![A Big Role for SMALL GRASSES](https://cdn.magzter.com/1596011659/1718617545/articles/8Z_fuHQli1718800880661/A-BIG-ROLE-FOR-SMALL-GRASSES.jpg)
When you experience a landscape dominated by grasses, something magical happens. The wind is made manifest in undulating waves as it sweeps across their blades and blooms. The sound and movement are mesmerizing.
Grasses can transform and elevate our garden experience, even when they're not the dominant element. Yet many familiar ornamental grasses are big, and not every garden can accommodate them. Fortunately, there are smaller grasses that provide similar benefits without the big footprint.
As a professional, I'm most interested in North American species and cultivars, in part because they're underutilized. There are many smaller, lesser-known native grasses that adapt well to cultivated landscapes. Species like tufted hairgrass (Deschampsia cespitosa) and purple lovegrass (Eragrostis spectabilis) are valuable not only for their ecological benefits and workhorse abilities but also for their roles in planting design. They can unify a complex composition, create a foundation for a perennial planting or fit easily into a townhouse garden.
AN EYE TOWARD DESIGN
These smaller-scale natives offer the distinct combination of aesthetic and sensory qualities that most ornamental grasses share. Their long, linear foliage contrasts visually with the garden's more typical rounded and oblong leaves. Several have inflorescences that catch the light and glow when backlit by the sun. The rich visual texture of the foliage and flowers softens hardscapes.
Grasses create visual stability and lend unity to a design. Herbaceous perennials vary considerably in the interest they provide, standing out at certain points in time and then fading into the background. Grasses also change throughout the growing season, but their overall appearance does not differ as much. Because they are more stable visually, they can simplify and declutter a space, providing a place to rest one's eyes. They're unifying and soothing.
Denne historien er fra July - August 2024-utgaven av Horticulture.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent ? Logg på
Denne historien er fra July - August 2024-utgaven av Horticulture.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
![GAGA FOR GALANTHUS](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/22795/1803930/kTYbJkx9Z1724753300835/GAGA-FOR-GALANTHUS.jpg)
GAGA FOR GALANTHUS
As easy as they are irresistible, snowdrops boast a devoted and growing following
![NEW PLANTS](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/22795/1803930/nSnC_Cadd1724752856644/NEW-PLANTS.jpg)
NEW PLANTS
Multiseason Marvels
![BLUEBERRIES & CO.](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/22795/1803930/oCxSeu3QP1724752614778/BLUEBERRIES-CO.jpg)
BLUEBERRIES & CO.
Members of the genus Vaccinium provide sweet flavor, health benefits and beauty in the garden
![AN ECOLOGICAL AGREEMENT](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/22795/1803930/u6AakTZ_V1724752410550/AN-ECOLOGICAL-AGREEMENT.jpg)
AN ECOLOGICAL AGREEMENT
How three great minds think alike
![Take It Indoors](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/22795/1803930/q_Uvc2-Rt1724752129476/TAKE-IT-INDOORS.jpg)
Take It Indoors
Cs the growing season dwindles, _ potted cittus became a summer souuenir
![ROOTED IN PLACE](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/22795/1803930/fdwPNqQc51724751912209/ROOTED-IN-PLACE.jpg)
ROOTED IN PLACE
LAYERING IS A PROPAGATION TECHNIQUE THAT TAKES A WHILE TO COMPLETE, BUT IT DEMANDS LITTLE EFFORT FROM THE GARDENER
![AT HOME WITH PLANTS](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/22795/1803930/GlVXVzMBU1724751578330/AT-HOME-WITH-PLANTS.jpg)
AT HOME WITH PLANTS
Business travel and pleasure trips helped inspire this Cincinnati garden
![THE GARDEN GOES DARK](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/22795/1803930/7lsR-VACc1724751200618/THE-GARDEN-GOES-DARK.jpg)
THE GARDEN GOES DARK
Yes, gardens have their dark side. But-surprise! A garden's darkness can be good, not sinister.
![LOW-WATER WONDERS](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/22795/1803930/xR2ZkVdvr1724750895216/LOWWATER-WONDERS.jpg)
LOW-WATER WONDERS
EXPLORE ONE PLANTSMAN'S DROUGHT-TOLERANT FAVORITES FOR EACH LEVEL OF THE GARDEN
![Succeed With Succession- The best crops to plant throughout summer, plus how to time them right](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/22795/1736063/lhxli19Q11718799062963/crp_seeding-greens-succession-planting-planting-garden-horticulture-spring-turnips-snap-peas-compost-replant-seeds-transplanting-seedlings-gardeners-garden.jpg)
Succeed With Succession- The best crops to plant throughout summer, plus how to time them right
The best crops to plant throughout summer, plus how to time them right. Once a crop like spring turnips or snap peas has finished, I tidy up the bed, amend the soil with a thin layer of compost and replant. Depending on the new crop, I may be sowing seeds or transplanting seedlings.