5 ornamental grasses to add movement to your garden
As summer continues, ornamental grasses come into their own, providing a contrast of textures, movement and rich colours in an array of schemes, whether repeat-planted in borders, or as stand-alone specimens in large containers or gravel gardens.
So, which types should we be considering? Here are some varieties recommended by the RHS.
Stipa gigantea
Give this robust evergreen plenty of space to shine, as huge stems of large, golden, oat-like flowers appear in late spring above dark evergreen foliage, lasting through summer and into winter. It grows up to 2m in height so makes a brilliant alternative to pampas grass. It can easily be made a stand-alone focal point in a lawn, or provides great architectural appeal in a gravel garden.
Miscanthus sinensis ‘Kleine Silberspinne’
Feathery reddish flower heads emerge from compact clumps of arching narrow leaves with a white stripe in summer. In autumn, the flowers turn pale brown and later silvery, lasting into winter. It can reach a height of around 1.2m but is compact so you won’t need a huge amount of space to grow it. It’s a versatile perennial grass, so will be equally at home in the middle of a border as it will in a tight urban space, providing architectural interest in a city garden, even in a pot. If you’re growing it as part of a border scheme, think about planting burnt orange Helenium ‘Moerheim Beauty’ nearby for a striking contrast.
Anemanthele lessoniana
Pheasant’s tail grass, originally from New Zealand, is semi-evergreen with gold and orange autumn-winter colour. It forms a fine-leaved fountain-like clump of foliage which changes during the seasons to yellow, orange and red streaking. Sprays of airy flowerheads appear in late summer. Grow it in full sun or partial shade, partnering it with crocosmia, achillea, Geranium ‘Rozanne’ and other ornamental grasses.
Pennisetum villosum
This pretty grass forms bright green tussocks topped by short, wide furry white flowers throughout summer and autumn.
It’s often grown as an annual as it is on the tender side. It looks lovely in a mixed container combined with burgundy flowers such as annual Verbena ‘Diamond Merci’ or deep purple Allium sphaerocephalon.