Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1882-04-27
HOME HORTICULTURE.
Crle q slentaI Grasses.

From Our Cont nent
OF late years public taste has been turned to
the advantageous effect of grasses in landscs pc
gardening. Ferns had the credit of first win
ming attention from color to form, and grasses
next stepped in to confirm the preference
for grace and elegance over gaudy color
ing. We seldom now find a Weli-kept lawn
without its suitable contrast of clump of pam
pas grass. or etltalia, either standing as an OBJ
Ject OF solitary beauty, or grouped with shrubs
in a verdant back ground In the cultivation of
grasses as garden ornaments proper selection
with view tOther adaptation TO the place they
afeto occupy isquite as essential as the selection
CT Towering CT ornai!iental-leaved plants. 1t is
mistake to think any plant. however beautiful
or attractive issnaA be iii its individual charac-
ter. is fitted for all places. With grasses as
with flowers. taste in their arrangement,
whether as growing plants as cut flowers,
OF dried mantel ornaments. is the most inl-
portant consideration. n is not altogether
an easy task to find suitable place for collec-
ton OF ornamental grasses; therefore in garden
ing on an ordinary scale. few varieties in their
proper places ale preferable to a more general
collection. AS to the general use of grasses ir
is very certain that the place for q collection is
the fernerv. where amongst masses of rock. tree
stumps and half wild scenes and especially near
water. ornamental grasses are bewitchingly
beautiful; indeed, there are few that look well
den, where people will take the pains to compare
them, and then their loneliness will be seen and
appreciated under any circumstances But a
private garden should have none of the hard
features of botanic garden We want only
beautiful plants. and we want them i'm positions
to which by their character they are adapted.
In the flower garden or on the lawn. it is our
taste and not our understandings that are to be
ministered to.
For the information Of such of our readers as
mo NOT r-nth or, OF e
ornamental grasses. we append notices of some
OF the most desirable kinds. Apart from their
use as garden decorations, their flower heads
make when dried very beautiful ornaments with
which to I'LL vases; these are uneQualed by any
other class OF plants for the elegance and airiness
OF their forms. We particularly recommend
them to those whose higher artistic cultivation
mas taught them to appreciate the beautiful III
form rather than In color.
Pampas grass (Gy,seT'ium argentcalm) of South
America is entitled to the first place in the re-
marks to be made on ornamental grasses. It is
one of the few species that NAV be planted any,
where without improperly. 1t is fine subject
for the decoration Of lawn. but it is far more
glorious when lifted up in the midst of rocks
and ferns with which its graceful outlines har-
monte most delightfully."-. 1t forms large TUFTS
of leaves about three feet long. which re-
curve very gracefully, and are of a gau-
couS-green color: the Hover stems are from
five to ten feet high. furnished with leaves a
portion OF their length and terminated bv
silvery, silky. branching ranicles of flowers
from one to two feet in length. The plant is
dlGciOus, that is, some plants produce male
flowers and others female flowers. The first
are much less beautiful than the latter, which is
the one that should be cultlvated in addition
to Its greater beauty its flowers last much
longer There are numerous varieties Of this
grass noticed by seedsmen and forts; three of
them have varegated leaves. one has light
rose-c00red and another has pale violet
colored plumes the latter have not been intro
duced to any extent in this country.
This grass viii adapt itself to almost any soil
or situation. but preferring one very rich and
moist. In the latter situation it will not bear
the rgors OF a northern winter, dampness SEEM
ing absolutely fatal to it. 1t is therefore better
to give it a rich and dry soil, and water freely
when necessary In summer. In dry situation.
as lar north as New York, THE grass will live
out during the winter with liberal mulcllsng
OF dry leaves 1t is the better plan. however,
to take up the clumps in the tall and keep in
any convenient place away from frost during
winter. In early spring the clumps may be d.
vided to almost any extent, provided each piece
has few root flores attached. We wish to add
that with the greatest possible care and atten-
ton in cultivation there cannot be produced
such MAGNIFICENT plumes anywhere not even in
their native country, as those grown in southern
California, from whence this country and Eu-
rope is supplied.
Ravenna grass (Es'iantt,ts rdpen,,9), rival to
the pampas, is beautiful object for the lawn,
and for northern ATTITUDES is on some accounts
preferable. 1t is perfectly hardy, similar in APP
pearance to the pampas, differing only in the
form and color of the plumes. 1t has long,
graceful foliage, throwing up flower stems from
SIX to ten feet high, terminated by graceful,
dropping. feathery-hke plumes from fifteen to
twenty inches long These have a silky appear
ance, and are of silvery white color This
grass Is free grower. and will with little care
and attention produce an immense number of
pumes. After the plant has become well estab-
lshed small plant will usually give several
plumes the first season. The plumes contrast
finely with those Of the pampas, and they may
be used with advantage together.
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