Late summer is a great time for grass to star in the garden. However, as most lawns are looking very dry and crisp by August even without the blistering early summer we have had this year, you might deduce correctly that I am not talking about lawn grass, but ornamental grasses in the borders.  The banner photograph above this blog shows the drama of grasses supporting herbaceous perennials (I took it at Sussex Prairies Wild). By the way, most lawns are not grown from a single species, they are a mix to balance texture and toughness.  Anyone who has tried No-Mow May and let that grass grow on into June and July, perhaps to make a Meadow, will know that all grass species flower in some form or they wouldn’t produce seeds. And even in lawn grasses, the flowers vary from open, airy oat, like forms to thicker furry caterpillar types. So the only real difference between lawn grass and ornamental grass is in how you grow it, plus some of the some of the ornamentals are tussocky and do not make smooth sward even if regularly cut. They may also have coloured leaves which might look a bit strange in your lawn, although we could start a new fashion!  It is slightly ironic that what we appreciate from ornamental grasses is particularly in late summer is when the leaves and the stems dry out to a gold and straw colour, when it is precisely the leaves turning a golden straw colour that distresses so much in the lawn.

There are many ornamental grasses on offer and we usually also include not just to those in the grass family, but also similar groups such as sedges (Carex).  Happily there also are some very binary questions that will guide you to a much smaller selection. and the first question and the most important because this is not really your choice: Are you looking for a grass that requires dry conditions, typical grassland Steppe or Prairie, or do you need grasses that thrive in marshy, boggy places? Many of the grasses will be fine in a good rich border soil with plenty of water retentive organic matter but on free draining soil by the end of summer, many of those will simply have succumbed.  After that, it really comes down to your choice of appearance: vertical stems and flower heads, or a fountain of leaves? Then the height and spread, a specimen plant or ground cover?  Grasses etc. range from a few centimetres in height to a few metres. Do read the label because even within a single species different varieties can reach vastly different sizes.  And are you interested solely in the foliage which may be coloured or do are you really growing it for feathery or fluffy flowerheads at the end of the summer?

Finally, some of the striking grasses like red Pennisetum are not fully hardy through winter even in the South of England.  I would not rule them out if you want them for a particular planting scheme and there is no hardy alternative but do be prepared to put straw, compost or an upturned pot over the crown in the winter.

Best known in Prairie planting where swathes of grasses intermingle with similar height herbaceous plants, I have also seen grasses very effectively used even amongst roses, probably the most unlikely Prairie planting companion, and in a very cottagey garden style. So ornamental grass is great for August and September, cocking a snook at the grass struggling on your lawn and usable in many, many different ways and combinations with the plants you already have. Ideal for filling gaps in planting and best not planted singly, make sure that grass always looks like you meant it and have not simply overlooked a seedling of lawn grass that has developed into a humongous weed!

Happy Gardening from Alison