The Obsessive Neurotic Gardener

Category Archives: Ornamental grass

Ornamental grasses are my destiny

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It was time to get down to business yesterday afternoon.  
I grabbed my camera, my phone, a notebook, a pen and my shitkicking boots and headed out into the yard. It may have been bitterly cold with a wind chill in like the single digits, but I didn’t care. There was serious work to get done and a little frostbite wasn’t going to get in the way. 
So there I was, in full on planning mode with a single minded purpose of determining which existing garden beds would be extended (short answer: all of them) and where would new beds be created (short answer: everywhere). As you may know, I live on a 2+ acre property that was a complete blank canvas when we moved in back in late 2004. I’ve done my best to add as many trees, shrubs and perennials as possible, but there is still a long ass way to go. It can become overwhelming at times but who am I to complain? The possiblities are endless (well not really; the deer are a nightmare, the soil sucks … sorry … where was I?). 
As I surveyed my lot and started drawing imaginary bed lines in my head (notebook and pen were a bad idea, my fingertips still haven’t recovered), I came to a relatively easy realization; I am going to focus mainly on adding ornamental grasses to the landscape. This is generally borne out of necessity based on my previously documented struggles with deer and wet soil, but it also felt like a welcome challenge. Could I make a high volume of ornamental grasses look natural and appealing? Could I add just the right number of non-grasses to keep things interesting and varied? 
All of this will be worked on feverishly the next few months and as always, I’ll be documenting it all along the way. I plan on adding some seriously large grasses that are in the 8-12 foot range and some new mid-size grasses I’ve been researching for a while now. But most importantly, I am making a serious commitment to dividing my existing grasses and spreading the wealth all over the yard. Yes, I’ll be savings some serious dinero, but the manual effort will be epic.
What has two thumbs and can handle any physical challenge thrown his way? This guy (now imagine me pointing to myself with a cocky grin for the true effect for that riddle.) 
For today, I want to address my grass detractors (you know who you are … or maybe I made you up for false inspiration) by demonstrating that grasses are not only good for their fall display and little else. Yes, they typically put on their best show in late summer and fall, but they can shine at other times as well. They are a great complement to blooming shrubs and perennials and also offer great foliage contrast to non-blooming shrubs and perennials.
And here is my Exhibit A:                                       



Joe Pye Weed and Miscanthus ‘Morning Light’ (Summer)

Joe Pye Weed and Miscanthus ‘Morning Light’ (Fall)



Peony and Panicum (Switch grass)

Penstemon ‘Husker’s Red’ and Panicum (Switch grass)

Spirea ‘Snowstorm’, Viburnum ‘Aurora’ and Miscanthus ‘Gracillimus’

Weigela ‘Wine and Roses’ and Panicum (Switch grass)
Panicum (Switch grass) blooms and Rudbeckia
Spirea ‘Anthony Waterer’ and Panicum (Switch grass)

Rose of Sharon and Miscanthus ‘Gracillimus’

Feel the love? I know I do.

More to come my friends …

John

See ya ornamental grasses

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If all of the weather reports are to be believed, we are about to get pounded by Hurricane Sandy.  We are expected to get DAYS of rain and gale force winds here in New Jersey, from Sunday through Wednesday of next week.
Apparently, like 98 storms are converging at once and we are looking at a potential “Storm of the Century”. This cute little disaster even has a cute little name – “Frankenstorm”. Yee haw, how f’n fun. 
When all is said and done, I’m expecting all of my ornamental grasses to be flattened. 
And that sucks. 
Yes, the safety of my family and all those affected by this storm is top of mind, but c’mon, no grasses still standing into winter? That a national g-damn tragedy.
So in honor of the hard working, humble and utterly dynamic ornamental grasses, I give you a slide show of their performance this year. I’m tearing up as I type this and I urge you to grab a box of Kleenex before you proceed. 
The pics are in reverse chronological order from current day back to earlier in the fall and summer.         
MISCANTHUS ‘GRACILLIMUS’ 

MISCANTHUS ‘PURPURASCENS’ 

MISCANTHUS ‘MORNING LIGHT’

PANICUM ‘ROTSTRAHLBUSCH’

 

It’s OK to cry.

We’ll make it through OK.

The spring will be here soon.

John

Yes, more ornamental grass love

Posted on by Posted in Ornamental grass .
If you do not like ornamental grasses, it is OK to leave now. 
Go on … get outta here.
Are they gone? …. good riddance.
Let’s proceed, shall we?
It’s sort of like Christmas Eve out in the garden right now with the OG blooms about ready to show themselves: 
Miscanthus ‘Gracillimus’ 
Miscanthus ‘Variegatus’ 
Miscanthus ‘Morning Light’
Want to know how I know that my lust for ornamental grasses is off the charts? I can capture three blooming grasses in one photo:
Misacanthus ‘Gracillimus’, Calamagrostis ‘Eldorado’ and Miscanthuis ‘Purpurascens’ 

This is the second year for my Miscanthus ‘Purpurascens’ and so far, color me impressed:

The seed heads on my two different Chasmanthium latifolium (Northern Sea Oats) have matured nicely:

Northern Sea Oats

Northern Sea Oats ‘River Mist’

You can count on an overwhelming amount of coverage on all things ornamental grasses over the next few weeks so brace yourself.

John

Carex tenuiculmis ‘Cappuccino’

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My favorite way to plant shop is to forgo any sort of planning and just buy what I like. I prefer to “act now and think later”.

Who cares if there isn’t room for these plants (there is always room)?

Who cares if they may be pushing the zone that they survive in (I’ll take extra care of them, I swear)?

Who cares if they kind of look like they’re dead at all times (Just another piece of the proverbial garden puzzle)?

So there I was slumming it at Home Depot (I kid) a few years ago trying to ignore the hundreds of impatiens and begonias, hoping I could find some semi-unique plant that I could waste my money on.

And like an oasis in the desert, I spotted a bunch of oddly colored grasses hidden in a corner amongst empty containers and dying plants.

Upon closer inspection, the grasses were kind of cool in an offbeat way and I sort of dug their color. Turns out they were Carex (sedge) ‘Cappuccino’ (awesome name):                  

Without giving it much thought or reading the plant labels, I threw five in my cart and hurried to the check-out booth before I could second guess my purchase.

When I got home, I did a little internet research and while there wasn’t a ton of info out there, I did discover:

  • Survives in zones 6 (or 7 on some sites) to zone 9
  • Prefers full sun to partial shade 
  • Gets to be about 18″ tall and 24″ wide
  • Requires moist soil (like most sedge)

At the time, I thought, OK, they may not survive the winter here in zone 6B but I gave it a shot. They held up well for a year in a protected spot with full sun but I didn’t like how they looked in mass. So I moved them to a bed along my driveway where I strategically placed them hoping to create rhythm and repetition (who do I think I am?).

They are still there to this day:

I love this “grass” (technically I don’t think it is a true grass) and its color, texture and mounding shape. And they provide that sought after “year round interest”.

  
The color is awesome first emerging in spring after being cut down nearly to the ground: 

I have some Ajuga ‘Chocolate Chip’ in front of them and the color scheme is pretty cool when the ajuga are in bloom:

As the spring turns to summer, the carex turn in to good looking wispy mounds of awesomeness:

When the sun hits them just right, you can see their reddish copper color emerge:

As the cold weather and frost hits in the fall/winter, they keep their form and still look phenomenal:

And that my friends is the story of how an obsessive and neurotic gardener created a lifetime of love with a little known plant who was toiling in obscurity at a big box store.

So remember, your lesson for today is to “just buy what you like” and figure it all out later.

Life’s to short to be planning all the time.

John

Ornamental grasses take the spotlight

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It is that time of year.

The time when the ornamental grasses take a giant leap forward, shake their ample booty and become THE focus in the garden.

Well, they do in my garden at least.

Here is just a sampling of these emerging superstars:

Panicum (Switch Grass) ‘Northwind’ when the blooms first appeared:

  

And now after said blooms transformed into a pinkish hue (love the blue/green blades as well):

Next, we have Panicum (Switch Grass) ‘Rotstrahlbusch’ (yes, I have memorized that spelling):

Miscanthus ‘Variegatus’ behind the same “Rots”:

Miscanthus ‘Morning Light’ not yet showing signs of bloom but still stunning in its own way:

Misanthus purpurascens (Flame Grass) with blooms just popping out in front of the giant Miscanthus ‘Gracillimus’:

Every night, I stare at these Calamagrostis (Feather Reed Grass) ‘Karl Foerster’ blooms from my deck as they are backlit by the sun. Good times:

And finally, Chasmanthium latifolium (Northern Sea Oats) are at their peak, as we speak:

More grass love to come in a future post as they continue to transform with the arrival of autumn.

John

Here come the ornamental grasses

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Ornamental grasses are typically thought of as plants with late summer/fall/winter interest. 
But I’m here today to sing their praises as a great spring/early summer performer as well. 
I feel like most of my ornamental grasses took a huge leap forward this past week and I couldn’t be happier. While they aren’t anywhere near their peak, they still lend an airy awesomeness to the garden. 
Some examples:
Panicum starting to already show it’s hints of red color on the leaves:  

Miscanthus ‘Variegatus’ emerging over some of the smaller perennials:

Miscanthus ‘Gracillimus’ doing the same:

Calamagrostis ‘El Dorado’ already showing early blooms:

Pennisetum a nice color contrast next to Penstemon ‘Husker’s Red’:

Looking at a blooming Weigela ‘Wine and Roses’ through a Panicum:

Chasmanthium latifolium (northern sea oats) rounding into form:

Calamagrostis ‘Karl Foerster’ in it’s nice upright stance:

And this is only the beginning. The next few months will be an ornamental grass-palooza and I’m sure you’ll be sick of all my hyperbole by then.

Enjoy the long weekend!

John

Pennisetum orientale ‘Karley Rose’

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Hello, my name is John (audience responds: “Hi John”) and I’m addicted to growing ornamental grasses.

It all started a few years ago when I moved into my current home and quickly realized three things:

  1. My clay soil drains very slowly
  2. My property has very little shade   
  3. Deer will always be on the prowl

I tried to fight my conditions at first but it didn’t take long to accept that it was a battle I could not win. I would have to accept what I had if I wanted to remain a sane gardener.

One “type” of plant overwhelmingly fit my growing conditions … the ornamental grass. It was a match made in heaven and I have never looked back.        

And here’s the thing, I will continue to feed my addiction for the foreseeable future. Bank on it. There are so many options out there and a lifetime to try them all out.  
Anyways, for today’s OG lesson, I will discuss Pennisetum ‘Karley Rose’ (oriental fountain grass):

Some good bits of info to share with your friends:

  • Size – roughly 3′ x 3′
  • Survives in zones 5-9
  • Like most OG’s, prefers full sun but will do OK in partial shade
  • KR is a warm season grass so it will begin to grow as the temps warm up in mid to late spring
  • Starts to bloom in July which is earlier than most warm season grasses
  • Blooms are a pink/mauve color that eventually turn to a tan color as the season progresses
  • Foliage holds up reasonably well in rough weather and rebounds quickly after a rain and/or snow
  • While I’ve never grown the species, KR has a much deeper green foliage and longer lasting and pinker flowers       

And some pics for your viewing pleasure:

In a combo with Sedum ‘Matrona’:

Blooms slowly fading from pink to tan:

In my mixed border fitting in well as a “sort of” focal point:

Still holding up well in mid-Fall (with Panicum):

Your lesson for today is now done. We’ll talk more OG’s soon.

John

Time to cut back the ornamental grasses

Posted on by Posted in How-to, Ornamental grass .
I don’t give a flying fig what Punxsutawney Phil said, Spring officially began this past Saturday, February 25th. 
According to MY calendar, Spring commences when I cut down the first ornamental grass. This normally occurs around the second to third week of March, but to celebrate this mild Winter (and to take advantage of a window of free time between dance class and a basketball game) I headed outdoors, battery powered hedge clippers in hand and went to town on the OG’s. 
First up, Miscanthus ‘Gracillimus’:        

This is my largest ornamental grass so the “cut-back” was the most difficult. But with my pure brute strength, I laughed at the challenge.

I do worry about the big hole that is left as a result, but hope the emerging daffodil bulbs will help hide the carnage for the time being:  

Next, we move on to the Calamagrostis ‘Karl Foerster’. These grasses collapsed in an ugly pile in late October, after an out of nowhere snow storm, and never recovered:

I couldn’t wait to slice and dice these puppies so the ugliness of fall/winter could be forgotten:

Since ‘Karl Foerster’ is a “cool season” grass, I knew it would show signs of new growth already … and it didn’t disappoint:

I also chopped back another Calamagrostis (‘El Dorado’) and was greeted with new growth again:

I even cut back a few small newly purchased clumps of Calamagrostis ‘Avalance’ (a variegated form I’m super psyched to watch mature) and yes my friends, more new, green growth:

Like Leatherface from “Texas Chainsaw Massacre” I slaughtered this Sorghastrum ‘Sioux Blue’ without missing a beat:

And boom, whacked back Carex ‘Kaga Nishiki’ and was greeted with this delicious foliage:

Northern Sea Oats was cut back in mid Fall in hopes of managing the reseeding, so no need to touch them:

Finally, I was able to contain myself and allowed this Carex ‘Cappuccino’ to remain as is because she still looks damn good:

That’s all for now.

There are still quite a few Miscanthus and Panicum in need of a haircut and I can’t wait to chop away soon.

John

Plants that die well

Posted on by Posted in Ornamental grass, Winter interest .
When you dig gardening (pun intended) and you live in a colder climate (zone 6 here), you need plants that “die well”. It is a long stretch from November to March and the search for winter interest is always top of mind. 
To me, winter interest is all about subtlety and as is the case when gardening during any season, looking natural is the key. And I’m the first to admit that I have a long ways to go in mastering this practice. But that is the beauty with gardening – we will learn until the day we die. 
For today, I thought I would share some of my “good dying plants” and “not so good dying plants” with you. Shall we?:
One of the “winter interest” staples is the classic coneflower (Echinacea). Here it is in it’s decaying glory:              

Not bad eh? I should also add I love NOT cutting down the coneflower blooms in order to feed the birds (as seen in the photo of the finch above) and I enjoy the reseeding in all of my garden beds. Coneflowers for years to come.

We also have the mother of all winter interest, the ornamental grass:

Miscanthus (Maiden Grass)
Panicum (Switch Grass)
Carex (Sedge)

Chasmanthium Latifolium (Northern Sea Oats)

Also love spent Hydrangea blooms:

The color left behind by Penstemon ‘Husker’s Red’:

The native Mountain Mint:

And even the ubiquitous Sedum:

And finally my friends, love me some spent Astilbe blooms:

Nothing that necessarily jumps out and grabs you, but they all add a nice cold weather/wintry vibe. Memories of what was and what soon will be. Sweet.

But I can’t leave it all positive. Not everything looks good dead. Some ugly examples:

Lobelia

Peony
Siberian iris
Hibiscus
Let me know some of your favorite winter interest plants. Lord knows I still need some guidance.
John

Panicum ‘Rotstrahlbusch’ – Through the seasons