Calamagrostis x acutiflora 'Karl Foerster'

This is one of my favourite grasses. I used it a lot in my planting plans for the detailed area (and managed to spell the name incorrectly every time!)

Anyway, the reason for this entry - my lack of knowledge of plants. I have bought this plant several times from Coblands for clients, after seeing it at Barrier Park in late summer.

Each time I bought it I questioned Coblands over whether they had made a mistake as it never resembled the plant that I had seen in the aforementioned park (which had looked like the grass in the middle picture).

I therefore bought some for myself to check whether they had in fact made a mistake.

I watched as they developed this spring. As the flower heads opened I thought I'd been sold the wrong plant again! The flower heads opened wide and didn't look anything like the tight, dun coloured flower heads that I had admired in Barrier Park. Before phoning Coblands and berating Nigel Gibson once more, I thought I should do some research on the net.... Oh dear, my mistake - the flower heads initially are tight, they then open wide, with feathery pink heads, which then tighten as they then turn a dun colour in late summer before the stems become bleached and upright to give good structure through the winter.

So, sorry Nigel, my mistake, but easily made!

Now I know, there is even more reason to use it - Like having three different plants in one, with a long season of interest.

Dickie