The Gardener Magazine

Celebrate the diversity of perennials

HIGH SUMMER BOLDNESS

Miscanthus sinensis ‘Cabaret’ (maiden grass)

‘Cabaret’ forms a dense clump over 1m tall and about 2m wide. Its slender, ribbonshaped leaves have creamy white midriffs and very dark green edges. The reed-like flowering stems produce dark pink or coppery plumes in spring, which remain on the plant until late autumn, eventually fading to a creamy colour.

Use it as a great accent plant – plant it in groups of 3 – 5 in the middle of a bed.

Bracteantha bracteata(straw flower)

The straw flower or everlasting went out of fashion for a few years, but it is back with a vengeance with the ‘Mohave’ range, consisting of a variety of iridescent colours. It offers a mounding growth habit and flowers from spring to autumn.

Use it as gap fillers in the foreground.

Salvia ‘Salmia’

ticks all the boxes – a long flowering period from midspring to autumn, grows anywhere, and bees and butterflies just love them. The ‘Salmia’ range is well-branching (which means masses of flowers), can reach a height of about 60cm, and is available in three

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