outdoors
I N T H E G A R D E N
a
s the cool north
breezes of
autumn signal
the end of
summer, most
garden plants
are beginning to
fade away. But ornamental grasses
are just coming into their prime,
donning rustic colors that glow in
the late-season sun while their
feathery plumes and frilly leaves
dance in the wind.
Grasses offer much more than
an autumn flourish, though; they
bring new texture and color to each
season. And a wide range of sizes
and forms lets you use these easy-to-
grow plants throughout your garden.
Even freezing weather doesn’t
end the show. As do other plants,
grasses will become dormant, but the
dried stalks stay standing through
winter, linking one year to the next
with remnants of the past and the
promise of a new spring.
SHIMMER
The wispy
white seed heads of
Miscanthus sinensis
‘Silberfeder’ sparkle in
the autumn sunlight,
standing out against
other fall colors.
108 NOVEMBER 2008 BETTER HOMES AND GARDENS
PHOTO: KRITSADA
