Grasses grace a garden: their billowing form and striking flowers enliven a garden in every season

摘要

When I first placed 1-gallon pots containing what appeared to be lifeless tufts of plants around Paul and Kay Fireman's property in Saratoga, California, my clients gazed at me in blank bewilderment. "Just wait," I said. I could see the future. Indeed, these small sprigs soon exploded into giant, grassy life forms with a fascinating array of foliage and flowers. Their dramatic development, coupled with their soft, billowy textures, was awe inspiring. Over the past six years, this once-bare one-acrelot has been transformed into a rugged, natural strolling garden (site plan, p. 28). It has provided the perfect setting for more than 30 varieties of ornamental grasses, along with an array of flowering perennials. Grasses were used extensively for their dry landscape ambiance, ability to quickly cover large areas, and ease of maintenance.