Hi Chris! I have been off the radar this past week with sinus troubles! I am certain they are spraying the fields around us with chemicals. Argh! Not good! The wheat farmers now grow grapes in the area, and I know that they spray these! I have had to go on antihistamines and nasal sprays and it has knocked me a bit sideways! I will have to investigate this further!
But in the meanwhile – I want to send you a little note and a photo that I will be doing a post on my Grass Feature Patch soon! This is just a sneak preview! It has really over-grown and my Panicum Virgatum is looking so amazing!
[one_half]BEFORE- June 2011
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[one_half_last]AFTER- March 2012
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I did a Grass feature revisited post in September – so it’s good to see what’s been happening.
What I will do is what you suggested, do a close up on each grass in the patch. I will label each one on the main photograph and then do a close up!
Happy Gardening xxxxx
15 replies on “Grass Feature Patch preview”
I hope you are feeling better. I’m sorry about the spraying in your area. Your grass garden is wonderful!
The more grass designs I see, the more I want to grow more grass.
It is so rewarding because you will see the changes so quickly 🙂
Barbie I adore this particular garden of yours…I remember when you planted it..it is stunning…something I would love to attain!!
Thanks Donna – the best part of it is that even if it gets “weedy” it looks great! I pull out a few weeds and local grass here and there and no real fuss! It’s supposed to be overgrown! 🙂
Sorry to hear about the sprays in your area. That’s why we grow native muscadines — so much easier to care for than most table grapes. Love the rock swale in your photo!
Thanks Eliza – our local farmers are not “organic” I’m afraid, but there is alot of hype about it now!
The rock swale is supposed to be a dry riverbed feature! Always wanted one in my garden.
Hi Barbs, the more I look at your grass patch the more I love it. You really did a great design job with this. I think I need you to help me design my empty bed – I’m just not really getting it right.
Hi Chris – well, it’s all thanks to you for getting me hooked on them and that special trip we did to Fairholmes Nursery in Elgin!
What we need to do is get back to Fairholmes – get some stunning grasses and plants for that empty bed of yours and then the rest will fall into place! You have to have a place where you can pick and chose and see them all together. It is more difficult if you buy plants one by one. What do you think? 🙂
I think that is a great idea!! And you are right, its easier to visualise that way. We will have to try to persuade them to let us in there again 🙂
Agrochemicals are a fact of life amongst the fields. We try to buy organic (at Woolies) but there is only one organic farmer in our town. My sister was shocked when she stayed here. People don’t think about how much chemicals are used to grow food crops. In town the municipality sprays along the roads. Out of town, the farmers spray between the public road and their field. And our neighbours happily use Roundup on their weeds.
I know – it is shocking how no one is concerned about the negative effects of this on our health and our children’s well-being. The worst of it is ignorance! These chemicals are slowly poisoning us and our underground water and killing off micro-organisms so vital for healthy soil.
Looking forward to it! Did you find out what the big one in the back on the birdbath side of the stream is yet?
I also think a nice Pennisetum ‘Rubrum’ would look great in there somewhere too. It really sets off all of the green. (Not that I have anything against green!)
Thanks Alan – I am sure there is a Pennisetum Rubrum in there somewhere 🙂
I DO have it! 🙂 I’ll do a post on all my grasses – even the Miscanthus imposter 🙂