Ornamental Grass

In my opinion, ornamental grasses are a must-have in every garden. In a gentle breeze, their foliage makes a soft, rustling sound - it is so calming and relaxing. They are hardy, drought-tolerant and have strong architectural shapes. Many are also very colourful.

The diversity of ornamental grasses on the market now provides so many possibilities for our gardens. When I started gardening many years ago, I recall only one readily available grass: Phalaris, commonly known as Gardeners Garters. In the spring it emerges with fresh green and white striped foliage, but by mid- to late-summer it appears tired. And, it has a well-deserved reputation for being invasive.

Most of the ornamental grasses available today are clump forming, so there is no fear that they will take over your garden.

Blue Oat Grass has spectacular silvery-blue foliage that grows into a spiky two-foot ball. The other attribute that I love about this grass is that it is one of the first grasses to emerge in the spring. Unlike other grasses, it does not have to be pruned in the spring; I simply comb by fingers through the foliage from base to tip to remove the old foliage.

The other group of grasses that I am particularly fond of is the Maiden Grasses. In general, they are all upright-arching in shape and by late summer they are adorned with silky, fluffy seed heads. Their stems are strong enough to withstand the wind and snow load of our winters, so they add a lot of interest to winter landscapes.