Desire trumps reality ... for now

-- or, how I am undone by an unhealthy passion for grasses --

I never used to like grasses. People would rave about them in magazines and I would think: yeah, whatever. I associated them with designers who wear funny glasses. The kind of people who cover the whole garden with paving stones, throw in a few architectural plants, and get out of Dodge.

Then I met Miscanthus 'Giganteus,' or Giant Silver Grass.

Miscanthus 'Giganteus' is a plant after my own heart, an extreme plant. This baby is tall, potentially a 12-foot fountain of silvery foliage.

According to the plant profile I consulted, it isn't fussy about soil type or moisture and will tolerate part shade. My shade is a little more than partial, but what can I say? I'm in love. Anyway, I've already bought it. It had me at hello.

Later I found various sources that claim Miscanthus is not nearly so unfussy, and some that insist it needs full sun. Val Bourne in The Telegraph says that "most miscanthus are too tall to grow in a pot and are best placed in a warm, open position to encourage flower and preserve leaf colour."

Oh, well.

So far Miscanthus 'Giganteus' doesn't seem thrilled to be in its half barrel, but it's not calling it a day either.

Meanwhile, I've lost my fickle heart to another:

It's Miscanthus purpurascens. Check out the gorgeous colour in the fall!