Savill Garden October 2011

Gorgeous! I love the way the golden light is playing on it.

I wonder, if that plant with flowers behind the grass is Hydrangea, do you remember? As this year I saw some garden arrangements of Hydrangeas and big grasses and it looks really very elegant, even in autumn, when majority of plants are already dying.

Thanks Stickitoffee. Hi Katarina, the plant behind the grass is Eupatorium maculatum (common name Joe Pye Weed). It's usually deep purple but, as you mention, at this point in time it had lost its colour and was drying out.

I really like this particular plant and was inspired by designer Piet Odoulf who combines it with all sorts of majestic plants. So I'm going to have a go this coming season :) ... in Autumn I cleared a border and planted the following:

1. Eupatorium maculatum
2. Macleaya microcarpa 'Kelway's Coral Plume'
3. Perovskia 'Blue Spire'
4. Veronicastrum virginicum Erica’and the grass
5. Miscanthus sinensis 'Gracillimus'
6. Agastache 'Black Adder'
7. Echinacea purpurea
8. Sedum (Herbstfreude Group) 'Herbstfreude'
9. Pennisetum orientale 'Shogun'
10. In amongst the above there will be a Melianthus Major - 3 yrs old, should reach 5ft this year.

Will include images of the results later this year (Summer 2012). Nicky
PS - sorry Katarina, I got carried away. Hope you don't mind. It took me ages to prepare this border. I can't wait to see the results :)

Absolutely not :))) I will put my list next time :)
I jave big circle wit grasses, perovskia and lavender and it looks great, but maybe I will try this plant, too, just have to check if it is available in Slovakia. I hope it likes dry places, don´t you know?
Happy New Year.

Have a look at this link. It tells you more about Eupatorium maculatum, which likes moist soil.

http://www.crocus.co.uk/plants/_/perennials/eupatorium-maculatum-atropurpureum-group/classid.2776/

I have sandy loam so under normal conditions this plant would not thrive in my soil because it does not retain enough water. However, to improve water retention I've been adding an annual wheelbarrow load of manure to each each square metre of soil and will mulch with a bark mulch in Spring to reduce evaporation. It might work. I'll let you know.

You just reminded me, that I wanted to buy new wheelbarrow. Thank you:))))

This is stunning !! I bought one today not knowing what it was - seeing this I am getting some more!!