For something a little more diverse in your garden why not try ornamental grasses? They provide a beautiful backdrop for your annuals and flowering perennials during the summer; while also adding winter interest when many of your beds and borders are a little sparse.
Easy to grow and maintain ornamental grasses grow well in the UK climate. They can be grown in borders, containers or act as screening. With grasses ability to change colour with the seasons makes them an unusual addition to your garden.
hakonechloa macra ‘Aureola’
Ornamental grasses come in two main categories. Evergreens – which only need their dead material removing; and frankly don’t like hard pruning. Deciduous – which like to be cut back annually which allows them to continue to look their best.
So which ones are best for winter interest?
Evergreen grasses which come from cooler climates such as Hakonechloa, deschampia, festuca and stipa to name a few, usually come into full growth during winter. These are grasses which offer winter interest and fill your winter garden with colour, texture and movement.
Here are 5 favourite varieties from the vast array of grasses available.
Anemanthele lessoniana & Stipa tenuissma
Anemanthele lessoniana and Stipa tenuissma ‘Angel Hair’. Both hardy perennials stipa grasses enjoy a sunny or semi-shade position and have an arching habit of thin strands which gently move in the breeze. With evergreen foliage stipa tenuissma begins in summer with lime-green swards which change to a spectacular brown-bronze during winter. These grasses work well in both borders and containers.
Festuca glauca
Festuca glauca grows with stiff architectural blue foliage. Summertime brings blue-green flower spikes which look marvellous above the foliage in patio containers or rockeries. Nicely compact Festuca glauca grows well with perennials and small shrubs.
Carex ‘Milk Chocolate’ has slender brown foliage with lovely delicate pink edges, which turn into autumnal shades of orange and brown as winter approaches. This easy to care for grass looks great in pots or in borders where it will add movement and texture all winter long.
The last grass is another Carex. Carex morrowii ‘Fisher’s Form’ is a deep-green grass with contrasting cream margins. During spring small green flowers rise above the foliage, which is stiff and upright until it lengthens and begins to arch gently. This evergreen continues all year round and looks great in rockeries, patio pots and borders.
Carex ‘Milk Chocolate’ & Carex morrowii ‘Fisher’s Form’
With so many grasses to choose from, it depends when you want them to provide interest in your garden. Winter time evergreens come into their own, and the rest of the year deciduous grasses provide a great show, with texture, movement and vibrant colours all making ornamental grasses an easy to care for option for an attention-grabbing garden.
For more advice on filling your garden with year-round evergreen colour, head to our evergreen plants hub page, or if you’re looking for specific planting advice – such as which grasses look best in summer borders, check out our helpful ornamental grasses resources hub.
I have worked for Thompson & Morgan for nearly four years. In that time I have learnt lots about gardening, but consider myself very much a novice. I have started growing veg on a colleague’s allotment and also growing windowsill seeds such as Salad Leaves and Rocket. I love gaining more knowledge about horticulture and am lucky enough to work here.
