asunder from the various utilitarian species of dope used for lawn ( see Grass seed for lawns ) , there are quite a numeral of grass grow strictly for ornament . Some are annuals , others are perennials and some , the bamboo , are woody - staunch . Not all are intrepid ; some take greenhouse treatment or , at best , maybe grown outdoors as half - hardy annuals during the summer months . The height range of a function is wide ; some bamboos reach almost 6 m ( 20 foot ) , while one or two dwarf sens seldom exceed 16 atomic number 96 ( 6 in ) . Few are grown strictly for their flowers , although the pampas grass , Cortaderia selloana , isgrown as much for its feathery plumes of flowers in tardy summer as for its foliage core . In the main the cosmetic grasses are foliage plants , often variegated , sometimes bluish - green in people of colour .
They are , in general , easy plants , not at all fussy about soil . A few are inclined to ramp and should be planted with guardianship , but if the proper place can be found for them , where they can be allowed to spread at will , they will make handsome features for much of the year . Otherwise , they are moderately well-off to control with the spade . One such vigorous flora , Phalaris arundinacea picta , is known familiarly to gardeners as ribbon grass ’ , lady ’s garters or gardener ’s garters . Its leave-taking , prettily striped with lily-white , are about 1 m ( 3 ft ) foresighted and a few plants set up out about 30 cm ( 1 foot ) apart will quickly make a big clump .
Another smoke which produce even more rapidly isGlyceria aquatica variegata . Fortunately this needs very damp soil and it is often in boggy places that something is needed with precisely this habit , to get across the ground rapidly . It will , in fact , do best in shallow pee by the side of a pond or where a pond overflows to keep the grunge continually moist . Provided place is not desire for other decorative bog plants , the genus Glyceria can be go away to its own devices . But it is unwise to plant it near less robust plants as they will be overwhelmed in clip . The master attracter , again , lies in the sword - similar foliage which are undress with white , but in fountain and again in autumn , this variegation is partially concealed beneath the fragile pink or pinkish - bronze peak . The typically grassy flower - heads which rise on spike above the leaf in summer are brown .
Another ashen - stripy grass isMiscanthus sinensis , a plant which elder gardeners will recall asEulalia japonica . This is an telling plant for an isolated bed in a lawn or as a background to a borderline as its graceful naughty - green leaf are 1.6 m ( 5 foot ) or so long , with whitish midvein . The varietyvariegatusis less marvellous and the midrib band is white . Other good forms of this Asiatic skunk aregracillimus , in which the leaf are more slender and arching in habit and lack the central stripe , and , perhaps the most attractive , zebrinus , in which the 1.5 - 2 metre ( 5 - 6 foot ) long , 1 cm ( 1/2 in ) wide leaves are transversally banded with xanthous . Even taller than these isM. sacchariflorus , from Japan , in which the leaves may , in good soil and sheltered place , gain 2.5 - 3 m ( 7 - 8 ft ) . There is an attractive signifier of this , aureus , in which the leaves have a fundamental gold stripe .
There may not always be elbow room in the garden for a bunch of such a tall green goddess as this , but such considerations of space hardly arise with the pretty strain of the aboriginal meadow foxtail gage , dignify with the long name , Alopecurus pratensis foliis variegatis . This is a tuft - forming grass , its minute leaves , little more than a pes grandiloquent , strip down with yellowish . This pasturage is sometimes used for bedding aim and two more which may be used in the same path areMolinia coerulea variegata , about 37 centimeter ( 15 in ) marvelous , with very narrow , white - striped leaves , and the even dwarfedHolcus mollis variegatus , another topknotted grass , its leaf variegated with silver .
In complete contrast with these midget forage , isArundo donax , the Provence reed , which , when well grown , may tower to 3 - 4 chiliad ( 10 - 12 foot ) or more . The best forms of this aremacrophylla , with magnanimous leaves , nearly 5 cm ( 2 in ) extensive racy - green in color , andvariegata , in which the leaves are variegated with argent - white stripes , although the latter form is not as intrepid asA’ .. donaxitself which , in any case , should be given some class of winter protection . The less tallA. conspicua , from New Zealand , which behave 0.6 yard ( 2 ft ) retentive panicle of silky flush , which open up pinkish , then turn white , late in summertime , also needs a little protection in wintertime . This is a plant which should be given a fair amount of way , and for this reason , it is often grow as a lawn specimen .
There are a number ofhardy annualseed sown all easily raised from sown in spring outdoors , in the same elbow room as other hardy annual . Some are more cosmetic than others , and some are of more involvement to the flower organiser who needs material of this use and grain , than to the gardener at great . They admit such grasses asAvena sterilis , known as animated oat , about 1 m ( 3 foot ) tall , andAgrostis pulchella , one or twoBromusspecies , the small quaking grass , Briza shaver , Hordeum jubatum , the squirrel - tail Gunter Wilhelm Grass , Lagurus ovatus , the hare ’s rear pasturage , andPanicum capillare , all in the tallness grasp of 30 - 46 centimeter ( 1 - 1 1/2 ft ) .
Another hardy annual , often grown for the saki of its expectant hard , grey seed receptacles , is the 0.6 - 1 m ( 2 - 3 foot ) tallCoix lacrymajobi , known as Job ’s rent . The receptacles are hard enough to be used as beads .
Less hardy arePennisetum caudatumandP. longistylum , both about 0.6 - 1 thousand ( 2 - 3 ft ) grandiloquent and both elegant grasses with large feathery bloom - heads . P. ruppelliiis passably grandiloquent and equally refined . All should be treated as half - dauntless annuals and inseminate under glass in March or April or outdoors in May .
But the most decorative of these supply ship grasses are the Indian corn orIndian cornvarieties , all figure ofZea mays . Z. m. japonica quadricoloris the most striking of these as it reaches 1.6 one thousand ( 5 ft ) and its leaves are prettily striped with bloodless , yellow and rose on the normal green . Other handsome motley areZ. m. gracillima variegata , about lm ( 3 ft ) , andZ. m. japonica , about 1.3 m ( 4 ft ) both striped with white and both utilitarian as pot plants for the cold greenhouse or conservatory , or out of doors in summer bedding schemes to give height and subtropical upshot .
The woody - stemmed dope , the bamboos , possibly because they were over - plant year ago , have to some extent been neglected in recent years . Some , such asArundinaria anceps , which may reach 4 m ( 12 ft ) or more andSemiarundinaria fastuosa , which often reaches 6 molarity ( 20 ft ) , are both too tall and too vigorous for small garden , although they are first-class in the right-hand place , in moist soils and positions sheltered from confidential information , where there is ample space for them to spread as they will do by underground stem . But the bamboo , on the whole , are refined plant and a clump of the correct sort draw a pleasant feature of speech in the smaller garden . Two such coinage areSasa chrysantha , about 2 meter ( 6 foot ) marvelous , its leaves yellow striped , andSemiarundinaria ( Arundinaria ) nitida , sometimes a little tall than this , with slender violet cane . These are excellent for modified areas by the waterside or in moist but not waterlogged woodland territory .
