This spring I sowed a variety of annual ornamental grasses, and I am rather pleased with the results.

The feather reed grass Calamagrostis x acutiflora Karl Foerster (pictured above) which I bought last year is one [...]]]>

Regular readers of my blog may have gleaned that I am an inveterate seed sower.

This spring I sowed a variety of annual ornamental grasses, and I am rather pleased with the results.

The feather reed grass Calamagrostis x acutiflora Karl Foerster (pictured above) which I bought last year is one of the plants that triggered my interest in ornamental grasses and I wanted to try out a variety of annual grasses in the garden this year.

Briza maxima (Greater quaking grass) is a beautiful grass for flower arrangements.  In the spring I direct sowed this delicate looking grass along the edge of one of the beds in the cutting garden.

I have been reluctant in the past to introduce this Briza into the garden, because if it likes you, it can self seed quite prolifically, but the earth in the cutting garden is cleared every year as I only grow annuals there and it is surrounded by slate paths, so whilst there are nooks and crannies where the briza may self seed, fingers crossed I wont get too fed up of the nodding heads.

I also sowed Bunny Tail Grass – Lagurus Ovatus.

I planted a great clump in a pot for the steps – and it has worked very well.

It is hard to resist touching the soft heads every time I go down the steps to the garden.

The grass that has stolen my heart however is Hordeum jubatum, squirrel tail grass.

This year I have planted it together with white cosmos “purity” alongside one of the grass paths and I love it.

The slightest breeze sets it dancing and although it has a tendency to flop down onto the path when it rains, it soon bounces back when the sun comes out, adding movement and interest to the planting.

This one  will definitely have a permanent place amongst my planting.

All these grasses are lovely for drying or flower arrangements, or, if you are like me, not so much flower arranging, and bundling a few stems into a jam jar!

I am 95% sure that the grass in the first picture is Calamagrostis x acutiflora ‘Karl Foester’, but my garden database is still stuck on my defunct computer – but whichever grass it is – I am very pleased with the way it is looking and growing in this garden.

PS – Ooops! I am aware that sometimes my rotating header shows images of snowdrops – quite inappropriate for July!