Upright Switch Grass (Panicum virgatum 'Northwind')

How to grow and hardiness: Full sun, also drought tolerant. Hardy to Zone 4. Grows five feet tall.
This impressive switch grass cultivar hails from Northwind Perennial Farm in Wisconsin.
'North Wind' has wide, green foliage and a strongly upright growth habit similar to that of 'Karl Foerster' feather reed grass (Calamagrostis x acutiflora, 'Karl Foerster'), but it blooms later.
In September, the plant sports attractive narrow flower plumes held erect atop the foliage. Foliage and flowers become tawny gold in fall and this color persists through the winter.
This plant is my favorite switch grass cultivar - its strong vertical habit and vigorous growth makes this one of the handsomest of the switch grasses

Growing switch grasses in the garden

Panicum virgatum is a long-lived, warm-season grass.
Typically, it starts to grow in late spring, thriving in the heat of summer and flowering profusely in July or August. When the airy flowers open they are often attractively tinged with pink.
Switch grass cultivars are drought-tolerant once established, and they also tolerate soggy soils, which means they grow well in spots that are wet in early spring.
In his book, The Color Encyclopedia of Ornamental Grasses, Rick Darke, notes that self-sowing is usually minimal, but that it can be prolific on open moist soil. "This," he says, "can be valuable for naturalizing, but can be a problem when attempting to maintain uniform sweeps of clonal cultivars, since seedlings often differ noticeably from parents."

Ornamental grasses: maintenance

Established grasses are the ultimate low maintenance plants. Once a year all you need to do is give then an annual haircut early in spring.
Cut them back to within six to 10 inches of the ground. Use hedge shears and wear gloves - some species have very sharp edges.
Try to cut down the previous year's growth of cool season grasses as soon as the snow melts because that's when they start to grow. If you leave this job too long you could chop off the tips of the leaves.
When cutting these grasses down, leave about one-third of previous year's growth in place. The new growth will quickly hide the old plant material.
You can cut warm-season grasses right down to the ground if you like, but if you are doing the job late, be sure not to cut into the new growing tips. I like to cut these grasses down a little later because I find that the previous season's buff-colored foliage looks good in with the spring-flowering bulbs.
We have found the most efficient way to cut back the grasses in our large beds is to use a gas-powered hedge trimmer, which we rent for the job.
In some beds, we cut the grasses down in layers. This ensures that the dead plant material is nicely chopped up into mulch that can be left on the beds. In other beds, where the mass of dead material is just too much, we cut at the base and take the dead plant material away.

Blue Switch grass (Panicum virgatum 'Dallas Blues'):

How to grow and hardiness: Full sun, hardy to Zone 5. Grows 60 inches tall.
This stunning Panicum virgatum selection was originally found in Dallas, Texas, which inspired its name.
Although from a warm part of the country, 'Dallas Blues' grows equally well in colder regions. I've grown it in my zone 5 garden for five years now and it winters very well.
'Dallas Blues' grows into an upright clump of fountain-like, with foliage that's powdery blue. In early fall, each clump is topped with stunning reddish purple flower plumes. The leaves turn a copper color in fall that persists well through the winter.
Rick Darke notes that 'Dallas Blues' has a higher than average drought tolerance. I have it growing on a sandy-loam hillside that can get very dry, and it has survived severe drought with occasional watering.

Planting tips - when to plant, spacing

Ornamental grasses can be grouped into cool- or warm-season types, depending on when they do most of their growing.
Cool-season grasses: Like cool season lawn grasses, these ornamental grasses do most of their growing in spring when temperatures are cool and moisture is plentiful.
Cool season ornamental grasses such as blue fescue (Festuca species and cultivars) and feather reed grass (Calamagrostis species and cultivars), grow best at temperatures from above freezing to 75°F (24°C).
They start into new growth earlier in spring and tend to flower early, stop growth in the heat of summer, and resume when temperatures cool in early fall.
Warm season grasses: Warm-season grasses like maiden grass Miscanthus species and fountain grass (Pennisetum species and cultivars) require patience. They're slow to get growing, but thrive in temperatures from 75° to 85°F (24 to 30C°). Most come into flower in late summer or early fall.
The best way to deal with their spring tardiness is to surround them with tulips or daffodils for spring color before they get growing. Then as the grasses start to grow, they do a nice job of camouflaging the bulb foliage as it dies back.

Using grasses in the garden

Few plants are as versatile, carefree and dynamic as these grasses.
And yes, they do flower in subtle ways that grasses do - and they make wonderful companion plants for flowering perennials.
Grasses contribute a contemporary design edge that will jazz up almost any garden. They really deliver on low maintenance and high style.

The biggest misconception about grasses is that they are invasive and will take over your garden. In fact, most grasses sold for home garden and landscape purposes are well-behaved clumping types that won't misbehave.
Grasses are magical because they're never static. They emerge lush green early in the season, and by summer they've filled out and begin to plume or flower.
Through the season, they move with the slightest breeze and sound wonderful when the wind rustles through them.
In the fall, you get the later warm season grasses pluming and then changes of color to wheat, gold, flaming orange or copper.

Designing a country garden

Attractive ways with natural materials:

Use local stone and wood. You might be able to reuse old wood or stone in your project. Natural stone is a perfect choice for patios, paths and walls.

Use what's on site if possible. If you've removed trees to build a house, the wood can make split rail fencing or a rustic arbor.

Incorporate found rocks or collect from surrounding properties. (Do this with permission only: sometimes farmers will often let you have rocks inexpensively or for free.) Rocks can line beds, outline paths or be used for retaining walls.

Use fencing to divide spaces into outdoor rooms. Open fences, such as wire, split rail or picket styles are appealing. (Board fences are too expensive and too closed in and suburban looking.)

If you need to keep wildlife out, use wire fencing set on round cedar posts. (To keep out deer, fences need to be at least 8 feet (2.5 meters) tall. Use vines to soften fences, e.g. hops, climbing roses, honeysuckle, grapes or clematis.

Designing a country garden - guidelines

Proportion and scale: Design scale is always bigger in the country. Plant trees and shrubs in groups or lines. Avoid making landscape features such as patios, pergolas or decks too small.
Don't forget shelter from the elements: If you need to create a shelterbelt or windbreak with trees, don't crowd them at the house. Windbreaks provide best protection when planted to the north and west about 20 to 30 yards (20 to 30 metres) from buildings.
Be creative with your space: If you have lots of privacy, the "backyard" doesn't have to be the outdoor living area if the front is more congenial because it's sunnier or better protected from prevailing winds.
A patio on the east side, for example, might be an inviting spot for morning coffee, while a west facing courtyard allows you to enjoy evening entertaining and catch the sunset. If you can manage it, why not include both?
Create intimacy close to the house: Wide-open spaces are all well and good, but you want areas near the house to be inviting.
A courtyard, deck or patio, and pergola-covered spaces can all be used for outdoor living.
To soften and enclose these built areas, plant trees, shrubs and perennials. Avoid putting hard material (say a stone patio) up against another hard material (the house wall); try to have a planted bed in between.
Blend your landscape with natural surroundings: Beds, plantings and structures close to house can have a more cultivated or formal feeling, but as you get further from the house, allow the landscape to be looser and more naturalized.
Research which plants are native to your region, and plant as many native trees and perennials as you can. A wild flower meadow is ideal for an open, sunny spot.

Early spring garden jobs: In the flower garden

Don't be in a rush to remove winter mulch or to cut back evergreen plants such as lavender until temperatures are reliably warm.
Freeze and thaw cycles over the winter may given some of your plants the heave-ho. Replant any perennials that the frost has heaved out of the ground as soon as you can.
Cut back the previous season's dead plant material. Clean up old perennial foliage from last season (trimmings can go into the compost). Cut back ornamental grasses. (More details on this job and care of grasses.)
Remove winter protection of mounded earth from roses. Prune rose bushes before they start to leaf out. (More information on rose care.)
Resist the urge to start digging in your flower beds too early. You can damage the soil's structure. If you pick up a handful of soil, it should fall apart, not stick together like glue. When it's dry enough, you can start to dig beds and add compost or manure in preparation for planting. (How to get your soil ready for planting.)
Getting on top of the weeding now means a lot less work later. Weeds start growing vigorously early, so when you spot them, go to it because they are easier to pull out while their roots are still shallow in early spring.
Maintain edges. Grass growth is vigorous in the early spring garden, so edge your flower beds with a sharp trench between them and the grass to keep it in bounds. Repeat this job a couple of times through the season or installing permanent edging goes a long way towards having a lower maintenance flower garden.

Early spring garden guide: Around the yard

Start winter cleanup of the lawn when the grass is no longer sopping wet and planting beds stop being a sea of mud. Rake your lawn to get rid of dead growth, stray leaves, twigs and winter debris and let light and air to the soil level, encouraging the grass to grow.
Re-seed bare or damaged patches of lawn. Scratch up the soil with a rake first. Mix a shovel of soil with a couple of scoops of grass seed and spread in the patch you're fixing. Rake level and keep well-watered until seeds germinate and the new grass establishes.
Remove tree guards or burlap winter protection from any young trees or shrubs. Try not to leave tree guards in place over the summer. They keep rabbits and mice from nibbling on tender bark over the winter, but trees don't need them in summer. They don't allow enough air movement around the base of the trunk and that can promote rot of the bark.
Transplant any existing shrubs you want to move before they begin to leaf out.
Apply dormant oil spray to fruit trees, magnolias, crabapples and shrubs such as euonymus to control scale insects and other overwintering pests. Use this organic pest control method when the buds are swelling but the leaves haven't opened yet. Apply when temperatures are between 40 and 70 degrees F (4-21 degrees C).
Get your lawn mower checked and blades sharpened if you didn't get the job done in late winter. Sharp blades cut better and leave your lawn grass healthier.

Garden calendar

The best way to use the seasonal lists below is to consult and print them at the beginning of each season as a reminder of the jobs you should ideally do at that time of year.
With some garden tasks, timing is vital: transplanting and pruning. Leaving either of those tasks too late can create problems. If you prune a lilac too late in the season, for instance, you will cut off the buds that produce next year's flowers.
Likewise, you don't want to move shrubs or divide perennials in the heat of midsummer because the stress of the heat, dryness and the loss of roots will set the plants back too much.
Garden calendar season by season
Early spring - Cleaning-up after the winter
Mid-spring - What to do in the garden as everything starts to grow
Early summer - Jobs to do while your garden is still growing vigorously
Mid-summer - Gardening during high summer
Early fall - What to do as the season begins to wind down
Late fall - How to get your yard and garden ready for winter
Fall tree and shrub care - Important tips to help your garden trees and shrubs weather the winter

Easy-care plants for your garden

There are plenty of great, easy-care perennials that can be star performers in your garden.
Larry Hodgson, a prolific gardener and author of the best-selling Perennials for Every Purpose has put together a good list of qualities easy-care perennials should have:
Longevity (90 percent alive and thriving five years after planting)
Resistance to disease and insects, so you don't have spray them
Don't need to be divided more often than every four or five years
Tolerance of a wide range of growing conditions
Cold hardy – no winter protection needed
Good tolerance of summer heat
Long blooming period, or foliage that's attractive all season
Won't take over your garden
Don't need to be staked.
That's a lot to ask of a plant. "In fact, it's surprising, says Larry, "how few perennials meet all the easy-care characteristics. Phlox, for example, meets almost all of them except for disease and insect resistance: keeping them mildew-free can be a summer-long nightmare."
He points out that some easy-care perennials like peonies need staking. Many otherwise ideal plants are either invasive – goutweed is a prime example – or tend to disappear after several years – such as lupines and shasta daisies

Developing your philosophy of design

Putting flowers together

in a vase is an intensely pleasurable and personal act, even if you do it in public. It can be called flower arranging or floraldesign, and you may think either phrase pretentious, but what would you call it? (“Oh,it’s nothing, just a little something I threw together.”) We are taking flowers off of the plants that produced them and putting them into containers in combinations we like,and our language has to express the act somehow.Floral design has often been considered a second-class profession. It is certainly more undervalued economically than any other art form. Flower arranging is not considered a fine art, although what is created is often recreated in paintings and photographs that become inexplicably expensive. Where in the signature of a painting by a Dutch master is the name of the florist who created the bouquet? We might assume the painter created the floral display, but this may not necessarily be true.Floral designers must accept that they are toiling, for the most part, in anonymity.Florists rarely become famous. And yet when a floral display graces a gala event at a gallery or museum, the living beauty of fresh flowers easily upstages static art.You may think it highfalutin to talk about floral design as art, but art it is. A flower arrangement is an intimate, sensual expression of creativity, always meant to be enjoyed by at least two of the senses. A florist in a shop, much more so than any other artist, is forced to produce works of art—using a highly perishable medium—on demand. Florists are performance artists whose creations grow and change and decay,and the entire process must be seen as an evolving continuum of the medium (flowers)in order to be fully appreciated. Learning to create fine art of this type takes time,and learning to appreciate it takes even longer. So if you think I’m talking twaddle,don’t be too hard on yourself.If floral designers have insults heaped upon them by the artistic community, they meet with equal if not greater disrespect among horticulturists. It is an interesting conundrum: many of the world’s renowned gardeners, garden writers, plant explorers,nursery purveyors, and plant collectors scorn florists as horticultural idiots, and yet these same people think that by some divine gift they can cut a few flowers and branches from their famous gardens or nurseries and overwhelm you with their innate ability as flower arrangers. All the while, they have done nothing to the flowers to increase their longevity, enhance their beauty by inventive combination, or enliven their presentation with a container more exciting than a mason jar. Is floral design

so vastly inferior a pursuit that only an ignoramus would do it for a living? Or is it immensely complex and challenging and rewarding and a well-kept secret?Well, I can tell you only this: good gardeners make better florists, and florists who garden create more beautiful bouquets than those who do not. Find the balance. The more you know about plants and the cultivation of them, the better floral designer you can be. Your intuition will become refined, your mind will open to the latent possibilities in any plant, and you will develop a naturalistic style that best enhances any flower. At the same time, learning how each flower and leaf can achieve its greatest longevity will make your bouquets more satisfying.Folks who do not know a daisy from a delphinium and make bouquets with mundane flowers according to preplanned recipes, producing perfect geometric shapes or—heaven forbid—a Hogarth curve (S-shape), are not true and thorough floral designers. I can paint by number, but this does not make me a painter. The other extreme is also true: just because you can create an environment in your garden to grow the most capricious and recalcitrant plant in the world does not mean you know how to put five stems together in a vase and create a pleasing result.But art design is garden design is floral design, and the basic concepts of balance and proportion and color harmony are the same throughout.