Miscanthus sinensis red chief,  relatively new introduction of an ornamental grass which I think will soon become very popular

in our garden 

Most of us, when we first get into gardening, usually find its all about eye catching blooms.

Well, ornamental grasses can also be very eye catching, in – perhaps a more subtle manner.

Take Miscanthus sinensis red chief, well I think it is looking just great in our back garden planted just in front of an apple tree.

This position was suggested by Myra,so that’s where I planted it in mid Summer. Now at the end of October I have no hesitation in repeating myself in saying it really is looking  terrific.

Being placed in such a position, extra care had to be taken in making sure the new plant did not dry out.

plant description 

Miscanthus Sinensis Red Chief is a perennial grass, and in its first year in our garden it has grown to a height of a little more than 1mtr tall,  the label suggests it can grow a bit taller reaching 1.5 mtrs about 5ft.

The flowering plumes/seed-heads start to show off in August with an eye catching shade of, well –  not exactly red, maybe, claret, burgundy, rust, I don’t know, more or less the colour which the picture shows above.

As you can see, the red seed heads mature to feathery plumes which are a shade of cream. It looks very interesting, as the red flowers develop into the cream shade, new ones continue to be produced giving a mix of both red and cream.

This plant is fully hardy in the UK.

Pruning —  Hanging on to its plumes, Red Chief gives a good show in Winter, in early Spring. cut back the old stems individually so as not to damage the new shoots which are being produced.

position — best results achieved when planted in full sun. Not too fussy regarding soil type as long as its reasonably free draining.

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Having moved to Cheshire almost a year ago,  we felt it was about time we had a look at the nearby City of Chester.

An American poll placed Chester in the top five of Europe’s prettiest City’s.

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In early July we had a day trip to Chester and was pleasantly surprised at the vibrancy and charm of the old world feel to the city.

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In Aberdeen we lived by the River Dee where there was an ancient bridge, not unlike the one above in Chester. Chester is only about thirty miles from where we live now, and the river of which this bridge spans is also named  (the Dee)

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Weather was just perfect for a riverside stroll.

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Must book a trip on the ferry next time.

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The wall and fortress which surrounds the City, was at first a wooden structure built by the Romans 2000 years ago. In 100 AD the Romans rebuilt part of the wall and fortress using stone. In Roman times the town of Chester was known as (Deva)

The stone structure survived long after the Romans left around 400AD.   In the early 900s the Saxons made good use of the Roman walls as a defence against Viking raids.  (the Saxons named the town Chester)

 In 1066 the Normans  invaded the country and between 1120 and 1350AD  repaired, strengthened and completed the walls surrounding Chester.

In the 18th century the walls were made into a walkway surrounding the city and have been well maintained to this day.

History of the City of Chester

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The Roman gardens in Chester were set out in the 1950s, displaying Roman artefacts excavated from the area in the 19th century.

Roman gardens

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