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we want to talk about basket stuffer grasses and what we mean by basket stuffer grasses are grasses that can be used in mixed containers or centerpieces or larger pots, etc. These are not varieties that would be typically used in your perrenial garden.
So we have a great display here behind us with some of our favorite varieties and we're going to introduce them to you in the next few minutes. The first type of grass we want to talk about is
The Pennisetum or Fountain Grass. This is by far the most popular annual type grasses used in the
landscape and the containers, etc. Over here, this would be sort of a basic, generic strains seed variety called Pennisetum setaceum or Rosy Fountain Grass. Just plain green blades of grass with a really nice pinky plume to it.
Most affordable out of the varieties I want to talk about but may be the most ordinary. Getting
over here we jump up a notch. Purple Fountain Grass
or Pennisteum setaceum 'Rubrum'. It is by far the top-selling annual type grass there is. In the spring, it starts up with sort of a bright green foliage, a little bit of a purple tinge to it. As the season progresses, we get them planted outside and the days get hotter and that's when the change will occur real slowly. We get this burgundy form developing on the foliage and now being second week of September is when you really see the full effect because we still have great, hot sunny days but quite cool nights and that's what brings out this vibrant burgundy tone to the foliage and then just a great burgundy plume to it as well. It starts out really dark and as they mature, they lighten up like this. Great form to it.
Nice arching habit. Doesn't really ever flop. I just love it. One my absolute favorites. Up front here, would be probably my favorite variety. It's only been out a few years actually been on two. It is called Fireworks. In the early season it would have a foliage that to has a lot of white, pink and
green in it. Again, as the season progresses, now being second week of September, all these pink pigments in the foliage will darken up and become more burgundy and then the white becomes kind of lighter, burgundier pink tone. And again that same beautiful burgundy flowering habit to it. Just awesome full sun grasses for planters and annual beds. One final note with the fountain grass family, the plumes make great flower arrangements in the house. So at the end of the season, when we go take out the grass, make sure you cut these off and bunch them up together and you can use them into a nice, interior fall decoration in a vase. It just have a great look to them.
This next type of Pennisteum here is called Pennisteum pupureum. Strictly grown for their foliage here in our northern climate being in BC, the season isn't long enough for them to produce the flowers. Down south in the southern states, where the growing season is quite a bit longer, well, they may eventually will have a flowering habit to it. But here, we strictly grow them for their foliage.
We're just getting into these. Next season actually inour first few we'll be carrying any kind of a
selection in this type of grass. I believe this one here in front of me is called Prince and next year we will be carrying Prince, Princess, Majestic, which is a really tall one and has an arching habit to it. I think it's about six feet tall. Just a massive specimen and the blackest leaf grass out there one called First Knight. We're really looking forward to being able to carry that for you people.
This grass here in front of me is actually Pampas Grass. We sell it as just a first-year seedling plant in the basket stuffer section and they do need more than one year before they will bloom but this is still very popular just to have as a very sturdy centerpiece in the planter. And we have this cool, little arch to the foliage at the end. Structurally very strong and rigid with a nice, little arching habit to the top. Now, if you want to over-winter this, it wouldn't be that hard because they are almost hardy enough for the Okanagan.
So simply just cut it back and bring the container into the garage, keep it quite dry and as things warm up in the spring, you will actually start to see some little green shoots coming out there, especially that window on the ground. It's just perfect setting for it. Just put in the ground, don't over-water or they'll rot and bring it back out in spring and it'll come back from the crown and then you should start to see some flowers in the 2nd or 3rd year if you're really interested in the big, white plumes that Pampas Grass can create.