STYLE AND IMPACT WITH GRASSES

If you are looking to add style and impact to your garden then get into grasses. Bringing texture, colour and change through the seasons, their delicate shapes can be used to great effect. In late summer and early autumn many grasses produce wonderful flowerheads, doubling their height and contrasting to perfection with their slender leaves.

For a haze of inflorescence Petrovskia 'Blue Spire' (pictured) is an ideal option. This upright shrublet produces an abundance of purple-blue flowerheads in panicles up to 30cm long. The silver-grey woody stems of the plant not only set off the flowers beautifully, but when the flowers die back the stems add interest throughout winter too - so wait until spring before pruning. Perovskia 'Blue Spire' is fully hardy and can grow to a height and spread of approximately 1 metre.

Other grasses to look out for to bring delicate shapes to the garden include members of the Miscanthus and Pennisetum families. There are all sorts of growth habits to choose from which can be used to complement other plants in an existing border, to use as a specimen plant or to create an eye-catching border showcasing different grasses together. Pennisetum orientale produces long spikelet flowerheads creating a soft mound in mid to late summer. The flowerheads have a pinky hue which look fabulous in the late summer sun. This plant can look great on border edges cascading onto the lawn or path. For a grass with a more stately growth habit and tall feathery inflorescence, consider Miscanthus sinensis 'Silver Feather' which grows to a height of up to 2.5 metres. 'Silver Feather' flowers in early and mid autumn. There's an added bonus too, as you can cut the flowerheads of Miscanthus and Pennisetum for fresh and dried arrangements indoors.

When looking at grasses don't miss out on the options presented by Dwarf bamboos. Their ornamental foliage evokes images of the artistic beauty of Japanese calligraphy with its linear shapes and angles. The Pleioblastus family is made up of around 20 evergreen woody bamboos. A spectacular example is Pleioblastus auricomus which has almost luminous green striped foliage. This plant grows to a height and spread of approximately 1.5 metres. For the smaller garden there's the Pygmy bamboo (Pleioblastus pygmaeus) which is a quite compact plant with mid green leaves growing to an approximate height of 40cm and spread of 1 metre.

Dwarf bamboos can work very well in pots and containers - their woody canes and evergreen foliage make them a super plant for adding structure and year round interest to a patio, balcony or garden. Additionally, as some bamboos can be very vigorous, growing them in pots can mean that you can keep them in check and enjoy them too!

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