Panicum virgatum SWITCH GRASS Tight clumps of stiff linear leaf blades give rise to soft looking, reddish pink panicles soaring to a range of heights. Creates a fiery effect that leaves a soft pink sketched outline for winter scape texture, especially effective in drifts. It is a versatile native, adapting to a wide range of soil and climate, dry to bog, sand to clay, wind and salt spray, but not too much shade. Fertile, moist soil is best. Plant alone or in masses. Fresh or dried foliage and flowers are good for bouquets. P. v. 'Heavy Metal' begins with powdery steel blue foliage that turns bright yellow in the fall. Stiff, tight and upright, it is one of the best selections. P. v. 'Dallas Blue' has wide bladed powder blue foliage that turns a brilliant orange yellow in fall with very large flower heads that are long lasting. P. v. 'Cloud Nine' the tallest selection, has glaucous blue green leaves and good fall foliage color as well. P. v. 'Shenandoah' emerges with green foliage that reddens dramatically as the season progresses. Compact and slow growing.

Pennisetum FOUNTAIN GRASS Use to obtain variations of height in your border, in edges with dwarf varieties, in meadows, or scatter alongside lakes and ponds. Prosper in airy, light and fertile, moist soils. The pink hues of P. alopecuroides or charcoal purples of P. alopecuroides 'Moudry' in their bottlebrush plumes glow gently as daylight changes, eliciting a deep breath upon sight. P. 'Moudry' has wider blades of deep green where others have leaf blades that are green to yellow green, long and narrow, depicting the rise and fall of fountain water. P. 'Moudry' has been known to self-sow prolifically especially where moist conditions and open soil encourage it. P. alopecuroides 'Hameln' DWARF FOUNTAIN GRASS differs from the species with darker green, finer blades. Finer blades also grace P. alopecuroides 'Little Bunny' MINIATURE FOUNTAIN GRASS, the shortest of these grasses. Aside from its short height, and the fact that it does not self-sow, this miniature is like its obvious parent species. It is useful as a ground cover or wherever small plants are needed. P. orientale is one of the longest blooming off all grasses, with a reputation for the prettiest plumes of pink with a clear violet presence, which are more delicate looking, carry a sheen, and arch away from a blue green foliage. Incredible in angular sunlight! Provides a soft, wintry design, and its soft appearance is useful fresh cut or dried. Not an aggressive self-seeder, and so not invasive. Give it a couple years to establish itself and start to show off! Has no known pest or disease problems. Pennisetum setaceum 'Rubrum' PURPLE FOUNTAIN GRASS Though not hardy in our region, it is a most popular ornamental. Shiny burgundy foliage is erect and arching, topped by plumes that play in the wind. Blooming long, they keep their color tones long and by autumn shade to soft brown. You can increase the blooming by dead heading, or enjoy both new and old blooms together. Purple foliage is so useful to blend garden colors that this plant is well worth replanting each year. Dried foliage provides winter interest. Pennisetum macrourum has greenish flowers turning tan that are narrower and much longer than foutain grass. It will spread aggressively by rhizomes to form massive colonies. It can be useful for more difficult sites that include errosion control and poor soils or for mass plantings and contained sites. Pennisetum caudatum WHITE BLOOMING FOUTAIN GRASS starts blooming in august with nearly white blooms. It is a strong growing clump former that is beautiful yet suprisingly underused. P. alopecuroides 'Compressum' grows into a broad arching shape and the late blooming flowers have white tips.

Phalaris arundinacea 'Feesey' RIBBON GRASS White and green striped blades up to 1 in. wide and 7 in. long, give an impression of ribbons. New foliage has rosy hue. Cut back older summer foliage in the late summer to allow a fresh, thick clump to show itself off with its bright new foliage by autumn. Survives in infertile soil, that is not boggy, muddy, or too wet in full sun or light shade. Warrants control, yet desirable. Flower stalks blush pink with soft white flowers.