Hardy Shrubs, Trees & Climbers

These essential plants can be used in mixed borders, prairie-style plantings or in plantings dedicated entirely to grasses. They can be grown in containers; they look good beside water or placed where the sun can shine through them from behind, and where they will catch the wind. Deciduous grasses contribute to the winter garden with their browning or yellowing foliage enhanced by low winter sun and hoar frosts. Grasses have two growth habits, clump forming or running - plants in the latter group may need careful placing where their tendency to wander won't become a nuisance. It is also important to know whether a particular grass or sedge is a ‘cool season’ or ‘warm season’ plant. The former will start growing in early spring, slow down during the summer, and have another growth spurt in the autumn (a bit like your lawn), and these are best divided during active growth during spring or autumn. Warm season plants are later to break into growth, and should only be divided in early summer when new growth is evident. Evergreen grasses need tidying up in spring - remove dead leaves and leaf tips. Deciduous grasses can have their old foliage cut hard back, allowing the new foliage to come through. We have tried to select the following for their form, foliage colour and flowers.

calamagrostis

See Stipa calamagrostis.

£ 3.50

mauritanicus

Hardy grass with stiff arching leaves to 1m. topped by impressive flower spikes bring the whole plant to it’s ultimate height. Warm season.

£ 3.50

arundinacea
Pheasant's Tail Grass.

Clumps of fine arching leaves are streaked orange-brown, accompanied in summer by feathery flower heads. It turns to orange brown for the winter. Will self-seed, but with good manners. Cool season.

£ 3.50

x acutiflora ‘Overdam’

Medium height grass with white on green variegation. Silvery-pink flower heads in summer. Cool season.

£ 3.50

comans

Clump-forming sedge with an upright then arching habit. Bronze leaves. Nice in a pot. Cool season.

£ 3.50

dipsacea

Medium height evergreen grass with olive green leaves and near-black flower spikes. For moist but well-drained soil, sun/ part shade. Clump forming. Winter foliage takes on brown/orange yellow hues. Cool season.

£ 3.50

flacca

Attractive grass with blue leaves. Slow spreading habit, good for softening edges of paths or borders. Small flowers in spring. For any soil in part Shade. Drought tolerant. Cool season.

£ 3.50

flagellifera

Attractive, bronze grass with an arching habit. Clump forming and not invasive. Cool season.

£ 3.50

muskingumensis
Palm Sedge.

Very attractive sedge for the bog or poolside with feathery bright green leaves and palm shaped habit. Spreading habit. Good for moist soil including a bog garden. Cool season.

£ 3.50

muskingumensis ‘Oehme’
Variegated Palm Sedge.

Attractive sedge with variegated, feathery leaves and palm shaped habit. Slowly spreading. Likes moist to boggy soil. Cool season.

£ 3.50

oshimensis ‘Evergold’
Variegated Japanese Sedge.

Evergreen sedge with attractive yellow variegation. For a cool position. Once established, will tolerate dry shade. Cool season.

£ 3.50

phyllocephala ‘Sparkler’
Tenjiku Sedge.

Striking evergreen variegated sedge with purple stems at the base. Leaves are produce in a palm like fashion. Spreading habit. Rather tender, so needs protection in cold areas. Warm season.

£ 3.50

riparia ‘Variegata’

Variegated grass for a moist situation. Spreads by runners so can be mildly invasive. Some all-white leaves produced in spring. Deciduous. Cool season.

£ 3.50

secta var. tenuiculmis
Purei, Makura Grass.

Arching clump of bright green leaves. Likes moist soil in sun. Eventually makes a large tussock. Cool season.

£ 3.50

siderostica ‘Variegata’

Beautiful low growing sedge for a damp spot. Leaves white & green with a pink tinge in spring. Spreads slowly. Dies down in winter. Cool season.

£ 3.50

siderosticha ‘Shima-nishiki’

This cultivar has bright yellow green leaves. Slow growing. Good in containers, or damp border edges in shade. Dies down in winter. Cool season.

£ 3.50

‘Silver Sceptre’

Neat growing green & white variegated cultivar ideal for edging borders, growing in pots etc. Cool season.

£ 3.50

latifolium
Northern Sea Oats.

A good grass for semi-shade in good soil. Erect flowering stems carry panicles of large flattened flowers which persist into the winter. Cool season.

£ 3.50

fraserianus
Fraser’s Sedge.

The main feature is the unusually wide fresh green leaves (up to 2" across) which are complimented in spring by attractive white flowers. From eastern states of the US where it is quite rare. Prefers woodland conditions with acid soil. Cool season.

£ 3.50

involucratus
Umbrella Plant.

Smaller than the Cyperus papyrus and with stiffer leaves, giving an overall spikier effect. Likes wet/ boggy soil but needs a thick mulch in winter to survive outside. Can be grown in a cool conservatory if stood in a tray of water.

£ 4.50

flexuosa ‘Tatra Gold’

Evergreen ornamental grass with bright yellow-green foliage topped by bronzy flowers in early summer. For moist soil in sun/ part shade. Cool season.

£ 3.50

magellanicus

Possibly the best blue grass with intense blue leaves and almost prostrate flower spikes in summer. For fertile, well drained soil in full sun. Remove dead growth in spring. Cool season.

£ 3.50

rufa

Small bamboo with green canes and fresh green foliage. A very effective container plant.

£ 4.50

glauca

An amazing blue grass which forms small neat mounds of foliage. For sunny position. Slowly spreading. Cool season.

£ 3.50

glauca ‘Elijah Blue’
Blue Grass.

Soft clumps of striking needle-like blue evergreen foliage. Sunny open, well-drained spot. Silvery flowers in spring to early summer. An ideal edging plant. Cut back in spring. Cool season.

£ 3.50

idahoensis
Idaho Fescue.

A drought tolerant species from North America with very narrow blue to gray-green leaves. Reputedly deer and wind resistant. Cool season.

£ 3.50

macra aureola
Hakone Grass, Japanese Forest Grass.

(Labelled as ALBOAUREA but Im certain this is the right name) Clump forming deciduous grass for partial shade. Cut off dead leaves in spring before new growth emerges. Cool season.

£ 4.00

patula

A good grass for shade, where it tolerate dry conditions. Flowers are reminiscent of bottle brushes, held on stiff upright stems in mid to late summer. Clump forming. Cool season.

£ 3.50

uniflora ‘Variegata’

Deciduous variegated grass with a graceful habit, particularly when in flower. Spreading habit. Cool season.

£ 3.50

effusum ‘Aureum’
Bowles's Golden Grass.

Ornamental grass with golden yellow leaves from spring to autumn and spikes of yellow-green flowers in early summer. Slowly creeping in habit and will seed around. Useful for brightening up a shady border. Suitable for any soil type accept boggy in sun or shade. Cool season.

£ 3.50

sacchariflorus

This grass is a strong runner, good for Prairie style planting in moist soil. Feathery white flowers in August. Warm season.

£ 3.50

sinensis ‘China’

Beautiful grass with panicles of red flowers in late summer. Warm season.

£ 3.50

sinensis ‘Cosmopolitan’

Tall grass with broad variegated leaves and reddish flowers in late summer. Spreading habit. Warm season.

£ 3.50

sinensis ‘Morning Light’

Grass with variegated leaves and silvery flowers in summer. Spreading habit. Warm season.

£ 3.50

sinensis ‘Sioux’

Tall grass with silvery-pink flower heads in summer. Spreading habit. Warm season.

£ 3.50

alopecuroides f. viridescens

Clump-forming grass with arching green bottle brush-flower spikes. For well-drained soil in sun. Warm season.

£ 3.50

setaceum ‘Rubrum’
Purple Fountain Grass.

This beautiful grass has deep purple foliage topped by pink/purple flowers in late summer. It has one pitfall - it’s intolerance to low temperatures. To overwinter, the plant must be brought into a cool greenhouse or similar (min. 4° C.). So best grown in a container and brought inside in September. Warm season.

£ 4.50

arundinacea var. picta ‘Feesy’

Spreading, supposedly less invasive cultivar of Gardener's Garters with white and green variegated leaves with a pink flush at the base. Warm season.

£ 3.50

arundinacea var. picta ‘Luteovariegata’

Spreading, supposedly less invasive cultivar of Gardener's Garters with yellow and green variegated leaves. May need controlling. Warm season.

£ 3.50

australis ‘Variegatus’
Common Reed.

Colourfully variegated form of a native reed with stiff upright stems carrying green and yellow leaves. Will be happy in a bog garden, but invasive, so best grown in a pot. Sun/part shade. Warm season.

£ 3.50

viridistriatus

Bamboo with a graceful upright habit. Bright yellow leaves, striped with green, from summer to winter). Will take on a green hue if grown in shade. Cut the canes to the ground in autumn or spring to encourage fresh growth. Spreads by rhizomes, so restrict to a pot, or let loose in a wild area. Shade/part shade. Warm season.

£ 4.50

variegatus

Variegated evergreen bamboo with green and white leaves. Moderately invasive growth habit. Can also be grown in a pot. Warm season.

£ 4.50

arundinaceum
Elephant Grass.

Attractive clump forming grass for a warm garden. Stems are purple from the bottom turning to green. Golden panicles of flowers in summer. For well drained soil. Warm season.

£ 3.50

insularis

Pretty grass with blue -green foliage. Southern Europe, so probably warm season.

£ 3.50

heterolepis
Prairie Drop Seed.

Attractive grass forming a small clump. Turns copper in autumn Good for softening the edge of borders or paths. Very drought tolerant. Sun or part shade. Warm season.

£ 3.50

gigantea
Giant Feather Grass.

An impressive grass with many qualities. Large flower heads of purple, fading to gold. For full sun in well-drained soil. Makes a good alternative to Pampas Grass. Cool season.

£ 3.50

egmontiana

A beautiful sedge from New Zealand. Evergreen, with warm bronzy red narrow foliage. Slightly tender, so find it a sheltered spot. Cool season.

£ 3.50