Stipa tenuissima
stipa ( syn. Stipa tenuifolia )
- Position: full sun
- Soil: moderately fertile, medium to light, well-drained soil
- Rate of growth: fast-growing
- Flowering period: June to September
- Flower colour: silver-green maturing to blonde-buff
- Hardiness: fully hardy
Wonderful, wispy, pale yellow-green leaves topped with fluffy plumes of silver-green flowers, maturing to blonde-buff. This versatile deciduous grass is ideal for a sunny gravel garden, large container or new perennial border. It's perfect for introducing movement into a planting scheme since the fluffy flower heads and foliage billow in the slightest breeze. - Garden care: Cut back in early spring before the new foliage appears.
Achillea filipendulina 'Cloth of Gold'
yarrow
Flat, plate-like yellow flowers on tall stems
Verbena bonariensis
verbena
Lilac-purple flowers
Onopordum acanthium
Scottish thistle
Architectural plant for a sunny border
Allium sphaerocephalon
round-headed leek / round-headed garlic
Small, wine-coloured flowers on tall stems
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The glue that holds so many sun-baked borders together, emerging pale-green fine filaments turn bleached canvas beige and they continue to move in winter like a lava lamp
Val Bourne - Garden Writer