Fordmouth Croft Ornamental Grass Nursery

Known as "… the hair of Mother Earth" grasses appear on every continent and have long been the workhorses of the garden. They are used for lawns, screens, and structural beauty. There are varieties suitable for arctic conditions, topical jungles, deserts, swamps, good soil and bad soil. They can be tall, short, green, variegated, yellow and even black. Some are clump growers some are stoloniferous. While they have been used for such a long time, many have been neglected or ignored because of lack of information and supply. The past several years have brought a lot of attention to the toughness and versatility of these plants, and many new varieties are being introduced yearly.

The beauty of grasses is quite different from other garden plants. Rather than the static blocks of strong colour created by traditional flowers, grasses offer subtlety of line and texture, and a particular intimacy with the natural world. Their primary quality is their luminosity, the way they catch the light of the sky in their flowers and seedheads, drawing it into the garden. Then there is their transparency - the eye can see through them to other plants or features beyond. They also make excellent cutting plants for flower arrangements.

Grasses are easy to grow. Most grasses need little more than a place in the sun, clean, weed-free earth to grow in, a little watering to get them started, and some annual grooming: most need to have the old foliage pruned to ground level in the early spring, before the new leaves begin to appear. The only exceptions are the evergreen or semi-evergreen grasses that need any dead foliage removed from the thriving blades by combing with fingers while pulling up from the crown. They are among the easiest of plants to grow well. Many are singularly drought-resistant once established and pest free, and providing they are not growing in too rich soil, all except a few will keep competing weeds in check. In short the perfect plants for the gardeners of today.

So, whether you're looking to create a prairie or meadow, or a feature on your patio or window box, there are numerous varieties from which to choose.