I use a lot of grasses in my garden, mainly because I like them, but also because they like my soil! I don't like seeing bare soil either so I tend to plant according to what density looks visually pleasing to start, allowing for one season's growth, then reconsider the density the following year. Most grasses are very forgiving if you move or divide them at the right time. Some may be quite happy to remain in your first planting distance for quite a while. You get to know how quickly grasses take to your soil and maintenance routine and work accordingly with that knowledge. Tall airy perennials look good with grasses but I prefer bulbs planted as "bulbscapes" so that they come up en masse then go away without disturbing the layout of my grasses!
@Plantminded I've managed to divide and shift some of these a couple of years ago along with the Deschampsia I have planted and they have responded well.
I think my plans have never really taken spring properly into account so I'm always disappointed at this time of year. And I think that just comes down to not planting enough bulbs at all. Partly that comes down to not being a massive fan of daffs and not having the funds to keep planting masses of tulips every year.
@Plantminded do you have any pictures of your "bulbscapes"?
I'd add more plants to the area. Personally, I think it's quite ugly having a large area of identical grasses without something else to either work with them or contrast. The bare ground is always a problem here because of people's 'pets' [I'm sure you know what I mean] so I hate having more than necessary. Spring bulbs and some perennials would be the way to go IMO. Others, and you, may differ.
It's certainly good doing what @JennyJ suggests, unless you have the other plants ready at the same time as doing the bulbs in autumn.
It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
I think I got a bit carried away with being inspired by the New Perennial movement, @Fairygirl, and planting in large blocks. Although I think in principle it is something I agree with I don't think I have scaled it well to my own garden and have made the blocks too big. I think I'm going to shift a few from the front elsewhere and look to get something else in there.
I fully admit that I've never been a fan, because I think you do need it on a big enough scale to work well, and I also think you need the right climate. Grasses here tend to just look manky in autumn, despite the fact that we get plenty of frosts [apart from the past couple of years] because the weather is too rough, so they just get battered rather than looking all stately and covered in frosty seed heads going into winter. Smaller grasses are better for that sort of site, in among other, more conventional, planting. Most grasses are slow to start growing too, and the usual plants used with those prairie planting schemes are later flowering, so you have a lot of empty ground to fill for large parts of the year unless the site and conditions are right, or unless you have other things to fill the space which won't compete later on.
It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
@Latimer In spring there are also plants like campanula Dixon's Gold, Heucheras, Oregano Foxley's , Euphorbias, Ophiopogon[as mentioned] all have colour in their leaves. Bergenia would be another choice.
I have worked as a Gardener for 24 years. My latest garden is a new build garden on heavy clay.
Yeah there are issues with Molinia as a monoculture, on a small scale.
I always go back to Oudolf's courtyard at Hauser and Wirth. It's mixed with Sesleria and Deschampsia which are faster to get going in spring (Sesleria is semi-evergreen). Sesleria is excellent for hiding bare soil! There are perennials in there but spaced very widely, like sculptures almost.
"What is hateful to you, do not do to your neighbour".
Seeing into grasses can be an advantage, working like a veil to plants beyond. I grow M transparent which I divide every three years. You do need to check growth as the lower leaves are capable of covering other plants. I do trim if necessary.
I have worked as a Gardener for 24 years. My latest garden is a new build garden on heavy clay.
@Fairygirl I don't think we have such an issue with the rough weather, everything seems to have survived so far even when there has been a storm. But I do think you are right that it just doesn't suit the scale here.
@Loxley thanks for those images. I think that just shows I needed to go bigger with the grasses and really commit to them, but even then, it needed to be with the right ones and as you say, Molina may not be the right grass for here. I even think my original choice of perennials hasn't helped, Perovskia, which is another one that seems to take ages to get going so leaves me with even more bare soil.
@GardenerSuze thanks for that list of stuff, I'll have a look through it.
I'm tempted to take this corner on as a bit of a project, see what I can do with it.
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@Plantminded I've managed to divide and shift some of these a couple of years ago along with the Deschampsia I have planted and they have responded well.
I think my plans have never really taken spring properly into account so I'm always disappointed at this time of year. And I think that just comes down to not planting enough bulbs at all. Partly that comes down to not being a massive fan of daffs and not having the funds to keep planting masses of tulips every year.
@Plantminded do you have any pictures of your "bulbscapes"?
The bare ground is always a problem here because of people's 'pets' [I'm sure you know what I mean] so I hate having more than necessary.
Spring bulbs and some perennials would be the way to go IMO. Others, and you, may differ.
It's certainly good doing what @JennyJ suggests, unless you have the other plants ready at the same time as doing the bulbs in autumn.
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
Grasses here tend to just look manky in autumn, despite the fact that we get plenty of frosts [apart from the past couple of years] because the weather is too rough, so they just get battered rather than looking all stately and covered in frosty seed heads going into winter. Smaller grasses are better for that sort of site, in among other, more conventional, planting.
Most grasses are slow to start growing too, and the usual plants used with those prairie planting schemes are later flowering, so you have a lot of empty ground to fill for large parts of the year unless the site and conditions are right, or unless you have other things to fill the space which won't compete later on.
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
I always go back to Oudolf's courtyard at Hauser and Wirth. It's mixed with Sesleria and Deschampsia which are faster to get going in spring (Sesleria is semi-evergreen). Sesleria is excellent for hiding bare soil! There are perennials in there but spaced very widely, like sculptures almost.
@Loxley thanks for those images. I think that just shows I needed to go bigger with the grasses and really commit to them, but even then, it needed to be with the right ones and as you say, Molina may not be the right grass for here. I even think my original choice of perennials hasn't helped, Perovskia, which is another one that seems to take ages to get going so leaves me with even more bare soil.
@GardenerSuze thanks for that list of stuff, I'll have a look through it.
I'm tempted to take this corner on as a bit of a project, see what I can do with it.