Graceful Grasses

Their true beauty is blowing in the wind.

- Gerald Schofield

Ornamental grasses that grow into clumps and continue growing as a perennial plant bring a completely different dimension to the landscape from a number of perspectives: they emphasise the seasonal growth cycle by having distinctive growth phases for every season; their mystical flower plumes in summer and autumn add a surreal or dreamlike aura to the garden, while in winter the dry or dying foliage accentuates the cold emptiness associated with this time of the year. And in spite of the seeming lack of life, the brownness adds that special something to frosty mornings. In spring the lush new leaves have a strong sense of a new beginning for the garden.

Throughout the year, grasses add a sense of movement to gardens as they sway with the wind and shimmer in the sunlight. This special effect is often accentuated during the early morning or late in the afternoon as the sun sets. Water droplets form on the leaves and flowers from dew, drizzle and mist, contributing to the undeniable charms of the grass family.

Grasses are being utilised more and more for their ornamental potential, along with their ecological and environmental value for stabilising soils in disturbed areas. Many new hybrids or selected cultivars have increased the range of grassy plants available for garden cultivation enormously. These include many with coloured or variegated foliage that create strong contrasts with surrounding plants in terms of texture, growth shape and obviously colour.

Cultivation