Mill Pond Garden to host open garden day Sept. 13

Mill Pond Garden will host an open garden day from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., Sunday, Sept. 13, at 31401 Melloy Court, Lewes.

The garden will be sharing the glories of the late summer, featuring plants that do well in the Cape Region, and deserve recommendation and enjoyment. Tickets will be available online a week in advance to subscribers; go to millpondgarden.com. Masks and social distancing apply, and organizers offer thanks to all for safety courtesy.

Of particular interest, two excellent hardy ornamental grasses are featured that do well in shade, Japanese Forest Grass and Diamond Grass. There are very few ornamental grasses that can survive much shade, and these two are exceptional performers in every respect.

Calamagrostis brachytricha (Diamond Grass) makes a three-foot-high graceful mound of arching leaves with higher stalks of unusually large, finely feathery flowers in late summer, capturing dew that sparkles like diamonds. This grass is big enough to look important without becoming a monster that takes over the garden.

Other glories of the September garden on display will be a late flush of roses and mature annuals. One may possibly see water lilies and the everblooming, sterile Rhapsody in Pink crape myrtles that bloom in flushes from June to frost, without the usual messy seed dropping or seedlings sprouting.

One purpose of checking local gardens in late summer is to see how well various perennials, annuals and shrubs survive pest damage, heat, wind, weather and disease challenges. Experienced gardeners often carry a small notebook and pen or a digital equivalent to make some notes when visiting gardens.