Astelia banksii
An attractive silver-leafed species with recurved leaves, lower growing than the more vertical A. chathamica.
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Mass plantings of grasses and strappy foliage plants add a great natural feel to garden spaces, and are a effective textural element to combine with perennial flowers and shrubs in our gardens. Grasses work well in both traditional gardens and contemporary settings, and are generally easy to grow and low maintenance. The key to success is choosing the right variety for your planting project as the plants all vary in size, growing requirements vigour and appearance. Below we have listed a range of species from Japan, America, New Zealand, as well as some of our own native species.
There are 22 products.
An attractive silver-leafed species with recurved leaves, lower growing than the more vertical A. chathamica.
A brilliant low grass with outstanding flowers and seedheads, suitable for massed foreground plantings in landscape design work or in clusters amongst other perennials. A slender plant so plant closely at 25cm for best results. Not self seeding in our trial stockbeds.
Native grass found mostly around coastal areas in Tasmania and Victoria, this is our local form from the southern Channel area. It forms a lovely tussock in the garden and is less prone to die-back than some of the poa species.
A really useful low mounding grass which will grow well in a range of situations from shade to full sun. Attractive bronze evergreen foliage, recommended for low to medium annual rainfall areas from 550-800 mm per year, where they will not seed. Not recommended in wetter climates of 900 mm+ rainfall, (or heavy irrigation): this climate may cause the...
Evergreen mounding grass with delightful seedheads in autumn, will not self seed like many native grasses do. Lovely with sedums and miscanthus.
Grey blue low growing grass with weeping foliage, used for landscaping applications in mass plantings, edgings, or combined with euphobias, westringia and sedums.
'Blue oat grass', European representative from the poaceae family, evergreen grass with attractive blue tinge and vertical foliage. Its primary advantage is that it doesnt self sow like its native counterparts, making it much easier to manage in mixed perennial plantings.
Beautiful red tinged grass, otherwise known as Japanese Blood Grass. Foliage becomes progressively redder as the season advances, this is a slow growing moisture loving variety that grows best in pots or in fertile soil in a sheltered environment, and is relativley slow growing. Will spread to form a clump over time.
Lowest growing of all the miscanthus, at around knee high, a very versatile and useful foreground filler that wont seed, and looks great with sedums, echinacea, salvia and rudbeckia. Winter foliage has pretty rusty pink tones. Give it nice soil, being a smaller one its fast growing as the big ones.
Lower growing to waist high with soft foliage and improved autumn colour, one of the better panicums. A nicely clumping contained grass that looks good in groups amongst echinacea and summer perennials, wont self seed and lasts a long time. However needs decent fertile soil to flourish.
Perennial grass from USA, an attractive textural variant for grass plantings. Can be invasive in sandy soils but no problem in our heavy clay.
Division grown cultivar with better autumn colour than the species, bad name for a good plant. Vertical foliage to waist high and attractive flower heads in late summer.
Upright grass colouring well in autumn. Favoured by contemporary designers for winter colour and structure.
Terrific ornamental grass which has not shown any seedling to date, which makes it a very welcome addition as a foliage filler. The foliage is nicely mounding, evergreen and knee high, and the red pompom flower heads have almost the effect of a sanguisorba, later fading to a pleasant straw colour until mid winter providing an effective textural effect....
Attractive long flowering ornamental grass which flowers in summer with miscanthus, sedums, agastache, and echinacea. Very easy and well behaved in clay however in light sandy soils may be overly vigorous and only suit the large garden. We have found only occasional seedlings, but as with all grasses, deadhead if seeding occurs. Useful for foreground in...
Decorative grass with fluffy 'cats tail' seed heads. Does not seed in our summer dry temperate climates, but can be a strong seeder in warmer humid climates if seed heads not trimmed before dispersal.
A local plant Ive always loved on the roadsides in summer on Bruny, flowering creamy white in massed colonies. A worthwhile addition to summer perennial plantings with sedums, austrostipa, agastache, and miscanthus. Lower growing and more slender than many other grasses.
Gracefully weeping evergreen grass colouring bronze and silver in autumn. Useful as foreground to more upright varieties like Miscanthus "Sarabande" and Calamagrostis "Karl Forester".
One our favourite new grasses, waist high flowers with rich green foliage, creating good mounding fill and texture within summer perennial plantings. Grows best on heavier fertile soils, and responds well to moisture in summer if available, but not overly demanding.
Evergreen plant from the iris family often used for mass planting. White flowers and strappy foliage, native of South Africa. Tough and easy but not for wet and heavy soil.