ORNAMENTAL GRASSES. 



107 



ORNAMENTAL GRASSES (GR AMINE AE). 

 By Walter Smyth. 



The title is not altogether a popular one, for the ordinary mind 

 treats the subject of ornamental grasses in much the same way as the 

 gentleman who was invited by a lady to come and see her collection. 

 Looking at the beautiful graceful grasses, he said " Yes, they are lovely, 

 but what a splendid place this would be for a donkey." "Yes, indeed," 

 replied his hostess, slily, and, after a short pause, " I do hope you feel quite 

 at home." 



The culture of these graceful plants, considering their beauty and 

 attractiveness, is far too limited, I think, in our gardens of to-day. So 

 it may be of interest and use to describe some of the most beautiful of 

 them ; but before doing so it would be desirable to mention something 

 about our natural grasses, and one finds on studying this subject that 

 there are forty-two genera in all, represented by such names as Festuca, 

 Bromas, Briza, Hordeum, Poa, Melica, and Arundo. Many of these 

 would be entirely useless, if not pernicious, in our gardens, but from them 

 and foreign grasses and sedges the ornamental varieties which do so 

 much to decorate our gardens to-day have sprung. I prefer myself to 

 cultivate the perennial varieties, as, being permanent growers, they give 

 a lasting result to the initial trouble taken in raising them ; but there 

 are many handsome annual varieties, which are most useful for associa- 

 tion with other flowers in the decoration and adornment of our home. 

 The grasses which one finds in our country meadows are in a degree 

 pretty, and children should be encouraged to observe the difference in 

 them ; but one must go abroad for noble specimens ; for instance, the so- 

 called Pampas grass was originally introduced from the banks of the 

 Parana and other rivers in South America. The Arundos come from the 

 South of Europe, the Elymuses from North America, the Panicums from 

 the East and West Indies, and Achnodonton Bellardii from the sea coast 

 of Mesopotamia. 



The Pampas grasses are such favourite plants on lawn and hardy borders 

 that the following notes on their culture and qualities, which were written 

 about fifty years ago, are so concise that they are worthy of notice and 

 perusal now : " The seeds must be sown in pots, and covered very lightly 

 with sandy loam and peat. Then the pots must be placed in a slight heat 

 until the blades are developed. The young plants must then be separated, 

 and only a few put into each pot ; a cool frame is best adapted to them 

 at this stage, and they require to be well watered. On being finally put 

 out, the place must be prepared for them with plenty of mellow loam and 

 must be in a moist situation. This grass has the male and the female 

 blossoms on different plants. The latter is the one generally preferred as 

 being best suited to our climate. It soon develops a large circular tuft 

 of leaves, which attains a length of several feet and bends upwards in the 



