As the growing season comes to a close, the backyard is looking somewhat scraggly. One exception is the view of the rain garden.
The pink muhly gass (Muhlenbergia capillaris) is especially striking, and makes a much bolder statement than when it first bloomed in October 2010. It’s been providing a splash of pink for about three weeks now, and it brightens my mood every time I see it. Here’s hoping it stays around a bit longer.
Stunning! I must add the muhly grass to my garden and use it for my clients, too. What a wonderful effect.
Thanks, Ann. I think you will enjoy. It seems to like sunshine.
What a beautiful splash of happy light! It sure reminds me of cotton candy and youth. Grasses are seldom plants of choice but how gorgeous they look at this time of the year! How big is your entire garden Betty?
I like your cotton candy analogy, Louise. And I agree that grasses are a great addition to gardens, especially in autumn and also in winter. Our backyard is relatively small – about 80 by 100 ft – or .2 of an acre.
Betty, gorgeous! Sara
Thanks, Sara.
Absolutely beautiful!
I think so, too, Beth.
That pink grass is lovely. My asters are blooming their little hearts out and attracting all kinds of bees, beetles and butterflies.
My asters are also blooming, Judy. I’m seeing several small bumble bees, a few honey bees and an occasional butterfly but, sorry to say, not nearly the number or variety of insects I have seen in the past.
Beautiful! What a great job you’ve done to have so much color spread over the seasons for so long.
Thanks, Keli. I enjoy seeing the flowers and I also like providing nectar and pollen for butterflies and other insects from spring to fall as much as possible.
After this picture I’ll bet the local nurseries will sell out of any pink muhly grass they have on hand! I plan to go looking for some this week.
Susan, I hope you can find some. I bought mine from Shooting Star Nursery near Georgetown (502-867-7979).
What a lovely scene! Any advise on how to get started on a rain garden?
Christine, we had outside help. In fact, we hadn’t thought about a rain garden until a person helping us with the native plants saw the possibility and suggested it. We were lucky in that our lot slopes from the house toward the back of the yard.
I have a how-to-manual for rain gardens from the University of Wisconsin-Extension. It looks good to me and can be found on the web at learningstore.uwex.edu/pdf/GWQ037.pdf. Local extension folks or landscapers could also be a good resource.