Spectacular Grasses

Spectacular and structural, grasses express something unique when compared to other planting and styling options. They all have their differences, with some squat and stout, to ones that are delicate with waving strappy leaves and frothy seed heads. They're even more dramatic with the evening light pouring around them. There's also the peaceful rustle and the elegant shadows they leave as the sun light drops near the horizon. Ornamental grasses are so varied that there will be one to suit any style choice. At one of the most recent photo-shoots, alongside some talented people in the wedding industry, our plants were featured. Grasses played a part in adding structure, movement, colour and a beachy feel to this pleasing location.

We loved using these grasses to help anchor the wedding ceremony area at Croyde beach. Utilising these grassy structures in simple terracotta pots alongside the tree branches, helped to define the wedding area. Their simplicity  allows the dramatic beach scenery to still be a large part of the beach wedding experience. This was such a dreamy spot and the whispy grasses added movement to the photos and complemented the other greenery. A little bit of man made order with placement of the pots created symmetry and balance, drawing the eye to the bride and groom. Ornamental grasses seemed to add drama to this stunning location, but didn't steal the show so much that the landscape is easy to ignore. Green touches and borrowing the surrounding landscape of the dark, moody coloured rocks and sandy hues worked to best affect at this shoot. Green aspects of the ceremony area and the pastel pops in the flowers created a stunning amalgamation of subtle colour.

 The benefits of using grasses to style an event or wedding is that they are very complementary to other plants, but different varieties of grasses can work just as well together. There are many varieties of ornamental grasses from Deschampsia, Festuca, Helictotrichon and Stipa to name a few, to the more warmer climate varieties such as Miscanthus, Panicum and Pennisetum. Height differences in the different varieties could be used to great affect by cascading the different heights, creating depth and adding vertical layers to other plants. Of course their colour and look are another thing to consider, with some having the most stunning seed heads full of texture. 

These versatile and hardy grasses are easy to grow and can generally tolerate sun and shade, but will most likely enjoy a sunny spot with well drained, fertile soil. As a general rule of thumb for their care and to get them looking their best, evergreen grasses just require their dead material to be removed, while deciduous types require cutting back each year.

Grasses are a super choice to add a relaxed, carefree feeling and with their movement, sounds and long, whispy structures, they add interest to a wedding ceremony area, garden or public space. Consider colour and form differences to add drama and a variance of height if using in a potted arrangement. There's a variety to suit any style of garden or wedding whether modern, classic or relaxed.