Oh, my Grass!

If you want perpetual motion and plants willing to go beyond their best even in the depths of winter, you have to plant grasses...

Aristida junciformis is planted in a row next to the stone water feature. An excellent grass for providing habitats for wildlife and birds. The next two layers of grass that literally glows in the sunlight is the Miscanthus gracillimus with its copper colour that ages to white as the seasons turn in autumn.

This scene and the cover was photographed by Connall Oosterbroek at Brahman Hills in the Midlands of KwaZulu-Natal. Visit their website on www.brahmanhills.co.za.

The tall grass in the back is Miscanthus junciformis which is an excellent grass for many reasons including its ability to stabilise banks and it can be planted along pond edges or even in the water. The roots of this grass also assist in filtering out pollutants in grey water systems. Planted in front is Miscanthus capensis which turns from a bright green to reddish brown in autumn for a change in character which is really what makes designing with grasses so appealing.

This image was taken in May, a couple of months after the image above. In the foreground is Miscanthus gracillimus just a lot drier and starting to go white than in the other images. Behind it is the Muhlenbergia capillaris with plumes that turn red in the autumn, but are equally special all year round. All these grasses hold their form in winter which is essential for the design. Image courtesy of the garden designer Tim Steyn.