many retaining their looks throughout autumn and into winter.
The long narrow foliage is attractive all year round, but looks its best in autumn, when it develops golden, buttery shades, often with coppery overtones. Some cultivars of one species, the half-hardy Pennisetum x advena, have dramatic dark-red and variegated leaves.
More advice on growing ornamental grasses:
Discover beautiful pennisetums to grow and how to grow them.
Bright-red bunny tails, fading to biscuit brown, are carried above glossy-green foliage. Flowers from July October.
Height x spread: 90cm x 90cm.
Neat and compact with narrow foliage and greenish-cream flowers on arching stems. Flowers August to November.
H x S: 45cm x 45cm.
Greyish leaves with fluffy flowerheads. Less hardy than some, but superb in a pot. In blooms from July to October.
H x S: 60cm x 60cm.
Especially free-flowering, with soft, pink-tinted white flowerheads. Flowers from July to September.
H x S: 1.2m x 1m.
Red foliage and arching, reddish-purple flowers. Not hardy, but great in a sheltered pot. Flowers from July to November.
H x S: 1.5m x 1m.
Marrubium vulgare Like many people, my first experience with horehound was crunching down on a hard brown candy that my grandpa bought me from a jar at an old fashioned candy shop. I remember thinking it tasted a bit like a sad version of root beer candy. Despite our inauspicious start together, horehound has become a must-have herb in my garden. That’s because, besides being an essential ingredient in making the candy (which I’ve grown to love), it’s o
Cryptotaenia japonica I’m not against nurturing a difficult plant if it has something really special to offer. Heck, I even tried growing the next-to-impossible-to-cultivate wasabi last year because I love fresh wasabi so darn much (let’s just say I have some work to do figuring that one out). But there’s a special place in my heart for a plant that you can plop in the ground and essentially forget for a few months. Sometimes you just want to be rewarde
Origanum vulgare Oregano, or Origanum vulgare, is a bushy, woody-branched perennial member of the mint family, Lamiaceae. Used extensively in a variety of cuisines, it is known for its earthy, robust, aromatic flavor. A staple of Italian-American cooking, oregano is found in everything from pizza and grilled meats to salad dressings and sauces, with delicious results. In fact, we like it so much that, according to some sources, Americans consume more than 14 million pounds of this
QUESTION: Is zucchini easy to grow? I’ve had bad luck with peppers so I’m looking for something pretty easy. – Olivia C ANSWER: Yes, zucchini is an easy crop to grow. Ensure you meet a few of its basic needs, stay alert to a few threats, and the plant should grow well in most settings. Zucchini needs well-draining soil and adequate lighting in its growing area. You can grow this vegetable in the ground or in a container. It can also be grown in its natural, bushy sta