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We no longer run a commercial nursery.

We do still sell plants, at our property, dug (such as peonies) from our gardens.

If you would like to be informed of what we have, and when, contact us (see above) and request that you receive email notification of plant availability.
Galleries

Updated July 1, 2009

Ornamental Grass Gallery

Ornamental grasses are one of Phil's favourite perennials. Visit our grass factsheet for a primer on growing ornamental grasses.

You'll find photos of grasses on two separate pages (Grasses page 1 , Grasses page 2 ) for downloading efficiency.

Miscanthus varieties are late summer to fall show stoppers. Their common name, 'Silver Feather Grass', is derived from their silver flower plumes. Plant them in full sun. They prefer uniformly moist soils - they do well in our clay soils. Except for the variety miscanthus sacchariflorus, they are well behaved clump-formers.

We hope you enjoy the gallery of grass photos. Unless stated otherwise, photos taken in our gardens (USDA Zone 4).
'Malepartus' Japanese Silver Grass

Miscanthus sinensis 'Malepartus'

The showiest of the grasses! The flowers have a purplish tinge, the leaves turn rust yellow.

Grows about 5-6 feet tall in 3 -5 years. A clump forming variety.

(Niagara Parks School of Horticulture gardens.)
Flame Grass

(Miscanthus oligostachyus 'Purpurascens')

We like it for its reddish fall colour. When hit by frost, the leaves turn red. Gorgeous back lit with evening sun and with frost on it.

Grows about 4 feet tall here. A clump forming variety. One of the hardiest!

'Little Dot' Silver Grass

Miscanthus sinensis 'Peuntkchen'

Leaves have horizontal yellow bands - blooms are silver.

Hard to see the yellow bands in this photo - but they are there.

'Little Dot' grows to 5' tall. It is quite erect in stature. It is a bit smaller then Porcupine Grass (Miscanthus s. 'Strictus') which it resembles closely.
Zebra Grass

Miscanthus sinensis 'Zebrinus'

Grows 6 to 7 feet tall. Gorgeous all season long - the plumes are 'icing on the cake' in the fall. Most gardeners around Ottawa lost this one last winter but we had it for 4 years before it died.

(Seen here are about 4 clumps in one mass - Caprilands Herb Farm, Connecticutt.)
Variegated Japanese Silver Grass

Miscanthus sinensis 'Variegatus'

Another 'must have' grass. Place it in front of a dark background with sunlight hitting it like a 'spotlight' if you can!

Grows about 5 feet tall. has silver flower plumes. Hardier than 'Silberpfeil'. It survived 2 winters here, died last winter.

(Seen here at Longwood Gardens, Penn.)
'Sarabande' Japanese Silver Grass

Miscanthus sinensis 'Sarabande'

Silvery, thin leaves with golden flower plumes.

Grows to 5 feet. Survived our terrible winter last year!

(Niagara Parks School of Horticulture gardens.)
Silver Banner Grass

Miscanthus sacchariflorus

Beware of its running tendency. A great grass if you've got loads of space to fill. It'll spread three feet a year easily unless you confine it by root pruning or other means.

Stands 6 to 8 feet tall and withstands winter snows for winter interest in the garden. Extremely hardy.
The solution to running grasses!

Plastic barrels make great confinement barriers. Cut a barrel in half and remove the end. Sink the barrel leaving a couple of inches of the plastic exposed above ground level.

Fill the barrel with soil and plant your grass. Now you've got the best of both worlds - a running grass that won't escape!

Pictured here is Blue Wild Rye (Leymus arenarius), another running grass.
Wild Blue Rye

Leymus arenarius

A great blue foliage in an arching form. Used to stabilize sand dunes because of its rapid spreading habit. So beware. But you can contain it (see middle picture).

Grows to three feet tall. Extremely hardy.
Dwarf Fountain Grass

Pennisetum alopecuroides 'Hameln'

This is one of the hardiest of fountaion grasses - most don't come close to surviving our winters. 'Hameln' survives intermitently in our gardens so we dig clumps in the fall and place them in the protection of a cool greenhouse. The effort is worth it to us as we get nice mature clumps early in the summer for our gardens.

'Hameln' grows to about 32 inches tall in a graceful urn shape. The flowers are showy greenish white 'foxtails'.
Purple Leaved Fountain Grass

Pennisetum setaceum 'Rubrum'

This is the showiest of grasses! It doesn't withstand a hint of frost! We dig clumps in the fall and place them in the protection of a cool greenhouse or bring one indoors for the cats to munch on (we really do!) The effort is worth it to get nice mature clumps early in the summer for our gardens.

'Rubrum' is ideal in containers with coleus or other annuals which contrast with purple. It will grow to three feet tall in its first season.

Fountain Grass

Pennisetum setaceum

Not hardy in this area, but 'Setaceum' is a fast growing warm season grass used as an annual in our gardens. 'Setaceum' has green leaves and pinkish inflorescences. It grows to about 3 feet tall in the season. It is a full sun loving plant that does well in well drained, conditions. It withstands drought as we learned last summer, but prefers moisture for active growth.