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ornamental grasses eg Festuca Grass

hi2u_ukhi2u_uk Posts: 58
in Plants
Hello

I am thinking of buying either


or


will these be easy to grow outdoors in the soil. What depth of soil do they need ?


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Posts

  • Pete.8Pete.8 Posts: 11,340
    J Parkers does not have the best reputation and I'd suggest the photos they show have been 'helped' a little.

    e.g. Festuca Golden Toupee looks very lush on their site compared to an example on the RHS site- which will also tell you about soil conditions they need.

    https://www.rhs.org.uk/plants/102492/festuca-glauca-golden-toupee/details

    I'm not sure what you mean by what depth of soil they require - where are you planning on planting them?
    Almost all grasses prefer full sun - including the Festucas

    The Ornamental grass mix doesn't even mention which grasses are included.

    Billericay - Essex

    Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
    Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
  • GardenerSuzeGardenerSuze Posts: 5,692
    @hi2u_uk The exact photo was shown on here a few months ago. It has been photo shopped. The colours are certainly more vibrant in the photo and these plants do not enjoy the same growing conditions. Knoll gardens website is the place to look for inspiration. They will also be prompt if you ask them questions. If you would like to know what each plant is come back.
    Grasses are often the support in any garden scheme, they enhance the flowers.
    I wish I could find the original thread will look later.

    I have worked as a Gardener for 24 years. My latest garden is a new build garden on heavy clay.
  • punkdocpunkdoc Posts: 15,039
    Basically, don't buy that collection, as said it is photoshopped. If you want grasses, go to a proper nursery, like Knoll.
    How can you lie there and think of England
    When you don't even know who's in the team

    S.Yorkshire/Derbyshire border
  • PlantmindedPlantminded Posts: 3,580
    If you have a good garden centre nearby, you should find that they have more suitable grasses which you can see and make a judgement on.  An easy, reliable small grass which is widely available is Stipa tenuissima/Nassella tenuissima, plus sedges which look like grasses such as Carex, green, bronze and variegated varieties. They all have compact root balls and will grow in any good well drained soil, preferably in sun.  
    Wirral. Sandy, free draining soil.


  • hi2u_ukhi2u_uk Posts: 58
    edited June 2023
    I totally forgot that some companies touch up their pictures of plants on these websites. Why cant they be more honest.

    I have just remembered that i bought a blueberry plant from this company ages ago. 
    https://www.jparkers.co.uk/blueberry-top-hat-dwarf-0001211c

    I expected a bushy plant with blueberries but what i got was a stick in a pot of soil , not even a single leaf

    I was very sad when i saw this as its definitely not what i expected.

    The plant has some leaves on it now though
  • GardenerSuzeGardenerSuze Posts: 5,692
    edited June 2023
    @hi2u_uk Did look for the previous thread but no luck. Just a little information that might help.
    If you look at the two red grasses the one ont the left could be Pennisetum Rubrum which is not hardy and the one on the right is Japanese Blood grass which is short lived.

    There is also a fluffy headed grass bottom left again a Pennisetum could be Hameln which is more hardy cut back late April. I have given up growing Festuca grasses my soil it is clay so any plant with grey leaves hates winter wet the golds may do better. 
    Like Phormiums it is the green leaved grasses that are more hardy. Pannicum Squaw is one of the best for a hint of red, late to get going in spring stunning in the Autumn.
    May not flower if you live further North.


    I have worked as a Gardener for 24 years. My latest garden is a new build garden on heavy clay.
  • CeresCeres Posts: 2,698
    @hi2u_uk I have given up on festucas as they never quite deliver the punch that I require. I find that carex and stipas are much more reliable and being larger than the average festuca, look better in a breeze (or gale).
    If you want to grow them from seed (cheaper and more fun) Chiltern https://www.chilternseeds.co.uk/grasses/ornamental#start-0 have a reasonable selection though avoid the carex pendula if you don't want to hire a JCB to get rid of it. Most of them will happily self seed, giving you a free supply of grasses over the years.


  • hi2u_ukhi2u_uk Posts: 58
    all i want it a small clump of ball shaped grass. I might get a topiary ball or a bay tree :(
  • JennyJJennyJ Posts: 10,576
    I think the red/purple ones in the J. Parkers mix are pennisetum, which is not always reliably hardy in much of the UK.
    Doncaster, South Yorkshire. Soil type: sandy, well-drained
  • Pete.8Pete.8 Posts: 11,340
    hi2u_uk said:
    all i want it a small clump of ball shaped grass. I might get a topiary ball or a bay tree :(
    Pittosporum Golf Ball?
    Not hardy throughout the UK but get to an eventual size of about a 1m sphere. Evergreen & quite slow growing
    Or
    Hakonechloa Macra?
    I have 10 and though they die back over winter the papery dead stems with seed heads still look and sound good. It won't self-seed either.

    Billericay - Essex

    Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
    Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
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