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Grasses novice

• Message 1. 

  Posted by Trillium (U2170869) on Monday, 14th November 2005

  Hi,
  
  I've got a rough patch in the garden that I'd like to turn into a prairie style area for next year. It faces south and backs onto a conservatory. It's about 14ft long by 5ft deep.
  
  I'm planning to include verbena bonariensis, helleniums, rudbeckias and echinacea for flowers but don't know much about grasses and want to take the opportunity to learn more. I'm looking for some low growing ones, but also some that will be the same height as the verbena - so that you look through them from inside the conservatory. I'm thinking oaty/honey coloured seed heads. Nothing too fast spreading or madly self-seeding, ideally. What are your favourites - what would you suggest?
  
  Thanks in advance....

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• Message 2

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  Posted by Obelixx (U2157162) on Monday, 14th November 2005

  Hi Trillium - I have some lovely Carex in various shades of bronzy goldy foliage that is about 60cms high. The latest is called Milk Chocolate. Stipas do good seedheads and come in 60cms or taller. Pennisetum can be tender in a bad winter so I've given up on that one. I think Miscanthus forms tend to be a bit too tall and dense for what you want. All of the above behave and do not send runners everywhere. I did once buy an ornamental grass that was as bad as couch grass for spreading itself.

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  Posted by Lord Steve (U2064703) on Monday, 14th November 2005

  Hi Trillium. I like the Calamagrostis 'Karl Foerster', which is upright and tall and flowers in midsummer. The flowerheads go a lovely golden colour. I planted mine next to verbena bonariensis and have enjoyed the screen effect. It is less dense than Miscanthus, as Obelixx says.
  
  A grass I haven't the space for but have seen and really like is Stipa Gigantea. The flowerheads really catch the light and have a wonderful translucent effect. It might be worth some research to check it would fit in your spot.
  
  Another which I have seen recommended is Molinia 'Windspiel', but I have no experience of this grass.

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• Message 4

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  Posted by beejay (U2219592) on Tuesday, 15th November 2005

  Stipa gigantea is a fantastic tall see through grass which does look fantastic with verbena b, it does have a fairly hefty clump of leaves though which can be a bit of a disadvantage. It is also an early flowerer. I have Molinia caerulea Transparent which is fantastic: about 6ft tall & "it does what it says on the tin".
  
  As for smaller ones I think stipa tenuissima though it does self seed a bit, festuca glauca for its blue-green leaves & last year I bought Carex Jenneke which has very pretty narrow gold edged leaves. oh yes, carex Frosted Curls is lovely 'though I haven't grown it myself.
  
  I keep thinking about the grasses border at Wisley but can't think what most of them are called ( there are some fantastic pennisetums).

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• Message 5

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  Posted by Toadspawn (U2334298) on Tuesday, 15th November 2005

  Hi Trillium, as you saw from my phtos I only have grasses in my bed. It is a bit congested even after two years.
  There are so many to chose from, for example the RHS Gardeners Encyclopedia of Plants and Flowers has some reasonable pics and descriptions.
  I like Miscanthus spp. and Stipa spp. because they add height to the border, and they are not so dense that it is impossible to see other plants through them. They are also clump forming and are non-invasive. Festuca glauca forms a small clump of fine leaved blue leaves, and Imperata cylindrica (Red Baron) has bright red leaves. Some of the Carex and Cyperus spp. have interesting leaf and stem shapes and unusual flowers. It is impossible not to mention Pennisetum spp. as possible contenders for a space in the border and Melica spp. have an interesting inflorescence. Maybe some of the smaller Bamboos are worth considering and possibly a dwarf Pampas grass. Arundo spp are very tall but if you have space are good feature plants.

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  Posted by Trillium (U2170869) on Tuesday, 15th November 2005

  Thanks very much to all of you. It's so much more informative getting personal insights into a plant compared with just looking it up on the web or in a book.

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• Message 7

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  Posted by Obelixx (U2157162) on Tuesday, 15th November 2005

  While you're there, I have blue fescue and it has struggled to get going but is now doing well - maybe needed a while because of the cold - so I've recently planted a wee group of 6 more. They look great through the winter and good the rest of the year too. I have the red imperial grass. It's gorgeous but slow and wussy here so this year I have potted up a piece as insurance fo rthe winter ravages. A very good is Bowles Golden something. I have this in a pot and in the ground and it is very bright with lovely golden variegation. I have recently seen an all gold version.
  
  Recently I bought a variegated form of molinia and some grass which is a soft green all summer but goes purple for the autumn and winter with fine seed heads. I'll try and find the label because it's a stunner.

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  Posted by burntfacedjake (U2465869) on Tuesday, 15th November 2005

  Not much to add really but just to elaborate on the Stipa theme I have Stipa tenuifolia (tenuissima), a beautiful wispy grass that's always moving, and Stipa arundinacea, the Pheasants Tail grass. They look brilliant next to Knautia macedonica as the flowers of this seem to float through the grasses. Panicum virgatum cultivars are good for screening. If you want some more inspiration try Designing With Plants by Piet Oudolf... The best planting design book I know of. Try adding clumps of Monarda, Astrantia and Eryngiums - not strictly a prairie but a similar effect.

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• Message 9

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  Posted by burntfacedjake (U2465869) on Tuesday, 15th November 2005

  Oh, just remembered - I also have Deschampsia cespitosa Goldtau which is great in groups of about 7,9 or 11, especially once you start mixing other plants in. Digitalis ferruginea looks good popping up through the Deschampsia.

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• Message 10

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  Posted by princessanabana (U2421659) on Tuesday, 15th November 2005

  I love grasses and have blue festuca, red baron, zebra grass (a micanthus), the unofficial black grass, ponytails ( which I grew from seed!!) but my favourite is bronze sedge grass (Carex comans bronze)- my frind has a similar one called red something).I love prairie style gardening, next to wild meadow - my attempt at wild meadow in a 6X3 feet plot was appalling - it became a jungle of the fittest. I need a bigger garden. PA

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• Message 11

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  Posted by Toadspawn (U2334298) on Tuesday, 15th November 2005

  Mr Fothergill's 2006 seed catalogue has a Garden Trends page - Prairie Planting. He includes Achillea milefolium 'Summer Berries', Echinacea purpurea 'Purple Coneflower', Monarda didyma 'Panorama mixed' and the following grasses Stipa tennuisima 'Pony Tails ', Pennisetumsetaceum 'Fountain Grass', Chianochloa flavicans, and Miscanthus sinensis ' Early Hybrids'.
  Maybe something of interest if you want to grow from seed.

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