GRASS, you may well argue, grows all summer and exhausts us where we least want it.
It comes in all manner of varieties, many of which behave themselves and look handsome throughout the year but the ornamental grass forms have now ceased to be a novelty item and are taking root in the imagination of keen gardeners who, up to recent years, may have been unsure of how to use them effectively.
Piet Oudolf, the Dutch designer and a pioneer of ‘prairie planting’ changed our outlook by demonstrating that the planting of ornamental grasses wasn’t just about flowing movement and silhouette, but also by extending the gardening season better than many other late season plants.
Many of the best forms don’t start performing until midsummer so they add late-season excitement and often carry on throughout the winter.
The queen of ornamental grasses, forms of Miscanthus sinensis, (also known as Japanese silver grass) can be used in any position where a mound-forming grass is needed.
Depending on variety these produce masses of flowers and the fresh, silky awns come in a variety of colours from plum-purple through to pink, and from mink-brown to silver.
But they all fade to beige-silver and as they disintegrate over the winter, the heads provide gossamer silhouettes varying in height from a metre upwards.
‘Yakushima Dwarf’ is probably one of the most distinctive of the lower forms but it is only one in a crowd.
Its foliage is rounded (like a table top) and sends out more shoots that others due to its dwarf habit.
The many golden-brown cockades are held just above the foliage.
‘Ferner Osten’ (illustrated) is another compact form with vibrant, wine-red awns and this I like to grow amongst the striking dark-eyed deep yellow Rudbeckia commonly known as Black-eyed Susan.
‘Morning Light’ on the other hand is an upright sheath of slender, variegated cream and green foliage that is useful for brightening up and refining the late border irrespective of what it contains.
But whichever form you invest in, it ought to have a good leaf and look tidy throughout the entire summer.
As autumn approaches it should remain trim and proper then colour dramatically as the season progresses into winter.
Among the long list of excellent late perennial grasses available I would urge the gardener to consider the newer (and better) forms available at most garden centres this month.
My experience with many of these suggests that they by no means need hot, dry positions (but good drainage is certainly very important).
During the first year or so in the garden, take care that plants are not swamped by more rambunctious neighbours.
After that, they’re more than capable of looking after themselves.
