These days I’d say Stipa gigantea is a close second to being ultra-low maintenance. Firstly, – before you buy new plants – check your overgrown beds to see whether you already have what you need. This year Christopher Bradley Hole fastidiously combined Stipa gigantea with old roses and aquilegias, Eremurus and Nectaroscordum siculum. Golden oats, Stipa gigantica, Giant feather grass. Required fields are marked *, Please answer the sum below... Painting your shed transforms your garden. The stipa, on the other hand, should look delightful nearer the house…if it’s happy to move. To propagate, divide plants from mid-spring to early summer. Grasses from cool climates (such as Carex, Calamagrostis, Chasmanthium, Deschampsia, Festuca, Hakonechloa, Helictotrichon, Molinia and Stipa) require frequent division, perhaps every three years, to prevent root congestion and loss of vigour. Do tell us here or on the Middlesized Garden’s Facebook page. Stipa gigantea: delivers on texture, form and sound in spades When it comes to ornamental grasses (my favourite group of plants) I am at risk of hyperbole with almost every utterance. My experience was that the clematis vines were doing so poorly where they were anyway, that if they didn’t survive the move, at least I tried. Stipa gigantea : medium. They prefer a medium to light, well drained soil in lots of sun, but ,if you do want to plant one, I would incorporate grit or sand into the planting to increase the drainage. So moving them was well worth the effort, even if you have to pay someone to do the digging. Stipa gigantea : medium. But low hedges…, The 8 best perfect-for-privacy garden trees, Do you need trees for privacy? Stipa gigantea (Golden Oats, Giant Oat Grass) Certainly one of the most dramatic grasses, green tussocks of narrow foliage erupt with tall arching stems of golden oat like flowers in June and July that sit well above the leaves, moving and swaying in the slightest breeze and … But plants often out-grow their situation or your taste changes. Hello there Yes you can grow a Stipa gigantea in clay soil, but they don't like being waterlogged. I'll definitely be adding these to the list. Privacy garden trees can make a big difference to how much you enjoy your garden. It is very dramatic when back-lit by the sun and moving with the breeze. Photos from the site may be purchased, please contact me for more information. A spade and watering can may be more useful than a cheque book. You dig a trench round the established plant and then work your spade under it, cutting any very stubborn roots. But they need very little care and put up with a…. They turn into attractive shades of pale buff and gold in the fall and persist for months, adding bristling color to the dull winter landscape. Loved the pictures you provided. Thank you for warning me – there’s another stipa that can be allowed to spend the winter where it is. Join the RHS today and support our charitable work, Keep track of your plants with reminders & care tips – all to help you grow successfully, For the latest on RHS Shows in 2020 and 2021, read more, RHS members get free access to RHS Gardens, Free entry to RHS members at selected times », Reduced prices on RHS Garden courses and workshops, Our Garden Centres and online shops are packed with unique and thoughtful gifts and decorations to make your Christmas sparkle, General enquiries We aim to enrich everyone’s life through plants, and make the UK a greener and more beautiful place. Stipa gigantea, Tostat, early May 2020. It’s the purchasing of the hessian that would stump me…. The tall flowering wands are reminiscent of golden oats and can attain heights of eight feet. I’d found 70cm buxus balls on the internet for £225. And if you share this using the buttons below, thank you! They came…, Fences for privacy – 9 great ideas for garden screening, Are you making the most of your fences for privacy and screening? Family Poaceae . A few years ago, Posy asked me if I wanted some nepeta. I moved a winter-flowering jasmine once – it was on its last legs inside in a pot, and I thought it could hardly be worse off outdoors. Thalictrum were one of my first seed-growing successes, but now, more than seven years later, I probably need to have another bash at this one especially, as the powder puff flowers are lovely against early morning sun. Plant growth creeps up on you. And if I paint my shed, it’ll also last longer…. It is a plant that takes a … Having sulked in four other positions in this as well as my last garden, I’d almost given up on them. It’s open during Whitstable Open Gardens every year for the NGS. Much loved for its tall upright stems that produce large airy heads of golden oat like flowers around this time of year. the RHS today and get 12 months for the price of 9. 10 easy care evergreen pots for year round impact, For the next six months, the evergreen pots in my garden will create almost all the structure and impact. ‘Life is too short to move plants like rosemary and lavender around – they may not like it and they’re very cheap to buy new.’. If I had bought this size of box ball (70cm), it could have cost around £225, according to my researches on the internet. You can move deciduous plants any time between October and March. Stipa is one of the perennials that dies out in the middle and needs splitting every few years anyway. Other common names golden oats . Especially once you made a terrific job of arranging and designing those plants. Unauthorised use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this site’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. This ‘Cheshire Beauty’ rose spent 30 years in one garden and has transferred quite happily to mine. 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 … And I saved £450 by finding them in my own garden. November 22nd, 2015 Posted In: Gardening on a budget. Perfectly evergreen with a great winter appearance. If you move plants you have to water them more, because their root growth has been disturbed. 3 top garden privacy tips – how to make your garden look and feel more private! The RHS also say that October to March is a good time for deciduous plants because they’re dormant, while evergreens should be moved in either October or March when the soil is warm enough for them to get established. Ornamental grasses can be divided to produce more plants, or simply to reduce the size of a clump and prevent plants from losing their vigour. Stipa gigantea has arching blades about twenty inches high. Take cuttings instead. Try moving the plant to a sunnier position, or cutting back overhanging foliage to increase light. On plant Stipa gigantea. Slide the plant out on some hessian sacking and put it straight into a prepared hole. Since finding them a sunny, sheltered, and spacious spot in well-drained soil they’ve thrived on very little attention from me. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to The Middle-Sized Garden with appropriate and specific direction to the original content. Stipa gigantea. Dividing ornamental grasses. Its large tussock form, grey-green leaves, golden inflorescences and ability to survive drought make it a stately addition to ornamental landscapes and a promising species as climates get warmer. I put a Stipa Gigantea in what I thought was a good place in spring. I would be very wary of moving your Stipa at this time of year though – would be much happier moving in the spring! The time for moving plants round your garden is between October and March (deciduous). Crocosmia seem to move happily in this garden, as do penstemons – both these started off somewhere else originally. Ornamental grasses rarely suffer from pests and diseases. Stipa Gigantea This week in the garden Week 11 Stipa Gigantea This week in the garden week 11 Squaring up to this apparent beast – it having anchored itself in over more than three years – was not something I was looking forward to. Check your own garden before you open the garden catalogues. Slow-growing, Stipa ichu (Peruvian Feather Grass) is a gorgeous and impressive perennial grass forming dense clumps of upright to slightly arching, bright green leaves. The whole point of Stipa gigantea is the gentle waving flower and seedhead which is very tall and golden – hence its common name of golden oats or giant feather grass. Credit: RHS/Tim Sandall. We all hate discarding plants. This is a splendid, architectural, ornamental grass forming large, dense clumps of numerous narrow leaves. She dropped it off in the front garden while I was out. The day of our visit arrived and we were warmly welcomed by David Ward (Director) and Åsa Gregers-Warg (Head Gardener). S. gigantea - S. gigantea is a tall, evergreen to semi-evergreen grass with arching, green leaves and large panicles of oat-like flowers that emerge purple and ripen to a golden colour in late summer.. Stipa gigantea is: Evergreen Habit. RHS Garden Hyde Hall Spring and Orchid Show, Free entry to RHS members at selected Occasionally rust can be a problem, but regular division is likely to reduce the risk of this disease developing by improving air flow around the leaves. The bit of the bed they came from doesn’t even look empty – with any luck I have created a ‘planting opportunity’ – but in reality the bed was over-crowded and I hadn’t noticed it. The RHS also say that October to March is a good time for deciduous plants because they’re dormant, while evergreens should be moved in either October or March when the soil is warm enough for them to get established. Pic by Peter Garland. These can be cut and dried when first opened for use in winter arrangements indoors. 020 3176 5800 This grass is quite drought tolerant. 3 Sep, 2008; Featured on: grasses. Today it is lush abd flourishing as it NEVER has been before! Lift grasses from the ground with a spade. Generally, plants want to survive, so you might as well give moving them a go. Two weeks ago, we decided to dig up the box ball, and its partner at the other end of the terrace. Sesleria heufleriana possibly less drought tolerant but I wanted to try a shorter grass for matrix type planting. ‘If an evergreen plant is reasonably long-lived, still fairly young and it hasn’t been in one spot for too long, then you can probably move it successfully,’ says Andy McIndoe. Your email address will not be published. Love your blog. Day lilies and iris were fine, too. 9cm pot £7.99. I have been debating the crucial issue of what colour to paint my shed. But it had been planted previously for convenience, rather than in the best position for it. The Gravel Garden is something of a wonder to gardeners. Answers. in stock ... beautiful Stipa full of glorious seed heads The wind blows across the front so the seed heads are a delight to watch moving in the wind . We’ve moved the box ball from a thicket of plants and now it’s proudly framing the bench. These days I’d say Stipa gigantea is a close second to being ultra-low maintenance. Giant needle grass . Mon – Fri | 9am – 5pm, Join the RHS today and support our charity. Grasses from cool climates include carex, calamagrostis, chasmanthium, deschampsia, festuca, hakonechloa, helictotrichon, molina and stipa. To 12′ tall in bloom from a tight but large basal clump of fine deep green leaves. Sometimes ornamental grasses can fail to flower. Post was not sent - check your email addresses! In summer, masses of elegant pale feathery seed-heads are held above the foliage. Spring is the correct time for moving/dividing any of the ornamental grasses. Stipa gigantea is an excellent alternative to pampas grass as a lawn specimen in small gardens, and is perfect for growing in a border or a gravel garden. Gardening blogs to help you grow – Grandfest. They now have a new lease of life on either side of the bench. Owdboggy . Stipa Stipa. Mine almost have to sign a mobility clause at point of purchase.. they are forever on the move! Statuesque with tufts of foliage bursting with emerging seed heads in early summer, Stipa gigantea (Golden Oats) is an impressive ornamental grass. ‘You need to lift and divide a stipa every few years anyway,’ he said. And often they did survive! This nepeta ‘Six Hills Giant’ is growing by the front gate – exactly where Posy dropped it off two years ago. However, the second corner turned into a bit of a jungle – instead of neat sculptural mounds of box and Osmanthus ‘delavyi’ to offset the frothy lace heads of Hydrangea Arborescens ‘Annabelle’, they all grew into each other. After introductions and dividing into manageable groups we went for a tour of what is probably Beth Chatto ’ s most famous creation, and certainly a topical one on a hot and sunny summer ’ s day, the Gravel Garden. Stipa gigantea, a kinetic marvel, takes up little space in a garden yet adds a great deal of depth and dimension. Join Stipa gigantea. Not all survived – a very pretty standard lollipop variegated holly turned up its toes. Do it now and it will just sit there and do nothing until Spring. I have to say that I’ve never treated our plants quite as well – they’ve been dug up any old how and not an inch of hessian has ever been seen. Species. Evergreen or semi-evergreen, it forms a dense mound of slender, arching gray-green leaves, up to 18 in. Split them using two forks inserted back to back in the centre of the clump, and then prize them apart. 5 5 1 star 1 star 1 star 1 star 1 star (3 reviews) Write review. tall (45 cm), from which emerge erect flower spikes rising 4 ft. (120 cm) above the foliage. Ask yourself how much money you’ll save by moving a plant rather than buying new. golden oats. Other names. Giant feather grass (Stipa gigantea) stays evergreen in USDA zones 7 through 10, unless exposed to freezing temperatures. “This border looks particularly dazzling when its architectural shapes are covered in frost.” Privacy is a big issue for middle-sized gardens, because high hedges and fences block light. Occasionally rust can be a problem, but regular division is likely to reduce the risk of this disease developing by … That is when they form new roots. Stipa gigantia - how long does it take to ... (perennials and annuals) - the greenhouse is bursting at the seams!!! This is the giant straight species that is so popular for its soaring silver stems and golden drooping awns. Ten years ago I took two box balls out of pots and planted one on the corner of the terrace, and the other at the other corner. Any perennials that need lifting and dividing will move well. I have to agree, moving plants is usually well worth it. times, RHS Registered Charity no. So it took root where it was, and looked so great that I’ve now planted nepeta (lifted and divided from elsewhere in the garden) all along the front beds. I asked him if our stipa gigantea would do well after moving. Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email. Beautiful pictures and great tips. Which plants have you moved successfully? Genus. In summer it supports on long, stiff stalks large, loose panicles of long-awned, silvery spikelets with conspicuous dangling, … The trouble is, once you decide something is in the wrong place it will stand out like a sore thumb. I must admit that I’ve usually moved plants when I want to move them, and most have survived. 31 + = 37, Complete Guide to Garden Privacy - Downloadable PDF, Complete Guide to Garden Privacy - Kindle & Paperback, The Middlesized Garden is a participant in the Amazon Associates LLC, an affiliate advertising programme designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.co.uk. Completely agree that it’s worth the risk to relocate plants. A relatively compact form of the most magnificent giant or golden oat grass Stipa gigantea. That would have been £450 for the two. We dug up both the Osmanthus ‘delavyi’ earlier this year, one of which has survived in its new place and one of which has died. The RHS have good advice on this. Was probably because we put it too close to the wall and I £450. An immigrant to our gardens from the southwestern Mediterranean a dense mound slender... 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Taste changes than leaving it in soggy conditions a good rootball. ’ how much money you ’ ll by... Or Paperbark Maple ) on the Middlesized garden ’ s leading Gardening charity thank you for warning me there! Please contact me for more information was out now getting wet feet my shed made a terrific job of and... Him if our Stipa gigantea ) stays evergreen in USDA zones 7 through,. Arranging and designing those plants look and feel more private although this may indicate that the clump, and spot... Gardening charity decided to dig up the box ball, and spacious spot in well-drained soil they ’ ve been... Written permission from this site ’ s life through plants, and make the UK a greener and beautiful! Leaves, up to 18 in see if any of them would be elsewhere! Buxus balls on the right place ( Stipa gigantea slide the plant to a sunnier position, or cutting overhanging... The tall flowering wands are reminiscent of golden oat like flowers around this time of.! Slighest breeze I must admit that I ’ d say Stipa gigantea is a neat, compact, grass! In well-drained soil they ’ ve moved the box ball, and prize! Acer Griseum or Paperbark Maple ) on the move 2008 ; Featured on: grasses on right..., dwarf conifers and evergreen shrubs with a spade and watering can may more... Is a neat, compact, perennial grass, bearing closely packed,,...