Cotswold(Style(,(November(2011(

Gardening with Camilla Bassett-Smith

Gloucestershire Horticulturalist Camilla Bassett-Smith has a Chelsea Gold Medal and was part of the production team for BBC Gardeners World. Here, she considers the green grass of Englands pleasant land.

Under feet but underestimated!

With grasslands estimated to account for 20 per cent of the Earths vegetation cover, maybe we should give the family of grasses more recognition than often credited? Certainly Dutch garden designer Piet Oudolf sings of their praises, and has often opened the gates of his own garden in The Netherlands for Grassendaggen or Grass Days. It is in fact Oudolf who has done much to raise awareness of the benefits of grasses as he introduced his new wave perennial planting style. With over 600 genera and around 10,000 species, Grasses can be practical, wildlife friendly and ornamentally utterly beautiful, especially at this time of year when most colour has faded from our gardens. The regal Pampas Grass was a popular sight in many a 1970s Gloucestershire garden but sadly fell out of favour as many gardeners moved on to more fashionable plants. How valuable these grasses can be though with their vast plumes of white or pink strutting the horticultural catwalk from September until February. At up to 12 feet tall, these really are the supermodels of their kind! They love an open sunny site and are pretty maintenance free providing years of glory. Cortaderia selloana is the common form, but for powder puff pink feathers rising from the ground Cortaderia selloana rosea is an excellent choice. One word of warning, the name for the genus Cortaderia originates from the Spanish and Argentinean word corta: to cut: so best advised to get your gardening gloves and coat out when placing these sharp leaved eye-catchers! Miscanthis sinensis has a wide range of cultivars and should be at the top of any horticultural shopping list. Miscanthus sinensis Morning Light is a compact narrow leafed variegated grass awarded the RHS Award of Garden Merit (AGM). A border full of these in a line bursts to life reminiscent of dancing fountains. Again sun and good drainage is important. Another AGM holder is Miscanthus sinensis Zebrinus and this has to be my favourite. I am in good company as Gertrude Jekyll, who listed Berkeley Castle gardens among her many famous designs, often used this plant with its glowing greens and yellows to cast light and shade. At this time of year the striking foliage is joined by rich brown/red fan shaped flowers which carry you right through the winter months. Last December where temperatures reached minus ten degrees Celsius in our Cheltenham garden, these flowers were caged in ice with a sculptural brilliance. When the sun does shine, make sure your plant is ideally placed to catch the best of the afternoon rays to marvel at the shimmering spikelets. The greatly respected gardener and author Christopher Lloyd of Great Dixter in Sussex grew many Miscanthus, some among topiary birds. He spoke of the beauty of the changing colours of the flower heads often from rich brown to pale fawn. He acknowledged that many see brown as the symbol of dead or dying plants, but he recognised that brown can be full of vitality! No where better can this be seen, in my opinion, that in swathes of milk chocolate plumes rising from grasses at this time of year! Its not only ornamental grasses though where we have the chance to add interest to our gardens, lawn grass also offers more than you probably imagine! It was on a visit to The Sports Turf Research Institute in Bingley, Yorkshire last year that I became fully aware of the choice of grass available for lawns or sports purposes. They test around 400 different grass cultivars on a grid system which looks like a giant patchwork quilt of all the shades of the green

spectrum! These range from fescues and bents used for fine golf courses and ornamental lawns to high percentage ryegrass for lawns with heavy wear and football pitches. Who knew there was so much choice?! So next time you dismiss grass as the irritating plant that calls for hours of hard labour during the mowing season, maybe look a little further into this remarkable family and Im sure youll find something special for your garden.