GRASS with class

With the surging popularity of ornamental varieties, grass is no longer restricted to green – it also comes in blues, blacks, yellows, whites and browns. Ranging from diminutive mounds of blue fescue to the towering fronds of golden oats, ornamental grasses come in many shades, shapes and sizes. Furthermore, there’s a variety for any garden situation, whether to add texture and tempo to flowerbeds, edge water or pathways, create a sense of cadence in prairie-style borders, spill out of containers or simply to stand in splendid isolation to radiate year-round appeal.

‘Grasses are easy to use, adaptable and tough, and if planted in the correct spot, they do the work, and you do the enjoying,’ says Neil Lucas, who collects and grows ornamental grasses at Knoll Gardens in Dorset.

Over 25 years, he has consistently