Ornamental Grasses
Ornamental grasses are low maintenance, easy to grow and can be used throughout the garden in your borders, containers or even as a focal point. They are versatile, hardy and bring movement, texture and style to your garden nearly all year round. Our web shop contains only a small selection of our more popular ornamental grasses. To see our full range, please visit your local branch of Thompson's. Ornamental grass are also covered under our 3 year hardy plant guarantee.
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The beauty of ornamental grasses
By incorporating captivating ornamental grasses into your garden and properly caring for them, you'll create a picturesque landscape that you can enjoy throughout the year. Come and explore our wide selection of ornamental grasses at Thompson's Plant Centre, and let nature's poetry enchant your garden! Happy gardening!
Why not add these to your garden?
Why Add Ornamental Grasses to Your Garden?
- Elegant Aesthetics: Ornamental grasses offer a graceful and aesthetic appeal to any garden. Their flowing blades and feathery plumes add a soft, swaying element that contrasts beautifully with other plant types.
- Low Maintenance: Compared to many other garden plants, ornamental grasses are relatively low maintenance. Once established, they are drought-tolerant and can thrive in various soil conditions, making them an ideal choice for busy gardeners.
- Year-Round Interest: Many ornamental grasses retain their beauty throughout the seasons, even in winter. Their dried seed heads and foliage create a captivating spectacle during colder months, providing visual interest year-round.
Thompson's Top Three Ornamental Grasses
- Miscanthus sinensis (Chinese Silver Grass): This popular grass variety features tall, arching blades and stunning feathery flower plumes in shades of silver, pink, or red. It adds a striking focal point to any garden.
- Pennisetum alopecuroides (Fountain Grass): With its elegant, cascading growth habit and bottlebrush-like flower heads, Fountain Grass brings a soft, graceful touch to the landscape. It comes in various cultivars, offering options for different garden styles.
- Panicum virgatum (Switchgrass): Ideal for adding a natural, prairie-like feel to your garden, Switchgrass displays sturdy upright growth and lovely autumn foliage. Its airy, delicate seed heads dance gracefully in the breeze.
How to care for ornamental grasses?
Ornamental grasses are easy to care for with these essential tips:
- Planting: Choose a sunny spot with well-draining soil. Plant in spring or early autumn to establish strong roots before extreme weather.
- Watering: During their first growing season, water regularly to aid root development. Once established, most ornamental grasses are drought-tolerant, but water during extended dry spells.
- Pruning: In late winter or early spring, cut back last year's growth to a few inches above the ground. This encourages fresh growth and keeps the grass neat.
- Fertilizing: Ornamental grasses don't need much fertilization. Use a balanced, slow-release fertilizer in spring for a gentle boost, avoiding excessive fertilization to prevent weak growth.
- Division: To maintain vigour and prevent overcrowding, divide overgrown clumps every few years.
Need Some Help Planting Your Ornamental Grasses?
Whether you're planting your Carex buchananii. Red Rooster, Festuca glauca Elijah Blue or Carex Frosted Curls, by following a few simple steps, you'll be giving your ornamental grasses the best possible start to life in your garden.
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Dig the hole a little deeper than the size of the container and twice as wide.
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Loosen the soil in the hole so that it is crumbly.
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Mix a small amount of good-quality multipurpose compost into the hole.
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Remove the plant from the pot and gently tease out a few of the roots.
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Place your plant in the hole making sure you don't bury the stem.
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Refill the hole with a mixture of soil and multipurpose compost.
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Firm the soil around the plant, making sure you don't press down on the root ball.
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Water well, and keep well watered in the first season whilst it establishes itself.
If you need any other assistance with your garden plants, then please get in touch. Our experts are always on hand to answer your questions. Mail us at [email protected].