Since it's pretty wintery here today I thought it was a good time to look through some garden pictures from last season. This inspired me to write about the grasses that I grow in my garden. I don't grow any of the big dogs. They scare me a bit. I have found some wonderful small to medium sized grasses to grow. Some are warm season grasses and some are cool season grasses. The cool season are nice in the fact that they sprout up quite soon in the spring but the warm season grasses are worth the wait. Here are a few of my favorites.
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| In the front is Panicum virgatum 'Cheyenne Sky'. Further back in the picture is miscanthus 'Morning Light'. They mix nicely with a tall celosia in the entry garden. |
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| Calamgrostis acutiflora 'Eldorado' plays nicely with Rosa 'Morden Sunrise' |
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| A shorter more rounded shaped grass is Helictotrichon sempervirens. This is also known as blue oat grass for it's steely blue color. |
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| Pennisetum 'Fireworks' is an annual grass that I've grown for several years and just love it. |
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| Another steely blue grass is Panicum 'Heavy Metal' |
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| I have this hakonechloa macra 'Aureola' planted where it can drift over a stone wall. |
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| Here is a wider view of 'Aureola' |
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| Miscanthus Sinensis "Adagio' colors up nicely in the fall. |
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| This is a small grass with big impact. Schizachyrium scoparium 'Blaze's' name really does describe it's vibrant orange color in the fall. It holds up well and keeps this color all winter. |
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| This shot of Miscanthus 'Morning Light' and Panicum 'Cheyenne Sky' shows the lovely seed heads of the Panicum. They look kind of like fireworks. They are very hard to get a good picture of. |
So if you have a small garden or have been scared away from grasses when you hear the stories of having to cut them back with a chain saw, you may want to check out some of these smaller but equally as wonderful specimens.
Beautiful shots from your beautiful garden! Nice selection of grasses. I'd like to add a few more to my gardens.
ReplyDeletegrasses do add alot......I didnt have any till this year
ReplyDeleteI wish I had more sun to support some of the Panicums. Love the color on that 'Heavy Metal'. Tall grasses have a tendency to flop here. What is the secret to Helictotrichon? I've only had one survive out of a few that have been planted. I think rabbits did in my last one.
ReplyDeleteHelictotrichon has been an easy one for me. I have it in full sun and in almost full shade as in the picture where I show the wider view of 'Aureola' It does seem to work that way with plants - what grows well in my garden doesn't in others and what grows well in others doesn't in mine.
ReplyDeleteIf I were to start again, I'd start with masses of grasses and then add to the look afterwards! Scott over at http://www.rhonestreetgardens.com/ has grasses to envy!
ReplyDeleteI particularly like your first shot with the celosia, zinnias and roses. Do you happen to know the celosia variety? I just bought Cheyenne Sky last summer. I could buy them all if...
The celosia is 'Pink Parfait' grown from seed.
DeleteWell, I'm a HUGE fan of grasses...and over the past few years have really started to appreciate the smaller ones (in addition to the large ones, which I already loved)! Since I have so little space, those smaller grasses help me make the most of a the limited spaced I have. I always had trouble with my Schizachyrium flopping for me, but found a new one this summer called 'Blue Heaven', which had amazing color...and doesn't flop...I was thrilled! I really must find some Panicum 'Cheyenne Sky' this year. I have quite a few Panicums around the garden, and they never fail to impress. Are you planning on adding any additional grasses this year?
ReplyDeleteI got 'Cheyenne Sky' from High Country Gardens. I'm not sure if my garden has room for anything more until I eliminate a few fussier things. That's the great thing about the grasses - low maintenance.
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