Reeds (Juncus) Reeds or rushes have thin round
stems, sometimes flattened, but that are usually solid and are sometime filled with spongy pith. Leaves arise in a fan shape from the base of the plant and clusters of small flowers emerge near the end of the stem. They grow upright in tussocks with an upright vase shape. Horsetail is a primitive plant that is
very useful in both wet and dry gardens. It occurs naturally around the margins of waterways. It is deep green with joint- ed stems that give it an exotic look. Corkscrew
‘Spiralis’) is making its way into garden centres, prized for
rush (Juncus effuses its original,
twisty
stems. Sun or part shade with acidic soil. Juncus ‘Blue Arrows’. Blue green foli-
age grows 1.5 feet to three feet in moist to wet soil in sun. Its spikey, stiff leaves offer interesting texture to the garden or to containers.
Japanese fountain grass Japanese forest grass (Hakonechloa
macra) is a stunning grass plant, a member of the true grass, Poacaea family. We are seeing more and more of this lovely and colourful plant, wher it is often used as an accent plant for its colour and graceful form. It likes shade, spreads slowly and the stalks cascade like water from a fountain in the most appealing manner. The thin papery leaves rustle in the breeze and midsummer flowers emerge from the ends of its stalks, start- ing out pale purple then ripening to tan. Hakonechloa macra ‘Aureola’
is
popular with its golden striped, pea- green foliage that glows predominately gold, becoming pinkish in fall. It was the 2009 Perennial Plant of the Year and won a Royal Horticultural Society Award of Garden Merit. Hakonechloa macra ‘Sunny Delight’
is the opposite of ‘Aureola’ with gold stripes on a green background start- ing from the base and moving upward. Darker than ‘Aureola’. Hakonechloa macra ‘All Gold’ has no
variegation but its yellow to chartreuse leaves needs part sun to sustain its best colour. Hakonechloa macra ‘Beni-Kaze’ is a
cool green but it flushes red to purple in autumn. k
22 • Winter 2014
www.localgardener.net Juncus Twisted Arrows.
Carex dipsacea or Autumn sedge. Hakonechloa macra ’Alboaurea’.
Carex morrowi variegata ‘Ice Dance.’
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