It looks like Carex Pendula .. in which case, you may wish to dig it out otherwise you'll get seedlings everywhere! But, yes you can cut it right down if you wish to keep it.
I’m afraid I too would dig it out … it grows and grows, develops tenacious root systems that are hard to get rid of, and seeds about taking root everywhere. There are so many much more attractive sedges and grasses.
But it’s your garden so if you want to keep it yes, you can cut it as hard back as you like … it’s hard to kill it 🤪
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
Some years ago I had a Carex P that I liked (but I had no idea what it was) and left it. A couple of years later they were appearing all over my garden - the seeds had blown around and self-sown. It was tricky getting rid of all of them and I still find them now and then.
So I would also advise getting rid of it and replacing with something far less pernicious. There a lots of grasses that are much better and far less trouble.
Billericay - Essex
Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit. Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
Just how wet is the soil? You could try one of the Molinias if the ground isn't too wet in winter. Unlike Carex Pendula they are deciduous .Another plant that looks lovely next to a pond or just in a border is Dierama or Angel's Fishing rod, depending on your soil. Both of these plants create the same 'nodding' shape.
I have worked as a Gardener for 24 years. My latest garden is a new build garden on heavy clay.
I happen to like carex pendula but think it is best grown in a very large pot as at least you can get rid of it more easily if and when it starts to get tatty. The root system mirrors the top growth and would be very difficult to dig out of a flower bed. They do self seed but that means free plants.
In my garden it self-seeded like crazy and was pretty thuggish. I'm still removing quite a few seedlings every year. If you like it still worthwhile to keep an understanding eye on it.
I agree - terrible stuff, and it becomes invasive very easily if the conditions suit it. We have a lot of it along the grass verges round here, and one house has a garden with loads of it. I don't know if they originally planted it and that's why it's in the verges, or the other way round, and the original is from another garden. If you wanted to keep it, you'd have to be very vigilant about deadheading, and that isn't easy. There's already another clump of it in the photo - right hand side.
It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
I planted two clumps to frame the pond, and I do deadhead. Point taken about it spreading. I didn't realise it tended to be invasive , will keep an eye open. Thanks all.
Posts
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
A couple of years later they were appearing all over my garden - the seeds had blown around and self-sown.
It was tricky getting rid of all of them and I still find them now and then.
So I would also advise getting rid of it and replacing with something far less pernicious.
There a lots of grasses that are much better and far less trouble.
Billericay - Essex
Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
If you wanted to keep it, you'd have to be very vigilant about deadheading, and that isn't easy.
There's already another clump of it in the photo - right hand side.
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...