I certainly won't be changing my perennials, roses and dahlias for grasses. I just can't see the appeal of grasses, I find them very dull. If I have to use more drought restistant plants in the future I would prefer to use plants like lavender, artemesia, santolina, thyme etc.
Dordogne and Norfolk. Clay in Dordogne, sandy in Norfolk.
I can understand that @Busy-Lizzie. You've always had a cottage garden style in your gardens, and I don't think grasses always work terribly well with that unless you're very careful with choices. I don't have a lot of flowery perennials, so I mix a few grasses in with my planting and that works well for me. The prairie planting thing needs a lot of room to work well too IMO. I'd be looking at a lot of empty space for a long time if I had that. But we're all different, and we adapt according to our plot and conditions - and probably more importantly than anything, we adapt according to our time and budget
It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
I certainly won't be changing my perennials, roses and dahlias for grasses. I just can't see the appeal of grasses, I find them very dull. If I have to use more drought restistant plants in the future I would prefer to use plants like lavender, artemesia, santolina, thyme etc.
We are with you regarding grasses we think they are a bit of an overused trend. My OH always comments on this when you see these designs on TV. Our problem is similar to others that are on clay soil. Even with years of compost and mulching, dry in summer soggy in winter.
@Plantminded The dry river bed has been shelved as there is a chance we may move next year. I have already split some grasses and replanted on a temporary basis in one area of the garden. In the process I have started to list some of the plants I want to take, the one think I won't do is 'raid' the garden and leave gaps. I've cared for it for a long time and accept that someone else will be in charge or not! I have also realised that a well stocked garden can be a scary thought for some, I just hope someone wants the challenge.
I thought you might like to know some of my favourite grasses so here goes you wil know most of them. Miscanthus Malpartus, M Flamingo, M Kliene Fontane, Molinia Poul Petersen, M Transparent, M The Rocket, Nasella, Stipa Gigantea, Stipa Gold Fontane, Pannicum Squaw, and of course Calamagrostis Karl Foerster and C Overdam. All of these grow in my garden at present along with my latest addition Seslaria autumnalis. Not sure they will all be moving with me.
I dug up my front lawn over twenty years ago. It's a strange shape so added a small circle of blocks in the middle which created some deep planting areas.
I have worked as a Gardener for 24 years. My latest garden is a new build garden on heavy clay.
Thank you for your list of recommended grasses @GardenerSuze, that's very helpful. A possible move next year will be a major event for you so I can see that you've got lots of planning to do.
Grasses have appeal to some but not to others! My interest in them is not due to modern trends but as a result of my upbringing in the tropics where our house was surrounded by sugar cane, bamboo, bananas and other tropical wonders. I marvelled at how some of the bamboos literally grew inches overnight and have been fascinated since!
Many of the plants in my garden here have been chosen as hardy resemblances of tropical plants that I remember. For example, Griselinia reminds me of a coastal plant called Sea Grape, with similar round shiny leaves but on a smaller scale, and Thuja reminds me of the Casuarinas that line many of the coral sand beaches.
The growing conditions here are much slower as I am limited by my free draining sandy soil and the climate! I've experimented with roses, they get black spot and I find their stems and leaves uninspiring (just an opinion!) I'm keen on a lot of perennials like lavender, heleniums and others which can fend for themselves so my garden is not devoid of colour.
Like you @GardenerSuze and @Fairygirl, I think grasses can add an extra dimension to a personal mix of preferred plantings in all seasons, especially over winter. May be a new thread here to illustrate grasses in their glory might convert others! Good luck with your move planning @GardenerSuze!
I totally understand that some gardeners don't like grasses. I have a clay soil and they are a blessing for me. They sometimes struggle in a wet winter but generally they are really tough. I have seen borders planted with just grasses and that looks very dull as you say, I like to use them to break up brightly coloured perennials and add some green to calm. I do grow two roses R Rushing Stream and Rosa Glauca which I love. In thirty five years I have never grown Dahlia's in this garden. Perhaps when I move there will be the opportunity. My garden grows the rough and tough plants only and has always been a fight at times. I have just one silver leaved plant a santolina where lots of grit together with full sun it copes with winter. The only way I have found to improve the soil long term is the additon of grit. Sadly Lavender is a total waste of money. I always find it interesting to know what other gardeners enjoy growing.
@Plantminded Thank you for your reply I so pleased with the Sesleria always good to find a new plant.
I have worked as a Gardener for 24 years. My latest garden is a new build garden on heavy clay.
@Plantminded what a shame that you don’t live nearby. I’m thinking about taking out one of the Euphorbia plants. It grows like crazy and is 1.5 m high and 2m wide.
I will go back to native wildflowers. I have too many structural plants and had hardly any interesting plants. Many of them never fitted the labels. Either they are too small or too big.
I listened to Monty’s podcast about small gardens and was pleased to hear that if you don’t like a small garden’s planting, you can take it all out.
I tested a different style this year, but don’t feel good with that. It has to go (many of them come into neighbours garden 😀).
That Euphorbia would be very welcome @Simone_in_Wiltshire! Experimenting is the best way to find out what you really like and how each plant performs in your own garden. I like the idea of your wildflower garden, good luck with it!
@Loxley I was interested to read how you have used Sesleria autumnalis. It is a grass that I only came across this year, although I had heard of it. Is it fairly fast growing? I planted one small plant in September and I am not sure what to expect.
They clump up pretty fast. You will be able to divide it next autumn.
"What is hateful to you, do not do to your neighbour".
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The prairie planting thing needs a lot of room to work well too IMO. I'd be looking at a lot of empty space for a long time if I had that.
But we're all different, and we adapt according to our plot and conditions - and probably more importantly than anything, we adapt according to our time and budget
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
In the process I have started to list some of the plants I want to take, the one think I won't do is 'raid' the garden and leave gaps. I've cared for it for a long time and accept that someone else will be in charge or not!
I have also realised that a well stocked garden can be a scary thought for some, I just hope someone wants the challenge.
I thought you might like to know some of my favourite grasses so here goes you wil know most of them.
Miscanthus Malpartus, M Flamingo, M Kliene Fontane, Molinia Poul Petersen, M Transparent, M The Rocket, Nasella, Stipa Gigantea, Stipa Gold Fontane, Pannicum Squaw, and of course Calamagrostis Karl Foerster and C Overdam. All of these grow in my garden at present along with my latest addition Seslaria autumnalis. Not sure they will all be moving with me.
I dug up my front lawn over twenty years ago. It's a strange shape so added a small circle of blocks in the middle which created some deep planting areas.
Grasses have appeal to some but not to others! My interest in them is not due to modern trends but as a result of my upbringing in the tropics where our house was surrounded by sugar cane, bamboo, bananas and other tropical wonders. I marvelled at how some of the bamboos literally grew inches overnight and have been fascinated since!
Many of the plants in my garden here have been chosen as hardy resemblances of tropical plants that I remember. For example, Griselinia reminds me of a coastal plant called Sea Grape, with similar round shiny leaves but on a smaller scale, and Thuja reminds me of the Casuarinas that line many of the coral sand beaches.
The growing conditions here are much slower as I am limited by my free draining sandy soil and the climate! I've experimented with roses, they get black spot and I find their stems and leaves uninspiring (just an opinion!) I'm keen on a lot of perennials like lavender, heleniums and others which can fend for themselves so my garden is not devoid of colour.
Like you @GardenerSuze and @Fairygirl, I think grasses can add an extra dimension to a personal mix of preferred plantings in all seasons, especially over winter. May be a new thread here to illustrate grasses in their glory might convert others! Good luck with your move planning @GardenerSuze!
I have seen borders planted with just grasses and that looks very dull as you say, I like to use them to break up brightly coloured perennials and add some green to calm. I do grow two roses R Rushing Stream and Rosa Glauca which I love. In thirty five years I have never grown Dahlia's in this garden. Perhaps when I move there will be the opportunity. My garden grows the rough and tough plants only and has always been a fight at times.
I have just one silver leaved plant a santolina where lots of grit together with full sun it copes with winter. The only way I have found to improve the soil long term is the additon of grit. Sadly Lavender is a total waste of money. I always find it interesting to know what other gardeners enjoy growing.
@Plantminded Thank you for your reply I so pleased with the Sesleria always good to find a new plant.
I ♥ my garden.