Grasses

One of my bamboos (Fargesia murielae).
GB and I are always on the look-out for plants that might do well in his rather harsh garden environment. He was inspired by Otter Nurseries to think about having a grass garden. In fact, the thought struck us at exactly the same moment - a typical example of our telepathy (or of great minds thinking alike?). It was only the next day that it occurred to me that I could have a grass garden at Pensby. After all, I have lots of grasses already. I just don't have a border of them. So I have decided to create one - probably in the front where there is a border that currently has no real theme or plan and will require little to be moved out.



In addition to the various grasses I already posses I have been given two more by Helen - Bunny's Tails or Bunny Ears (Pennisetum villosum) and Stipa tennuissima.

A number of on-line garden sites sell grasses including http://www.grassgardens.co.uk/ which has over forty species available and Pase Seeds which has 141 varieties. Helen has bought grass seeds from Nicky's Nursery.


One of the grasses which I must have in the new border is Festuca glauca, seen here at Helen's.


Uncinia rubra, of which I currently have two lots, is another of my favourites.



Investigating grasses on the web I came across a good American site which has some free grass garden designs on it - Plantation Products Inc.



I love some of the annual grasses like oats and wall barley which often appear at random in my garden but they tend to be too erratic to try any of those in the bed.


I doubt if either GB's or mine will ever rival that of Kew Gardens which is 26 years old and currently has over 550 species. But if they satisfy us that is all that matters!