Architectural plants, a hint of the exotic…that’s ornamental grasses

More than at any other time, the garden is a refuge now.  As a place to escape from offices it can’t be bettered and in these recessionary times, leisure destinations that are as economical or rewarding are very hard to find.

If you’re looking for a plant with architectural qualities, a hint of the exotic and very low requirements for care, then ornamental grasses could be your answer.  Flowering grasses provide a spectacle in the garden that far outweighs their demands for care, or their initial investment.  Many, including Imperata and Pennisetum are said to be ‘trouble free’ and they can bring pleasure year after year.  They’re also fantastic for softening up hard landscaping, perhaps on a new-build site.

The range of ornamental grasses available these days means that you can find something for every situation.  In even the smallest garden you should be able to plant specimens of several different species/varieties.  The taller species and varieties offer the promise of sensory reward from the movement and sound as breezes sough through the leaves.  Shorter grasses are suitable for container planting.

 

Imperata cylindrica ‘Rubra’, also known as the ‘Red Baron’, is a spectacular grass.  It’s a clump-forming plant and the leaves are short, at about 40cm, but they turn red from the tips of the stems downwards, almost as far as the base.  Pennisetum alopecuroides 'Hameln' is a charming, deciduous grass that forms a compact, low mound and produces long-lasting, soft, pinkish, brush-like flowers in late summer that resemble squirrel tails. The bright green leaves turn yellow in autumn. It’s a fairly undistinguished plant until the flowers appear, so use it alongside spring bulbs or early-flowering perennials.  

Ornamental grasses combine well with other plants.  Autumn flowering plants, for example, asters, helianthus or chrysanthemums make good partners, but foliage plants can also be effective alongside more subtle grasses.  For example a side-by-side blend of the foliage of Imperata and Elaeagnus can be a delightful and understated combination.

Most grasses are easy to grow and will thrive in even poorer soils, though they do tend to need a full sun position.  Once established they will perform year after year with the minimum of intervention and have low water requirements, making them perfect for drought-prone areas.  However, if you want to do your best by them, feed in spring with a general purpose fertiliser.  They’re sufficiently sturdy to survive the odd ball being kicked through them, which makes them the ideal choice for a family garden.

All grasses mentioned in this article are sold in both are garden centres for only £6.85 each.