Re: One Book on Grasses


Gene,

I can't recommend a particular book, but I must admit that right now my
annual grass with the burgundy leaves and lighter burgundy plumes (can't
remember the name for the life of me!) is blooming and looking rather
smashing with some red dahlias.  I also have zebra grass and I like it with
yellow flowers, especially heliopsis.  I find that the rudbeckia's brown
eye distracts from the pairing.  I also like my Japanese silver grass right
now with white boltonia.

In all cases, the grasses are at their peak in the late summer-early fall
period (like right now) and all of those fall-blooming perennials look
really good with them.  Since the grass is such a tall, vertical statement,
I like pairings that are more blousey (if this is the correct word).  In
the border, I have the silver grass right smack in the middle as a relief
and accent plant.  From the border's ends, you can't see past the grass to
the rest of the border, so I like the effect.  The annual burgundy grasses
are at the entrance to the patio since they don't grow very tall and they
accent the grey creekstone walls.

I didn't like grasses myself until I saw them used quite attractively in a
landscape project.  I still don't care for long sweeps of them (reminds me
of open prairie, which looks odd in a residential setting) but I like them
as accents and definitely in the company of flowering perennials.

Val in KY
zone 6a

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