Ornamental Grass & Design

I received an interesting press release on Monday, about grass growing in space. The grass seed used in the experiment was Gro-Sure, and they’re trumpeting that the success of the experiment confirms their ‘Grow With Certainty’ promise.

The English obsession with grass came into being in the 17th century, when the close cut lawn was a status symbol of the rich. Only they could afford to take land out of production for purely aesthetic purposes, and maintaining a lawn before the invention of the mower was a highly skilled and labour-intensive process. The middle classes started growing lawns from the 1860s onwards, and the Victorian popularity for outdoor sports led to their proliferation. Grass species from the Old World were taken to America during this period, and the lawn took there over in the early 20th century. In 2005, NASA published research suggesting that lawns (including residential and commercial lawns and golf courses) were the single largest irrigated ‘crop’ in America, covering about 128,000 square kilometres. In 2013 there were upwards of 15 millions lawns in Britain, costing us £54 million in fertilisers and £127 million on lawn mowers.

This is a ‘green and pleasant land’, due at least in part to our national obsession with lawns

How to Grow Ornamental Maiden Grass (Japanese Silver Grass) Miscanthus sinensis

Bermuda Grass is a popular warm-season garden specimen known for its durability and resilience. In this guide, we will provide you with essential tips and tricks on how to grow and maintain a lush Bermuda Grass Lawn.

Ornamental grasses have become exceedingly popular with home gardeners and landscapers, and for good reason. There are over 10,000 species that add movement and drama, all while giving a naturalized look to the landscape. Most grasses will stay self contained, but there are some species that are quite invasive. While ornamental grasses are highly sought after, you do want to avoid invasive ornamental grass varieties. So which ornamental grasses are invasive?

An inseparable part of British summer time, the Wimbledon Championship is on between 29.06 – 17.07. With more than 450,000 spectators attending each year, and 19 grass courts, it is a massive event, yet it still retains its Victorian atmosphere and image.

A well maintained green sward with stripes from a lawnmower is the epitome of a British garden. It could be something to do with the amount of rain we get but it also depends on the type and care of the grass.

Any space bigger than a bottle can be used to create a garden. This London tennament had a basement flat twelve feet below the pavement and about 5 feet wide.

Will the EU ban the garden use of glyphosphate the best chemical cure for Couch grass?

‘Take Chelsea Home’ by Chris Young shows the “Best Garden Design from the Chelsea Flower Show”. Below is a brief preview of the 2010 gardens and designers.

Naturalising means bulbs growing and seeding as they would in the wild; i.e. “in nature”.