Blossoms on the Go owner Shirley Brohan has the inside expertise on the best ornamental grasses to add to your space.
The gardens are looking smashing, and some of the first batch of perennial flowers have finished flowering and need to be cut back to encourage the next batch to start.
This includes plants like nepeta, lupins, and possibly some lavenders, depending on what you have in your beds and borders. The garden is an ongoing project for most of us, whether it’s adding new borders or keeping on top of those weeds (which are flourishing this year).
It’s really a vocation, as I have often heard, and that’s true, but it is one that gives us time and space to think, chill, get out of our heads, and just be present. The flowers don’t ask us anything. For me, I love tidying up the flowers, removing dead or spent blooms, and cutting back old flower heads, ready for new ones to appear. It’s also important to weed and keep on top of this task. Even if you have mulch or stones down, weeds will take every opportunity to grow and spread. So, HAPPY WEEDING!
Grasses have become a lovely ornamental feature in our beds and borders over time. I must admit, it took me a while to warm to them, coming from a farm background—I just couldn’t understand why anyone would want grass! But I have been converted once I saw how they can add such beauty to a bed or border. The selection is vast, and the shapes vary too. Some of the grasses I have come to enjoy using, even in my pots, are listed below.
Perhaps it’s a plant you haven’t considered for adding architecture to your beds:
Stipa tenuissima, commonly known as ponytails, has clump-forming thread-like leaves that sway gracefully in the wind. Its soft texture and movement are ideal for beds and borders.
Carex oshimensis ‘Everillo’ is a striking ornamental grass known for its bright yellow foliage. It has narrow, arching leaves that start out lime green and mature to vibrant golden yellow. It hangs beautifully in a pot or in beds and borders.
Imperata cylindrica ‘Red Baron’, commonly known as Japanese blood grass, has striking red-tipped foliage. It features green leaves that turn vivid red and will stand out in any bed or border.
Pennisetum ‘Fireworks’ is an ornamental grass with vibrant colours—a striking blend of burgundy, hot pink, and green stripes.
Juncus effusus f. spiralis has very unusual twisting stems and is used as low ground cover to contrast with other foliage plants.
I hope you all have a lovely week in the garden.
