For many great reasons, ornamental grasses are playing a far more important role in our late summer and fall gardens. They bring gardens to life with their movement. Even in the slightest breeze, it’s nice to see their flowerheads dance in the wind, and they continue to bloom well into fall and even winter.
Their great diversity in sizes, from groundcovers to tall, two-to-three-metres high miscanthus, which are great options for screening, makes grasses adaptable to so many different landscape situations. Grasses also combine well with other plants, such as flowering shrubs, conifers and late flowering perennials. I love their colour range from the intense blues of fescues and oat grass (Helictotrichon) and the rich dark foliage of Andropogon Holy Smoke and Andropogon gerardii Blackhawks to the vibrant red foliage of Japanese blood grass (Imperata cylindrica) and Miscanthus Fire Dragon.
Shape and form are important as well. Calamagrostis Karl Foerster, for example, has a beautiful, narrow architectural shape, and it is often used for mid-size screens or focal points. As a background plant, the giant three-to-four-metres tall Miscanthus giganteus makes a stunning statement.
One of my favourite grasses is Miscanthus Cosmopolitan with its wide, white-edged green leaves that truly stand out and add vibrancy to any darker background. It’s a must-have. At this time of the year, the flowerheads of pennisetums are emerging, and they will add a fresh, new look to any heat-weary ga.