The glory of grasses

Prized for their structure and colour during autumn and winter, grasses are a fine addition to any border – and they can be planted now, says Hazel Sillver

- Hazel Sillver

IT’S hard to keep a border looking good through autumn and into winter. Once the perennials finish flowering, beds can feel bland and empty. Grasses solve that problem, and they can be planted now.

As well as being low-maintenance and reliable, they inject borders with grace and movement, via flower panicles that billow on the breeze, and wonderful colour once they take on their autumnal hues. Designers use them to create a naturalistic look, reminiscent of a meadow, and to ensure the garden is impressive during winter. Along with the architectural seedheads of perennials (such as globe thistle and phlomis), grasses endure through the cold months, providing fawn and golden tints and spellbinding when dusted with frost.

Key border grasses include feathery Miscanthus (such as ‘Dronning Ingrid’), bottlebrush-like Pennisetum (such as ‘Hameln’), elegant Calamagrostis (such as C. brachytricha), and upright Panicum (such as ‘Cloud Nine’). All provide structure, lightness and autumn colour.

For some gardeners, grasses earn their place by providing sound when the wind blows. Some of the best for this are the zebra grasses (such as Miscanthus sinensis ‘Strictus’), which rustle on the breeze, and towering M. sacchariflorus, which has long, lush leaves on 10ft (3m)tall stems, creating an exotic jungle look.