Stipa gigantea is a great plant for this time of year and I think the most magnificent of all the ornamental garden grasses. Its narrow leaves form a large tuft of basal foliage while the loose, open panicle flowers are held on stems up to 2.5m above the foliage during June to August and persist well into the autumn and winter months. The common name ‘Golden Oats’ accurately describe the oat-like panicles of the flowers, which are golden when ripe. Stipa gigantea will happily grow in most soil types, though it will not survive the winter in waterlogged conditions.