The Rural Voice, 1999-07, Page 34a
Gardening
Now this is the kind of grass I could like in my garden
By Rhea Hamilton Seeger
I think I am being seduced by
something that I thought I had a real
aversion to. I am talking about
grasses — not the great clumps of
orchard grass that would sneak into
the edge of the lawn and needed
spading to be removed; not the
twitch grass that twines its roots
through my perennials; and not the
annoying quack grass that also creeps
into my gardens.
Even areas I have mulched down
thickly with assorted pine needles,
pine cones and bark chips still attract
a variety of grass. You know the kind
that sneaks under the mulch and then
springs up all over the garden
simultaneously. As you pull out one
plant you discover it carries from area
to another. A monster task. But back
to the seduction.
I can't say I haven't envied the
gardens with the great clumps of
pampas with its white plumes
towering over cascading green
ribbons or the fascinating colour of
Japanese blood grass.
I had the good fortune to hear
Martin Quinn of Kincardine speak on
grasses last year and his enthusiasm
with grasses is infectious. He
showed slides of his backyard. It was
nothing overly special when he
started — your standard suburban
rectangle with a fence around it. That
was the before picture. The after
pictures were worth more than a
thousand words. There were literally
hundreds of varieties of grasses. A
hedge of tall grasses was visually
striking and the bonus was that it
needed no trimming and offered
music during the winter when the
wind whistled though. The contrast
of colours and textures with
perennials was enough to sell me on
the idea of introducing grasses to our
corner of the world.
Martin is quite careful with his
selections. There are grasses that are
invasive and he cautions against
using them in home gardens. Grasses
are known for their long deep root
systems and the aggressive ones are
excellent for stabilizing banks or lake
1•:
shores.
We have relied on grasses for
thousands of years to sustain us.
Crops such as corn, wheat, oats and
rice are our basic staples. Now they
are opening up new areas of design in
our gardens.
When you go shopping take a list
and make sure you write down the
Latin name. Grasses are quite
expressive and their common names
reflect that but may vary from one
area to another. To ensure you're
getting what you set out for make the
effort to learn the Latin.
Don't be fooled by sedges, reeds
or bamboos. Although they are
grass -like they are from different
families but are equally attractive and
can be used to advantage too.
Grasses like other plants come in
both annual and perennial form and
prefer a variety of conditions from
wet swales to dry gravel pits.
The popularity of gardening has
created a more savvy group of
consumers. They are looking for not
only the unusual but for additions that
will need little or no maintenance.
Interest in chemical free gardens and
experiments in naturalized yards is
gaining momentum. Grasses fit into
this trend quite naturally.
Like any other addition to your
garden, take the time to prepare the
ground for exceptional results. Work
in lots of old compost, leaves and
mulch well after the frost has settled
in to prevent the roots from being
heaved out during the winter.
There are some basic grasses to
look for and experiment with. The
most impressive is the Miscanthus
family. There are a number of
varieties. They range from three to
seven feet and offer feathery flowers
that can be used in fresh or dried
arrangements. Most require moist
well drained fertile soil.
My second choice would be from
the Festuca group. You can probably
find a variety that would do well in
just about any location. Fescus are
easily recognized by their dense
mounding habit and the most
common one you see today has that
electric blue colour.
Don't neglect the native species.
Lorraine Johnston offers some
suggestions in her book The Ontario
Naturalized Garden, The Complete
Guide to Using Native Plants. One
that I would love to see is Big
Bluestem (Andropogon gerardii). It
forms a tall clump of three to eight
feet with thin bluish green leaves that
turn bronze in the fall. The bonus is
that it is drought tolerant and easy to
start from seed.
This is only the smallest tip of the
information on grasses. Just enough
to wet your whistle, as it were, or
excite you about looking further into
experimenting and embracing grasses
in your garden. I know I am already
looking forward to a couple of new
species I tucked into the back away
from the twitch grass.0
Rhea Hamilton -Seeger and her
husband raise two children at their
home near Auburn. She is a skilled
cook and gardener.
TE -EM FARM
Perennial display garden a must to see.
Perennials and nursery stock can be
planted anytime.
Lots of In -House Specials
on annuals, hanging baskets,
geraniums, etc.
Goch
IT EM T
FINM
■
Moron County, i)
BClintonSwett/
Mon. - Fri. - 8-8
Sat. - Sun. - 9-6
R R. 1, Bayfield. Ont
519-482-3020
JULY 1999 31