I know that it is Pennisetum that is commonly known as Fountain Grass but at this time of year the Panicum in the front border mounts a convincing challenge for the title. It will look like this for several weeks until really harsh weather finally causes it to collapse. In the meantime it’s a fountain of grass as far as I’m concerned.
Panicum virgatum before the snow
and after
I’ve been wandering round what was, until fairly recently, a winter garden full of attractive seedheads and waving grasses and it occurs to me that maybe one of the reasons that gardeners in the past were less inclined to leave tidying their gardens until spring was that they had harder winters, with more snow. It flattens the plants that we now like to leave untouched and leaves them looking pretty dreadful. Whilst I’m not advocating a return to the old ways, I do have a bit more sympathy for them.
