Ornamental grasses for a natural winter look

The range of suitable ornamental grasses for our gardens is growing every year. With as many as hundreds of different grasses being cultivated, there are species and cultivars enough to choose from a diverse range. Unfortunately, the same cultivars are often used over and over again. Think of Pennisetum alop. 'Hameln' or Imperata cylindrica 'Red baron' probably you have also used Miscanthus sinensis 'Gracillimus' or Sesleria autumnalis. Do these names sound a little too familiar to you? Time to change that. The greater the diversity of plants used in our gardens, the better this is also to reduce certain diseases and pests in the future. We therefore discuss five new or lesser known grasses that can add value in design.

We begin November with a color bomb. Miscanthus sinensis 'Red chief' is totally that. Not only does it bloom from August with intense red flowering plumes, it also pops in red in October and November when its leaves start to turn red. If you want the greatest color effect, plant it best in full sun, but even in partial shade it continues to show autumn color. Its height is limited for a Miscanthus and it is one of the more compact cultivars with its 1.20 meter flowering height. Suitable for smaller gardens, in pots, as a solitary but also in larger massifs. Miscanthus have few soil requirements and can thrive in both sand and clay soils. In the winter they remain nicely upright bringing structure to the border.

The pampa trend

Gardens, like many other things, are also subject to trends. One such trend that has started in interiors this time is that of Cortaderia plumes. With the high asking price for those dried pampas plumes in the flower shops, the demand for their use in gardens has also increased back. However, Cortaderia take up a lot of space and can quickly take up 2 to 4 square meters per plant. Recently, however, there has been a solution to this problem with the new Cortaderia 'Tiny pampa'. Although we ourselves are not really a fan of the pampas grass with its razor-sharp leaves, this tiny variety is definitely worth the effort. Its leaf height of about 60 centimeters and above it protruding compact flowering panicles of up to 80 centimeters high make it the smallest of its kind and hereby also suitable for pots. It is very floriferous and flowers a little earlier than the other cultivars, starting in August. An addition to the range of low evergreen grasses for a dry, sunny position.

Dutch dreams

Anyone who follows the trend of the "Dutch dreams" movement already knows that everything Dutch garden architect Piet Oudolf puts forward is often used and liked by many others shortly thereafter. Just think of Sesleria autumnalis that he was one of the first to use in his designs. Consequently, through his projects around the world, he knows how to pick plants that are unique, climate resistant and bring a strong winter look. One such new grass is Schizachyrium scoparium 'Ha Ha Tonka'. This small prairie grass is characterized by the many hairs on its blue-gray leaves. These hairs create a unique image in the garden when they use them to catch and hold small droplets of water. This makes the grasses literally sparkle in the early morning light and when frozen, the picture is complete. It is a non-evergreen grass that likes a sunny dry spot with a height of up to 90 centimeters. Beautiful in a mixed border with perennials such as Echinacea or Salvia.

Sesleria autumnalis 2.0?

Sesleria autumnalis has in recent years become one of the most popular species planted by garden contractors after Pennisetum 'Hameln'. After all, Sesleria is a beautiful (semi-)evergreen grass that is drought-resistant and hardy, in short it requires little care. The only disadvantage this Sesleria can have is that it sometimes looks a bit messy. Especially in a humid summer as we have had this year, it can grow a little taller and then fall over. This is not always appreciated by the customer who wants a nice result year after year. Fortunately, there is now the new Sesleria 'Greenlee hybrid' . This Sesleria is a cross between the smaller more compact Sesleria caerulea and Sesleria autumnalis. This creates a beautiful new grass that is drought resistant, (semi-)evergreen and blooms from June to October with beautiful silvery spikes. In addition, it remains compact with a height of 30 centimeters.

Top zegge for dry shade

Finally, we would like to once again draw attention to Carex sp. 'Kyoto'. Although garden designer Chris Ghyselen brought it from Japan years ago, this sedge is still underappreciated. It is one of the best evergreen sedges for dry shade but it also does very well in the sun when not too dry. With its 60 centimeters in height and beautiful convex shape, it looks somewhat like a more elegant lampshade without blooms. Its neutral look means it can be combined endlessly. A natural beauty that can bring some color and texture to winter. Because of its Japanese origin, it is also much more resistant to colder and wetter winters than the more commonly used Carex testacea or Carex howardii 'Phoenix green' which are both native to New Zealand. A sedge that certainly adds value to climate-resilient gardens of the future.