Ivydene Gardens Grass Gallery:
Introduction

Ornamental Grasses by Roger Grounds - Published in association with the Hardy Plant Society (ISBN 0-7470-1219-9) details all the ornamental grasses at present in cultivation together with guidance on how to make the best of grasses in the garden with practical advice on cultivation and propagation

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Carex pendula is described in this Gallery and is one of the Garden 'thug' plants detailed by the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) as follows:-

"What are garden 'thug' plants?

Invasive plants are those that can quickly get out of hand in the garden, even though they are not regarded as weeds and are commonly sold in garden centres.

Think carefully about introducing these plants to your garden, and be prepared to carry out judicious pruning and digging or thinning out as required.

Examples of such plants include:

Trees and shrubs

• Cherry laurel (Prunus laurocerasus)
• False acacia (Robinia pseudoacacia)
• Kerria japonica
• Leyland cypress (× Cuprocyparis leylandii)
• Poplars (Populus spp.)
• Sumach (Rhus typhina)

Climbers

• Passion flower (Passiflora caerulea)
• Russian vine (Fallopia baldschuanica)

Bamboos, sedges, reeds and grasses

• Sasa palmata (see our bamboo profile for a fuller list of invasive bamboos)
• Phalaris arundinacea
• Phragmites australis
• Weeping sedge (Carex pendula)

Herbaceous perennials

• Japanese anemone (Anemone × hybrida cultivars)
• Golden rod (Solidago canadensis)
• Houttuynia cordata ‘Chameleon’
• Macleaya spp.
• Yellow loosestrife (Lysimachia punctata)

Crevice plants

• Mind-your-own-business (Soleirolia soleirolii)

Edible crops

• Blackberries
• Raspberries
• Horseradish
• Mint

Ground cover plants

• Euphorbia cyparissias
• Hypericum calycinum
• Leptinella squalida
• Periwinkle (Vinca major and V. minor)
• Pratia pedunculata
• Rubus biflorus
• Snowberry (Symphoricarpos albus)
• Yellow archangel (Lamium galeobdolon) 

Bulbous plants

• Lesser celandine (Ranunculus ficaria) cultivars
• Oxalis culitvars
• Allium paradoxum and A. triquetrum

Pond plants

There are a number of aquatic plants that can easily get out of hand in a garden pond and are considered true weeds. Ideally these should never be introduced to the pond, though they sometimes come unwittingly with other pond plants.

The problems

Trees like the Leyland cypress and climbers such as Russian vine can grow so quickly that they are soon much too big for the garden.

Trees such as poplar and sumach have a tendency to sucker, sending up shoots all over the garden and even in neighbours’ properties.

Many ground cover shrubs like the snowberry or Hypericum calycinum spread via underground stems (rhizomes), sending up new plants and gradually taking over the border. Some bamboos also behave in this way, becoming a constant source of regret for the gardener.

Potentially invasive herbaceous plants and grasses, such as Japanese anemones and Phalaris arundinacea, form ever-enlarging clumps that require frequent division. Others, such as golden rod or weeping sedge also spread by seed, with seedlings popping-up in unexpected places where they are not wanted.

Bulbous plants such as Oxalis can produce tiny new bulbs, or offsets, which are scattered every time a clump is dug up, spreading the problem rather than controlling it.

Control

Digging out unwanted plants may work for a while, but is only likely to be a temporary solution. Judicious use of weedkillers may be necessary.

For herbaceous weeds, try a programme of spraying using a systemic herbicide containing glyphosate – Roundup and Tumbleweed are common brand names of such products. For woodier plants, choose a stump or brushwood killer such as ‘Bramble Killer Ultra’ or ‘Deep Root Ultra Tree Stump & Weedkiller’.

Beware putting invasive plants on the domestic compost heap, as this is unlikely to reach a high enough temperature to kill off tough roots or underground stems (it is all right if they have already been killed off with weedkiller). Instead, place them in the municipal green waste, as this is composted on an industrial scale, where tough weeds should be killed off. Burning may also be appropriate, but check your local Council guidelines.

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You can select 0 of the grasses described within a page from Camera Photo Galleries, which is not used in the Rock Garden by clicking on the centre of its thumbnail in the relevant Grass Inflorescence Comparison page within this gallery.

This plant gallery has thumbnail pictures of grass inflorescence in the following colours:-

• (o)Blue
• Orange
• (o)Other Colours
• Pink
• Red
• (o)White
• Yellow

This plant gallery has thumbnail pictures of grass leaf blades in the following colours:-

• Black
• (o)Blue
• Brown
• Bronze
• (o)Green
• Grey
• Purple
• Red
• Silver
• (o)Variegated White (or Silver) and Green
• Variegated Yellow and Green
• White
• Yellow
• Foliage changes colour from Summer to Autumn
• Foliage changes colour from 1 season to another

A lawn also contains ornamental grasses, which can be mown to provide a setting sun visage, as was done at Wisley in August 2012 (Photo by H. Kavanagh):-

These gallery photographs were provided by Christine Foord and they were photographed by Christine and Ron Foord.

Grass Height from Text Border

Blue =
0-24
inches
(0-60
cms)

Green=
24-72 inches
(60-180 cms)

Red =
72+
inches
(180+
cms)

Grass Soil Moisture from Text Background

Wet Soil

Moist Soil

Dry Soil

Click on Grass Named to change page to the Grass Description Page of the Grass named in the Text box below that photo.
The Comments Row of that Grass Description Page details where that Grass is available from.

Grass INDEX link to Grass Plant Description Page

Botanical Name / Common Name

Inflore-scence Colour

Inflore-scence Months

Height x Spread in inches (cms)

Foliage Colour

A, B

C

Carex pendula / Weeping Sedge

Dark Brown spikes

May, June

54 x 60
(135 x 150)

Shiny Mid-Green leaves, which are 36 inches long and Blue-Green beneath

Cortaderia selloana / Pampas Grass

Silver spikelets

August

108 x 60
(270 x 150)

Mid-Green foliage with very sharp cutting edges

D, E

F

Festuca glauca / Blue fescue

Blue-Green spikelets

July, August

12 x 10
(30 x 24)

Blue-Green

G

H

Hakone-chloa macra 'Albo-variegata' / Hakon Grass

...

...

12 x 12
(30 x 30)

Green variegated White

I, J, K, L, M, N, O, P, Q, R, S, T, U, V, W, X, Y, Z

CT Flora Turf

CT Flora turf soil-free turf production process has a number of advantages over wild flower seeding:-

• Dense roots eliminate weeds
• Much faster to establish than seeding
• Light and easy to handle
• 50:50 plant mix of flowers and grasses
• Seed mix native to the UK including nectar rich species for bees and butterflies
• Effective erosion control for banks
• Very little maintenance
• Ideal for green roof projects

Enviromat Green Roof

Enviromat is an extremely versatile, frost hardy, drought resistant, random mixture of flowering sedum plants. Use it as low maintenance groundcover or to create a living green roof.

Site design and content copyright ©April 2007. Page structure amended January 2013. Feet changed to inches (cms) July 2015. Chris Garnons-Williams.

DISCLAIMER: Links to external sites are provided as a courtesy to visitors. Ivydene Horticultural Services are not responsible for the content and/or quality of external web sites linked from this site.  

STAGE 4C CULTIVATION, POSITION, USE GALLERY

Cultivation Requirements of Plant

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Poisonous Plant

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STAGE 1
GARDEN STYLE INDEX GALLERY

Fragrant Plants adds the use of another of your 5 senses in your garden:-
Sense of Fragrance from Roy Genders

Fragrant Plants:-
Trees and Shrubs with Scented Flowers
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6

Trees and Shrubs with Scented Leaves
1, 2, 3, 4, 5

Trees and Shrubs with Aromatic Bark
1, 2, 3

Shrubs bearing Scented Flowers for an
Acid Soil
1, 2, 3, 4

Shrubs bearing Scented Flowers for a
Chalky or Limestone Soil
1, 2, 3, 4

Shrubs bearing Scented leaves for a
Sandy Soil
1, 2, 3

Herbaceous Plants with Scented Flowers
1, 2, 3

Herbaceous Plants with Scented Leaves
1, 2, 3

Annual and Biennial Plants with Scented Flowers or Leaves
1, 2

Bulbs and Corms with Scented Flowers
1, 2, 3, 4, 5

Scented Plants of Climbing and Trailing Habit
1, 2, 3

Winter-flowering Plants with Scented Flowers
1, 2

Night-scented Flowering Plants
1, 2

Scented Aquatic Plants
1

Plants with Scented Fruits
1

Plants with Scented Roots
1, 2

Trees and Shrubs with Scented Wood
1

Trees and Shrubs with Scented Gums
1

Scented Cacti and Succulents
1

Plants bearing Flowers or Leaves of Unpleasant Smell
1, 2
 

STAGE 2
INFILL PLANT INDEX GALLERY 3

Fan-trained Shape

From Rhododendrons, boxwood, azaleas, clematis, novelties, bay trees, hardy plants, evergreens : novelties bulbs, cannas novelties, palms, araucarias, ferns, vines, orchids, flowering shrubs, ornamental grasses and trees book, via Wikimedia Commons

Ramblers Scramblers & Twiners by Michael Jefferson-Brown (ISBN 0 - 7153 - 0942 - 0) describes how to choose, plant and nurture over 500 high-performance climbing plants and wall shrubs, so that more can be made of your garden if you think not just laterally on the ground but use the vertical support structures including the house as well.

The Gardener's Illustrated Encyclopedia of Climbers & Wall Shrubs - A Guide to more than 2000 varieties including Roses, Clematis and Fruit Trees by Brian Davis. (ISBN 0-670-82929-3) provides the lists for 'Choosing the right Shrub or Climber' together with Average Height and Spread after 5 years, 10 years and 20 years.