Festuca Glauca is a fabulous dwarf grass, and very popular in modern garden design, that exhibits one of the best blues of all grasses and grows in dense, rounded tussocks. It has stiff, ribbon-like leaves with flower spikes that appear in summer.

Blue fescue can be grown for foliage interest in amongst rock garden plants, as a container plant or as ground cover in the front of a well-drained border. If several plants are put close together they can be mown and used as a lawn. The plants will complement a wide variety of colours, but looks especially good with purple-leaved plants.

Like most grasses, Festuca glauca prefers full sun. If grown in the shade, it will lose its lovely blue colour and revert to green. This plant should need no watering, except when first planting out, as it can tolerate lengthy dry spells. Blue fescue should be planted out in the spring. Groups of plants should be set about 9in (23cm) apart.

This is a hardy plant and needs no protection during the winter. It is not so happy under wetter conditions and could well die out if not divided regularly or given a free draining or drier situation.

Cut back the foliage in early spring to 4in (10cm) to tidy up the plants and to encourage new leaf growth, which will be the bluest. The clumps have a tendency to die out in the centre and will need to be divided and replanted or replaced every two to three years.

Growing Requirements

Soil
Festuca glauca will grow in most types of soil, but it does best on light, sandier ones. It has a tendency to be short-lived when grown on heavier soils.

Size
Blue fescue will grow to around 10in (25cm) high and spread about 8in (20cm).

Propagation
The easiest method of propagation is by dividing well-established clumps in spring, but plants may also be grown from seed.

Family: Poaceae
Genus: Festuca

Cortaderia Selloana, commonly known as pampas grass, is a tall grass native to southern South America, including the pampas after which it is known in Patagonia. Here it is the premier wild grass. It is very tough and adaptable, but prefers a sunny spot, with good air circulation and a reasonably fertile well-drained soil.

Pampas grass adds interest to the garden from September to February, as this is when its feathery plumes grow high above the dense clump of foliage. The grassy leaves are evergreen, coarse and edged with sharp teeth, which are capable of inflicting a nasty cut. This feature makes it suitable for planting as an intruder deterrent along a boundary. The leaves are usually bluish green, but can also be silvery grey.

The plant forms a dense clump of foliage, from which the flower spikes begin to form in midsummer. The plumes eventually open completely when the stems are almost fully extended, and range in colour from silvery white to buff depending on the cultivar.


Growing Requirements

Soil
Cortaderia Selloana prefers fertile well-drained soil. It does not like to be too wet and is incredibly drought tolerant.

Size
Pampas grass forms a large mass of foliage 3 to 4ft (90 to 120cm) high and around 5 to 6ft (150 to 180cm) across. The long, slender leaves are 3 to 6.5ft (1 to 2m) long and the flower plumes grow to 8 to 16in (20 to 40cm) on top of a 6.5 to 10ft (2 to 3m) tall stem.

Propagation
Divide a section of the plant from the parent, using a sharp spade, in either spring or autumn. Then put into a pot or plant directly into prepared garden soil.

Family: Poaceae
Genus: Cortaderia

This is the second part of the article describing the various ornamental plant groups.

Orchids
All orchids belong to the Orchidaceae family comprising around 25,000 species and more than 70,000 hybrids. Most orchid species come from tropical rainforests and often have fleshy, aerial roots. The most popular come from Asia, though there are many wild orchids in South America. The flowers often have fantastic colour combinations.

Bromeliads
Bromeliads are mainly rainforest plants, originating from the southern states of the USA down through to South America. Their structure is usually a rosette shape, with long, stiff (often variegated) leaves and striking blooms. They can be grown outdoors in warmer climes but are more often grown as an indoor plant.

Cacti and Succulents
Cacti and succulents come a fascinating variety of shapes and this is a result of them living in adverse conditions, often prolonged periods of drought. They range from small pincushion shapes to the familiar tall branching desert cacti. They will thrive in desert gardens but are mostly grown indoors in greenhouses or as houseplants.

Palms and Cycads
Palms are evergreen trees or shrubs often with big spiky leaves and bold foliage. They range in size from dwarf shrubs to tall, unbranched trees and mainly originate from tropical and sub-tropical regions. Cycads resemble palms or tree ferns in appearance but they are not related and are primitive seed plants.

Ferns
Ferns are primitive plants that produce evergreen or deciduous fronds. They like damp, shady places and can provide elegant symmetry and texture in a garden. Tropical ferns can be grown in a greenhouse or conservatory and make great specimens. Ferns do not flower and reproduce by spores rather than seeds.

Aquatic Plants
Aquatic plants are those that grow submerged, rooted or floating in water. Many aquatic plants are both functional and ornamental. They can suppress the growth of algae and provide a habitat for microorganisms while providing attractive foliage and flowers. A wide variety of plants can be used around small ponds, natural water features or boggy habitats.

Grasses and Bamboos
Grasses and bamboos are members of a vast family of plants that grow throughout the world. A few of the grasses are commonly grown as lawns, whilst others are grown in clumps for their height and wonderful flowering spikes. Bamboos are woody-caned, perennial grasses most of which originate in tropical and sub-tropical climates. There are a few hardy varieties from more temperate regions.