I read that grasses perform better with restricted watering?
I would like to introduce a variety of grasses in my hosta gardens but I kn=
ow my hosta are not going to be too happy with less water and apparently th=
e opposite for the grasses.
Has anyone had experience growing hosta and grasses together with abundant =
water.
Too many hosta too water individually.
Is this scenario even a concern.
Phil Little Gatineau River Quebec
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Phoenix Hosta Robin -- moderated by Carolyn Schaffner
http://thegardensite.com/info-garden_forums.htm information to manage your =
subscription.
Hey, HI, Phil!!
I think that grasses SHOULD go with hosta! So I've tried many here in my zo=
ne 5b/6a garden in Buffalo, NY. And I've killed lots -- or rather, the wint=
er has killed lots. But you're absolutely right that the water requirements=
are the key to grasses' survival, it seems to me.... too much water and th=
ey won't live another year! I have a good number of hillocks out there of m=
ostly dead grasses that need to be moved. Frost hardiness seems to be most=
disastrous with any grass/grasslike plant which has RED, or bronze foliage=
. OR perhaps I naively choose annual grasses just because they're gorgeous=
with the hosta.
Roger Grounds' two books, Planthunter's Guide to Ornamental Grasses, Timber=
Press. 1998, and Gardening with Ornamental Grasses, Horticulture Publicati=
ons, Boston, MA, 2004 (with info from the '98 book) are pretty good, as is =
Rick Darke's The Colour Encyclopedia of Ornamental Grasses, Weidenfeld & Ni=
colson, Orion House, London, 1999. Rick is an American, living in Pennsylva=
nia, was on the staff of Longwood Gardens.
ANYWAY,
Grounds lists several grasses that "go with" hosta -- most seem to be not h=
ardy here. He seems to like banboos.
There are annual grasses -- Penicum, Pennisetum, Sorghum, Zea mays -- that =
are, well, annuals
Grasses that are reliable with hosta, here:
Calamagrostis x acutiflora (esp. 'Karl Foerster')
Deschampsia
Fescu
Miscanthus x giganteus (any miscanthus grows well here, with or without hos=
ta)
Grass-like plants that survive here, with hosta:
Carex (sedge) <-- grows especially well as they need fairly constant moistu=
re and cool shady conditions, and really appreciate WET soil while establis=
hing. Divides extremely well, and works in pots.
Hakonecholoa <--- yeah, but I haven't found the perfect spot for it. Mine i=
s barely hanging in there.
Leymus ("Blue Lyme Grass") <--- gorgeous spikes of glaucus blue, has surviv=
ed a couple years before giving up
Acorus < -- likes dampness, grows any where it can find water, very short s=
tature here, the gold / yellow varieties are nice with hosta, but may be sh=
ort lived
Ophiopogon planiscapus 'Nigrescens' <--- yuppers! everyone knows these!
Lirope <---- the green varieties seem to be most hardy here. The college wh=
ere I teach uses it under trees as a ground cover
Sisyrinchium (blue eyed grass) <--- gorgeous in a pot with well drained so=
il, as its in the iris family, doesn't want wet soil
Phormium (New Zealand flax) <--- also great for a pot ... many colors and h=
eights (one could make a small fortune selling this ... check out the price=
s at the nurseries!!
Carolyn Schaffner in hot, humid Buffalo, NY where the (unwatered) soil is d=
ry and the hosta are wonderful, but not turgid!!
---------------------------------------------------------------------------=
---------
Phoenix Hosta Robin -- moderated by Carolyn Schaffner
http://thegardensite.com/info-garden_forums.htm information to manage your =
subscription.
Hi Carolyn,
Your weather sounds like what we had (add very windy yesterday). Yeste=
rday made it into the 90's. Last night it started to rain. It is a lovely=
sound. The hostas are loving it. Only trouble with the rain is the cool =
temps. High in the 60's. Maybe the rain will head your way (hope it doesn=
't ruin any Memorial Day plans).
Virginia & Brian
"Smiling is infectious,
You can catch it like the flu.
Someone smiled at me today,
And I started smiling too."
Author unknown
Hey, HI, Phil!!
I think that grasses SHOULD go with hosta! So I've tried many here in my zo=
ne 5b/6a garden in Buffalo, NY. And I've killed lots -- or rather, the wint=
er has killed lots. But you're absolutely right that the water requirements=
are the key to grasses' survival, it seems to me.... too much water and th=
ey won't live another year! I have a good number of hillocks out there of m=
ostly dead grasses that need to be moved. Frost hardiness seems to be most=
disastrous with any grass/grasslike plant which has RED, or bronze foliage=
. OR perhaps I naively choose annual grasses just because they're gorgeous=
with the hosta.
Roger Grounds' two books, Planthunter's Guide to Ornamental Grasses, Timber=
Press. 1998, and Gardening with Ornamental Grasses, Horticulture Publicati=
ons, Boston, MA, 2004 (with info from the '98 book) are pretty good, as is =
Rick Darke's The Colour Encyclopedia of Ornamental Grasses, Weidenfeld & Ni=
colson, Orion House, London, 1999. Rick is an American, living in Pennsylva=
nia, was on the staff of Longwood Gardens.
ANYWAY,
Grounds lists several grasses that "go with" hosta -- most seem to be not h=
ardy here. He seems to like banboos.
There are annual grasses -- Penicum, Pennisetum, Sorghum, Zea mays -- that =
are, well, annuals
Grasses that are reliable with hosta, here:
Calamagrostis x acutiflora (esp. 'Karl Foerster')
Deschampsia
Fescu
Miscanthus x giganteus (any miscanthus grows well here, with or without hos=
ta)
Grass-like plants that survive here, with hosta:
Carex (sedge) <-- grows especially well as they need fairly constant moistu=
re and cool shady conditions, and really appreciate WET soil while establis=
hing. Divides extremely well, and works in pots.
Hakonecholoa <--- yeah, but I haven't found the perfect spot for it. Mine i=
s barely hanging in there.
Leymus ("Blue Lyme Grass") <--- gorgeous spikes of glaucus blue, has surviv=
ed a couple years before giving up
Acorus < -- likes dampness, grows any where it can find water, very short s=
tature here, the gold / yellow varieties are nice with hosta, but may be sh=
ort lived
Ophiopogon planiscapus 'Nigrescens' <--- yuppers! everyone knows these!
Lirope <---- the green varieties seem to be most hardy here. The college wh=
ere I teach uses it under trees as a ground cover
Sisyrinchium (blue eyed grass) <--- gorgeous in a pot with well drained so=
il, as its in the iris family, doesn't want wet soil
Phormium (New Zealand flax) <--- also great for a pot ... many colors and h=
eights (one could make a small fortune selling this ... check out the price=
s at the nurseries!!
Carolyn Schaffner in hot, humid Buffalo, NY where the (unwatered) soil is d=
ry and the hosta are wonderful, but not turgid!!
---------------------------------------------------------------------------=
---------
Phoenix Hosta Robin -- moderated by Carolyn Schaffner
http://thegardensite.com/info-garden_forums.htm information to manage your =
subscription.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------=
---------
Phoenix Hosta Robin -- moderated by Carolyn Schaffner
http://thegardensite.com/info-garden_forums.htm information to manage your =
subscription.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------=
---------
---------------------------------------------------------------------------=
---------
Butch Ragland
Jury Verdict Reporter
___________________________________________________________________________=
_________Be a better Heartthrob. Get better relationship answers from someo=
ne who knows. Yahoo! Answers - Check it out.
http://answers.yahoo.com/dir/?link=3Dlist&sid=3D396545433
---------------------------------------------------------------------------=
---------
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http://thegardensite.com/info-garden_forums.htm information to manage your =
subscription.
ISBN-13: 9780881928174
ISBN-10: 0881928178
For the smaller garden, I commend to you:-
Calamagrostis x acutiflora 'Karl Foerster' [ This man was a genius !! He =
and Piet Oudolf, as well as Diana Grenfell { Mrs Grounds} opened my eyes to=
enjoyable gardening !!]
Carex elata 'Aurea Bowles Golden Sedge' [ USA Carex stricta ] mine are pot=
ted in water 365/24/7 Zone 7/8 UK
Carex testacea [ keep the pot, or plant it, in full sun ]
Pennisetum alopecuroides 'Hameln' [ Best in ground ]
Stipa tenuissima [ Pot or ground ]
Stipa brachytricha [ Best in ground - previously Calamagrostis brachytricha=
]
Charlie
UK
/////////////////////////////////////////////
Hey, HI, Phil!!
I think that grasses SHOULD go with hosta! So I've tried many here in my zo=
ne 5b/6a garden in Buffalo, NY. And I've killed lots -- or rather, the wint=
er has killed lots. But you're absolutely right that the water requirements=
are the key to grasses' survival, it seems to me.... too much water and th=
ey won't live another year! I have a good number of hillocks out there of m=
ostly dead grasses that need to be moved. Frost hardiness seems to be most=
disastrous with any grass/grasslike plant which has RED, or bronze foliage=
. OR perhaps I naively choose annual grasses just because they're gorgeous=
with the hosta.
Roger Grounds' two books, Planthunter's Guide to Ornamental Grasses, Timber=
Press. 1998, and Gardening with Ornamental Grasses, Horticulture Publicati=
ons, Boston, MA, 2004 (with info from the '98 book) are pretty good, as is =
Rick Darke's The Colour Encyclopedia of Ornamental Grasses, Weidenfeld & Ni=
colson, Orion House, London, 1999. Rick is an American, living in Pennsylva=
nia, was on the staff of Longwood Gardens.
ANYWAY,
Grounds lists several grasses that "go with" hosta -- most seem to be not h=
ardy here. He seems to like banboos.
There are annual grasses -- Penicum, Pennisetum, Sorghum, Zea mays -- that =
are, well, annuals
Grasses that are reliable with hosta, here:
Calamagrostis x acutiflora (esp. 'Karl Foerster')
Deschampsia
Fescu
Miscanthus x giganteus (any miscanthus grows well here, with or without hos=
ta)
Grass-like plants that survive here, with hosta:
Carex (sedge) <-- grows especially well as they need fairly constant moistu=
re and cool shady conditions, and really appreciate WET soil while establis=
hing. Divides extremely well, and works in pots.
Hakonecholoa <--- yeah, but I haven't found the perfect spot for it. Mine i=
s barely hanging in there.
Leymus ("Blue Lyme Grass") <--- gorgeous spikes of glaucus blue, has surviv=
ed a couple years before giving up
Acorus < -- likes dampness, grows any where it can find water, very short s=
tature here, the gold / yellow varieties are nice with hosta, but may be sh=
ort lived
Ophiopogon planiscapus 'Nigrescens' <--- yuppers! everyone knows these!
Lirope <---- the green varieties seem to be most hardy here. The college wh=
ere I teach uses it under trees as a ground cover
Sisyrinchium (blue eyed grass) <--- gorgeous in a pot with well drained so=
il, as its in the iris family, doesn't want wet soil
Phormium (New Zealand flax) <--- also great for a pot ... many colors and h=
eights (one could make a small fortune selling this ... check out the price=
s at the nurseries!!
Carolyn Schaffner in hot, humid Buffalo, NY where the (unwatered) soil is d=
ry and the hosta are wonderful, but not turgid!!
---------------------------------------------------------------------------=
---------
Phoenix Hosta Robin -- moderated by Carolyn Schaffner
http://thegardensite.com/info-garden_forums.htm information to manage your =
subscription.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------=
---------
Phoenix Hosta Robin -- moderated by Carolyn Schaffner
http://thegardensite.com/info-garden_forums.htm information to manage your =
subscription.
I just found my copy of Rick Darke's TIMBER PRESS POCKET GUIDE TO
ORNAMENTAL GRASSES, Timber Press, 2004. Wonder what will be new in his
"... Livable Landscapes".
Carolyn Schaffner in Buffalo, NY
---------------------------------------------------------------------------=
---------
Phoenix Hosta Robin -- moderated by Carolyn Schaffner
http://thegardensite.com/info-garden_forums.htm information to manage your =
subscription.
