Graminées et fougères

Ornamental grasses and ferns

Grasses for sun and free-draining soil, and ferns, including tree ferns, for shade.

Nobody grows grasses or ferns for their flowers. You plant them for their leaves, and they're very good at filling the gaps between showier plants and softening the edges of paths and paving. They also look good next to clipped topiary, where the loose growth makes the sharp outlines stand out even more.

Grasses

Most ornamental grasses like sun and soil that drains freely. Evergreen types such as Carex and Festuca look good all year and only need a tidy in spring. Deciduous grasses like Miscanthus and Pennisetum die back in winter, but it's worth leaving them standing, because the dry stems and seed heads hold the frost and give the border something to look at all winter. Cut them down to a few centimetres above the ground in late winter, before the new growth comes through.

Ferns

Ferns are the answer for the damp, shady places where not much else will grow. Many, like the hart's tongue fern and the shield ferns, are evergreen and fully hardy. A tree fern (Dicksonia antarctica) brings a jungle look to a sheltered corner. In summer, water the top of the trunk as well as the roots, and in a cold winter, pack the crown with straw or fleece to keep the frost out.

Availability

We stock grasses and ferns in season, so this page may be empty at times. If you're looking for something specific, get in touch. Every plant comes with free plant food.