New American

I wanted to add to the videos made for Ilona’s Garden Youtube channel. I like short tips videos, so I made one while showing my son how to cut down the leftovers from last season. I have so many chores that I am delegating some of the ones that don’t need any expertise.

This is one of those easy tasks, just point and cut with hedge shears. Yet, if you don’t garden, it might not seem so easy to you, so I took the opportunity to make a video.

I need the practice making video and my son needs the instruction. Next I’m going to divide those oversized clumps. I certainly will need help doing that!

Grasses Are No Longer Nouveau

Whatever your opinion of them, grasses are a big part of landscaping nowadays.  As the love for lawns is waning among designers and garden mavens, ornamental grasses are establishing their place as important plants in designing a landscape.

I was slow to warm up to the use of these plants, partly due to the fact that my prairie plot grew grass like weeds. Literally, grasses were my worst and most persistent weeds in the garden beds.  Still, as I became more interested in the designs in a New American style, the type by Piet Oudolf and Oehme van Sweden, it was only a matter of time before I ventured outside of my perennial comfort zone.

Having opinions on how they look best, while not quite up to the learning curve in getting the look I want, it was the graceful Miscanthus sinensis that caught my eye. I did make some mistakes with it. The plants looked puny and I didn’t look up the space requirements. Now it needs some dividing and moving to give it the space it needs.

I still think that grasses should have thoughtful placing, and see too many examples that look awkward.
That needs a bit of thought and maybe some photos for a future post.

As always, feel free to comment on the videos. I know I’m not the best looking chick on the garden blogging block, but I hope you enjoy the videos from “the little old lady next door”.