7 brilliant ornamental grasses to give your border light and movement

27.09.2024 - 18:03 / themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk / Alexandra Campbell

Ornamental grasses bring out the best in your border, contrasting and complementing the flowers.

But they were considered ‘fashionable’. Consequently many of us overlooked them.

Until now, they haven’t been part of a traditional herbaceous border.

But now we increasingly appreciate that ornamental grasses add light, texture and movement to a border.

They have gone beyond ‘fashion’ and are now perennial border staples. And they are very easy to look after.

I visited Paul Seaborne of Pelham Plants, who is passionate about grasses, to find out how to choose and use them.

Pelham Plants is in Sussex, and his adjoining garden has open days for the NGS. And Paul also sells his plants via the Plant Fairs Roadshow.

Here are seven brilliant ornamental grasses and how to make the most of them in your garden.

Top ornamental grasses for your garden

• Golden Oat Grass/Stipa gigantea -a stunning statement grass that needs minimal care
• Feather Reed Grass/Calamagrostis ‘Karl Foerster’ – the garden designers’ favourite grass for structure
• Chinese Silver Grass/Miscanthus Yakushima Dwarf – as a single statement or create a grass ‘hedge’
• Transparent Moor Grass/ Molinia ‘Transparent’ -adds ‘barely there’ movement and magic to a border
• Fountain Grass/Pennisetum ‘Black Beauty’ – there’s a huge range of chunky pennisetum grasses with beautiful bottle-brush flowers
• Pheasant’s Tail Grass/Anemanthele lessoniana – a resilient autumn favourite for dry gardens or partial shade
• Japanese Forest Grass/Hakonechloa Macra – add light and structure to shade. Good in pots.

Golden Oat Grass/Stipa Gigantea

Hardy to: Minus 23C/minus 10F

Paul grows Golden Oat Grass (Stipa gigantea) ‘Gold Fontaene’ in his cottage garden. ‘Just because it’s a tall grass, that doesn’t mean it