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| GARDEN PLANTS |
02 / 03 / 07 |
My top ten grasses | | | Gardening.co.uk's Q&A expert Mary Payne reveals her favourite grasses
| | Calamagrostis x acutiflora 'Karl Foerster'
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(in alphabetical order)
Anemanthele lessoniana
Until recently, this plant was better known as Stipa arundinacea, or pheasant grass. It's an evergreen, clump-forming grass with narrow leaves, growing to 60cm (2ft) high, in shades of green to orange. In summer, clouds of tiny reddish-pink flowers appear from elegant, curved flower stems up to 90cm (3ft) long. It grows well in any situation, even the tough conditions of dry shade.
Growing tip: Although it is evergreen, I usually cut it back in spring to encourage fresh growth.
Calamagrostis x acutiflora 'Karl Foerster'
This grass is a must for naturalistic-style plantings because of the strong vertical accent it creates from its 1.8m (6ft) flower stems that appear in June and persist right through the winter. This non-invasive grass is easy to divide in spring or autumn and looks at its best in groups, or meandering lines, through prairie-style plantings. Calamagrostis 'Overdam' is a variegated form that is slightly shorter.
Growing tip: Cut the plant back to 10cm (4in) in spring or autumn if you prefer the tidy look.
| | Carex oshimensis 'Evergold'
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Carex oshimensis 'Evergold'
This is the perfect grass (technically a sedge) for winter interest and has the added bonus of tolerating dense shade. Its creamy white variegated foliage looks clean and crisp all year round, making it the ideal partner for mixed containers where its slightly arching foliage will soften the edges. Try to resist cutting it back in spring, as the new growth rising through old stubble is not attractive.
Growing tip: Leave the plant to grow uncut for two to three years. Then lift and split in the spring.
Chionochloa rubra
A native of New Zealand, this forms a fountain of pale-brown stems out of which appear 80cm (32in) high, somewhat inconspicuous, flowerheads. A single plant will occupy a space 75cm (30in) in diameter and should not be overcrowded for best effect. Try it as a specimen plant repeated through a gravel garden.
Growing tip: This grass rarely needs any attention and can be left for three to four years before dividing in late spring or early summer.
| | Molinia caerulea 'Variegata'
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Cortaderia richardii
This is a pampas grass with style. It is the New Zealand pampas or toe toe grass and needs to be grown as a specimen as it will reach a diameter of nearly 2m (7ft) and a height of 2.5-3.5m (8-11ft). It has evergreen leaves with a faint-brown-to-orange midrib. It flowers much earlier that the familiar South American pampas and sends up long arching spikes in June, topped by gently curving flowerheads which persist through summer and into the winter. It needs none of the drastic action of burning so often metered out to the common pampas.
Growing tip: It prefers a dampish spot and associates well with water, where it makes an impressive sight.
Miscanthus sinensis 'Morning Light'
This has all the qualities of a great garden plant. The narrow leaves, almost imperceptibly variegated, enable it to blend into natural-style plantings or formal settings. Growing to about 1.2m (4ft), it may bloom in a good summer with fingered flowerheads that persist through winter.
Growing tip: Enjoy its winter silhouette, then cut it hard back to 10cm (4in) in spring, just before the new growth starts.
Molinia caerulea 'Variegata'
My first choice for a gardener new to grasses, as it is compact, effective and reliable. The cream variegated foliage arises from an almost woody rootstock. The buff-coloured flower
spikes appear in about August and arch gently outwards growing to a height of about 60cm (2ft).
| | Pennisetum villosum
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It tolerates sun or part shade, provided the soil is not too dry, and its stems and leaves neatly part company from the rootstock in autumn.
Growing tip: Allow this plant to mature into impressive clumps, rather than dividing it too often.
Pennisetum villosum
In late summer, fluffy caterpillar flowerheads will appear that are irresistible to touch. In a bad winter you may loose it, but do not give up on the plant too soon as it rarely appears above ground before late May. The foliage sprawls a bit, but the flowerheads grow to about 50-60cm (20-24in) and add greatly to the late-summer interest, although unlike many grasses it has little to offer for winter interest.
Growing tip: Easily raised from seed, this will enjoy a sunny, well-drained spot.
Stipa gigantea
The giant oat grass is best used as a specimen where the evening sun backlights the 1.5m (5ft) flower stems. If planted as a group, the flower stems tend to catch those of the next clump and break.
| | Stipa gigantea
| The basal foliage is evergreen. This grass does not spread, but stays as a clump that after five years or so will benefit from lifting and dividing in the spring.
Growing tip: Rake through in spring to remove the old leaves.
Stipa tenuissima
This 45cm- (18in)-high, tactile grass with the finest of leaves just asks to be stroked. Include it in a border for an instant 'relaxed' look by its movement in the slightest breeze. Individual plants are not long-lived but can be relied upon to produce some seedlings that are easily transplanted.
Growing tip: In late summer comb out the excess seeds to keep the old flowerheads light and fluffy for the winter months. In spring pull out the old flower stems.
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denotes Subscriber-only content | Thursday 21 August 2008 | Help | Glossary 
