September’s Garden Plant of the Month: Fountain grass

Garden Plant of the Month for September: Fountain grass

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Grasses are popular in the garden, particularly fountain grass. With its elongated leaves and flowering plumes, the Garden Plant of the Month for September looks fabulous in the garden or on the balcony. The curving and upward lines of this grass species are attractive to look at in both summer and winter. Fountain grass comes in multiple varieties, with shorter and longer plumes that can look great in your garden.

Attractive dark plumes

Fountain grass (Pennisetum) is a member of the big family of ornamental grasses. Fountain grass is also called foxtail grass. When you see the plant with its attractive dark plumes, you can understand where these names come from. The plant originates from Australia and East Asia. The brownish, cylindrical inflorescences can reach a length of 25 cm and flower from July to September. The plant’s waving plumes are particularly elegant in summer, but they are also decorative in winter when they’re covered in snow. Fountain grass is a pollen-forming grass species with long, elegant, flat leaves from which the plumes emerge. The Latin word Pennisetum is a combination of the words ‘penna’ (= feather) and ‘seta’ (= pig’s hair) and refers to these inflorescences.

Caring for fountain grass

Your fountain grass will remain healthy and attractive by following a couple of simple tips. The plant likes a sunny spot in the garden, but can also do well in partial shade. Make sure that the soil doesn’t dry out, particularly during lengthy periods of drought. However, the plant doesn’t like to have its roots wet all the time either. Although the plant is hardy, it can do with a bit of protection during a hard and extended period of frost. Leave exhausted plumes and leaves on the plant in the autumn and winter to act as protection, and only remove them in early spring (March). New leaves will then form, and plenty of new ‘brushes’ will grow in the summer.

Pruning tip for fountain grass

To ensure an attractive plant again in spring, it’s a good idea to cut the plant back to 20 cm above the ground after the winter at the start of March. It will then have provided its own protection through the winter with leaves and old plumes, and can start growing and freshly blooming again.

More information about fountain grass and other garden plants can be found at Thejoyofplants.co.uk

 

Controversial city cycle link gets green light

CityChambers

A controversial city-wide cycle link has been given the go-ahead by councillors – despite objections by local traders and community councils. Members of the Council’s Transport and Environment Committee yesterdayrejected community concerns and instead agreed to proceed with ‘an ambitious project to create a family-friendly west to east cycle route through the city centre’.

The City Centre West to East Cycle Link and Street Improvements project aims to create a largely protected cycle way to and through the city centre, providing a crucial link from existing QuietRoutes in north and west Edinburgh to Leith Walk and intended to encourage many more commuters to choose to travel into town by bike instead of by car, reducing congestion and contributing to improved air quality as well as boosting health and fitness.

A new working group is being set up to help resolve outstanding design issues with the plans. Meanwhile work will start immediately to secure further funding and to make preparations to commence the necessary statutory processes for the scheme.

The Council’s Transport and Environment Committee voted to create the new stakeholder group, whose members will include the Transport Convener and Vice Convener, the transport representatives of the other political groups, local ward members, relevant local groups and selected officers.

A motion put forward by the Capital Coalition acknowledged “a strong division of opinion on the two options for the Roseburn area – with the majority of ‘Active Travel Forum’ members supporting Option A” and a “strong preference for Option B amongst local businesses and Community Councils”.

The stakeholder group’s discussions on this aspect and other outstanding design issues will be reported to the Future Transport Working Group, chaired by the Transport Convener and held in public, for a final decision under the delegated authority of the Executive Director of Place.

In approving the Capital Coalition motion, members agreed that this group “will also act as a ‘sounding board’ throughout the detailed design and eventual statutory processes”.

Transport Convener Cllor Lesley Hinds said: “We remain 100% committed to delivering this bold and transformational project, which will make it so much easier to cycle into and through the city centre by linking up with our already well-used cycle routes across the north and west of Edinburgh.

“Given the strength of feeling out there about certain aspects of the plans, there’s clearly still work to be done before the final route design is agreed.

“This new stakeholder group will allow all interested parties to get round the table and thrash out the remaining issues, listening to each other’s points of view and – hopefully – arriving at a conclusion which the majority are happy with so that the final route design can be agreed.” Continue reading Controversial city cycle link gets green light

Try table tennis at Leith Victoria

table-tennis

Been inspired by table tennis at this year’s Rio Olympics and want to have a go? Now you can at Edinburgh Leisure’s Leith Victoria Swim Centre.

The session will be held at the following times of the week in studio 2:

Day Time
Monday 09:00 – 13:00
Wednesday 12.00 – 17:00
Friday 14.30 -17.00
Saturday 12:00 – 17:00
Sunday 13:00 – 19.00

Nicola Duffy, General Manager at Edinburgh Leisure’s Leith Victoria Swim Centre said: “Table tennis is a great way to exercise the body and mind, whilst developing hand co-ordination. A game of table tennis can be surprisingly intense and can really get the heart pumping. It also improves cardiovascular fitness and endurance levels.

“Table tennis is one of the most accessible sports around – it can be played at any level from the Olympics to an impromptu game in your dining room with a line of old videos as a net or indeed at Leith Victoria. We’ve got the equipment and bats and balls. You just need to turn up.”

Table tennis helped end the Cold War. In 1971, a group of US players became the first Americans to visit China since it had become a Communist state in 1949. The trip, which spawned the phrase “ping-pong diplomacy” is often credited with reviving diplomatic relations between the countries.

Booking is recommended for each 60 minute session. Edinburgh Leisure is offering 50% off prices quoted below from 1 September – 1 December.

Cost
Standard £8.10
Discount Card / Members £6.05
65+ & Concession Discount Card £4.90
Junior & Disability Discount Card £4.10
Young Scot (during timeframe) £2.00

To book in for the event contact: Edinburgh Leisure’s Leith Victoria Swim Centre on 0131 555 4728 or visit the reception at Leith.

For further information, visit:  www.edinburghleisure.co.uk