My Garden

Large ornamental grass for clay soil, naturalistic planting

Last post 03-03-2009 12:50 PM by squidge. 3 replies.

• 26/02/2009 02:41 PM
  iz Location: Joined on: 04 Jan 2007 Posts: 9	Reply | Contact  I'd be gratefu for input on any suggestions for tallish grasses for claggy clay border? apparently Calamagrostis Karl Foerster is ok and possibly Deschampsia? does anybody have experience of growing any other grasses in London clay? garden is pretty sheltered. And any suggestions for any New Perennial style plants anybody has grown on clay would be v welcome.

• 27/02/2009 11:41 AM	In reply to
  carolyna Location: Newton-le-Willows Joined on: 02 Apr 2008 Posts: 43	Reply | Contact If you join the Knoll Gardens plant club you can write to them describing your conditions and they will reply with suitable grasses.

• 27/02/2009 11:58 AM

  In reply to

  Lennie Location: Forest Hill Joined on: 24 Feb 2009 Posts: 121

  Reply | Contact I have sucess with Nigrescens (spelling maybe incorrect), the black grass, in my clay ridden London soil. Also anything with tough hard spikes seems to do well. All my soft grasses though died in my clay soil.  Alternative: Just put them in pots in the soil type they came in, and place on the soil, or dig a little hole and place pot in. Then you can move them if they dont like the spot. Add a little pretty gravel and it will look lovely. Lives in harmony with all insects and mammals.

• 03/03/2009 12:50 PM	In reply to
  squidge Location: East Huntspill Joined on: 25 Feb 2009 Posts: 7	Reply | Contact Hi Liz we've got a miscanthus sinensis which gets really tall and has wonderful seed heads, and frankly goes a bit mad in clay, seems to love it. Squidge