Sow the pennisetum

This feathertop grass is best grown as a half-hardy annual, although plants may survive winter in milder parts of the country. Don’t give up on plants too quickly in spring – they tend to be slow starters. If you want to be certain of keeping plants year to year, try potting them up and overwintering in a frost-free place. Sow seed in a propagator under cover from February to April, only planting out after all risk of frost has passed. The fluffy cream seedheads cry out to be touched, so try to plant some within patting distance. Plants will often self-seed.