In the Garden- January

You might have noticed work parties on Tyee Drive planting new shrubs to replace those lost to old age and extreme weather, revitalizing some daffodil beds, and adding lavender and wildflower seeds to some beds. But the ornamental grass berms that serve as welcome beacons on the corners of Tyee Drive and Benson Road need serious attention.

Originally designed by the late Paul Doyle, these berms were perfectly themed for our seaside community. What fun grasses are, moving in the breeze, evoking the beach! The best time to plant ornamental grasses is early spring, so the time to plan a grass-themed garden is now, imagining those grasses undulating in warm winds.

Wanting that effect in my own garden, I have made a number of mistakes in grass gardening and was completely overwhelmed by Ewan McGregor’s “Glorious Grasses” presentation a number of years ago to the Evergreen Garden Club (now the South Delta Garden Club). But I think that I finally got it figured out – at least for the Garden Club berms.

What helped? Well, perhaps learning from my thoughtless mistakes was good. However, what I found most useful was Neil Lucas’ Designing with Grasses that I requested through the library. Front and center: What growing conditions can I offer?

Well, duh … isn’t that step one for growing anything? What made me think that ornamental grasses would be any different? Why had I not realized that Acorus (sweet flag, a grass-like ornamental) needs a good amount of summer irrigation and that it would simply crisp up in my unirrigated south-facing garden bed? Ditto for Calamagrostis “Karl Foerster” that needs moist feet if planted in full sun.

So, what growing conditions do we have on Tyee? Fortunately, Lucas’ book has a whole section on “Top choices for sun-baked, gravel and drought situations.” Absolutely perfect! We will be refreshing the soil on those berms, but eventually organic-rich soil breaks down. While not gravelly, we will end up with degraded sand-rich growing medium. Sun-baked – yes, we have that. Drought – well, those berms are never watered.

What has and has not made it over the years under those sunny, dry, poor soil conditions? The pampas grass in the original design is nearly dead. It had a good go of it but is succumbing to old age. We won’t replace it because Whatcom County now lists it as a noxious weed for its ability to crowd out more desirable species when it self-seeds. It’s going to be a bear to remove with its sharp blades and deep roots, but it must be done.

Black mondo grass hung in there for many years, but never flourished in the sunny, dry conditions. We’re not sure that it ever fit with the original seaside theme anyway and will probably pot up any survivors for the Garden Club Plant Sale.

Calamagrostis “Karl Foerster” couldn’t tolerate the drought conditions. While it looks stunning in private gardens that can supply it with irrigation, it is not meant to be on the Tyee Drive berms. Carex oshimensis “Evergold” fared a little better with the lack of water, but its broad variegated leaves didn’t fit well with the seaside theme.

In contrast, Mexican feather grass has been a total success, and is recommended by Lucas. While the individual plants are not long-lived, they self-seed in a respectable rather than thuggish manner. It’s a personal favorite, and we can import it from Canada if we cannot locate a U.S. nursery that will ship it to Point Roberts. This easy-to-please, beige-tinged grass looks delightful waving delicately in the breeze. Let’s plant lots of it!

Lucas recommends ornamental Festuca grasses. I think that “Elijah Blue” is a lovely low border grass, but probably not long-lived enough for a public roadside planting. The same is true of the attractive blue-oat grass. Both delightful, but we don’t want to be out on Tyee Drive replacing them every two to four years.

If we go that route, it won’t be for a mass planting. If we want something that is relatively short like them, a longer-lived selection is bronze sedge. It goes on for years as long as you give it an annual ‘comb’ to rid it of last year’s dead leaves and fared moderately well on the Tyee Drive berms when we experimented with it.

We still need a large feature grass to replace the pampas grass and here is where poring through Lucas’s suggestions might pay off. Based on photographs and his overt recommendations, we will try Muhlenbergia or “Muhly grass.”

It can grow up to four feet, with white or purple plumes up to five feet. I have a particular desire to find some M. capillaris “White Cloud” because I think that it would really complement the berms.

Walk or drive by next summer and see how it all worked out.