Ornamental grasses for Surrey gardens

Ornamental grasses do things no other group of plants can do quite as well. They move. They catch light in ways that change through the day and through the season. They carry structure into the months when everything else has retreated. And many of them perform reliably on Surrey’s London Clay, which makes them among the most practically useful plants available in this part of South West London.

This guide covers the species and cultivars that perform most reliably in Surrey conditions, how to use grasses across different garden aspects and styles, how to establish and maintain them on clay soil, and how to combine them with the perennials they work best alongside. It is written for gardens in Kingston, Surbiton, Richmond, Esher, Cobham and the surrounding areas, where the conditions are specific enough to make a focused, locally relevant guide worth having.

Why ornamental grasses work so well on Surrey clay

The London Clay that underlies most of our working area is often presented as a problem, and for some plant groups it genuinely is. But for many ornamental grasses, clay that drains adequately is a good soil: it is fertile and holds moisture through the summer. The grasses that do best here come from different places. Molinia and Deschampsia are native to Britain, Calamagrostis × acutiflora is a hybrid of European species and Panicum comes from the North American prairies. What they share is that selected species and cultivars tolerate moisture-retentive clay, which is why they are used so often in prairie-style planting here.

The one genuine challenge clay presents to grasses is drainage in winter. While most grasses tolerate moist conditions well through the growing season, waterlogged soils in winter can damage root systems and cause crown rot, particularly in the first year before plants are fully established. Addressing drainage before planting, by loosening compacted ground, adding organic matter and choosing grasses to suit the site, usually deals with this. Once established, well-chosen grasses on Surrey clay are among the most self-sufficient plants you can grow.

It helps to tell three situations apart. Clay that holds moisture but drains adequately suits most of the grasses in this guide. Compacted or waterlogged ground needs improving first, or planting with grasses that tolerate wet soil. And some grasses, including Pennisetum, Festuca and Nassella, need a raised or genuinely free-draining spot whatever you do to the soil.

Grasses by garden aspect

One of the most practical ways to approach grass selection is by the aspect of the garden or border you are planting into. Different orientations create fundamentally different conditions, and the right grass for a south-facing border in full sun is not necessarily the right grass for a north-facing space in partial shade. Our full garden orientation guide covers how aspect affects all design and planting decisions across the full year.

South and west-facing gardens

South and west-facing gardens offer the warmest, sunniest conditions available in Surrey, and these aspects suit the greatest range of ornamental grasses. Full-sun grasses thrive here and deliver their best performance in terms of colour, movement and seedhead quality. For detailed planting and design guidance for these orientations, see our south-facing garden design guide and west-facing garden guide.

Stipa gigantea, golden oats, is one of the most dramatic grasses for a sunny Surrey border. The semi-evergreen basal rosette of narrow leaves sits at around 60 cm, from which arise extraordinary flower stems of up to 2.5 m, bearing oat-like golden spikelets from June onwards that shimmer and rattle in the slightest movement of air. The open flower heads let light through, so they glow when the sun is low at the end of the day. It earns its place from June well into winter and looks increasingly good as it matures.

Nassella tenuissima (formerly Stipa tenuissima), Mexican feather grass, is one of the finest-textured grasses for sunny borders, producing hair-like leaves and flower stems that create a diaphanous, shimmering quality in any breeze. It turns golden-buff as the season progresses and holds that warm tone through autumn. It self-seeds freely in gravel or dry, open soil, which is either a virtue or a nuisance depending on the context. In a Mediterranean-style garden where it can colonise naturally, it is extraordinary. In a tight, mixed planting, it needs editing.

Pennisetum alopecuroides, fountain grass, produces the distinctive bottlebrush flower spikes from August to October that are among the most tactile and visually effective of any grass. The cultivar ‘Hameln’ is compact and widely grown; the RHS rates it H3, so give it a sheltered, well-drained spot and consider winter protection in colder gardens. ‘Cassian’ is slightly larger and turns warm amber in autumn. Fountain grasses dislike heavy soil that stays wet in winter. They look particularly good against warm stone surfaces and associate beautifully with late-season perennials including Rudbeckia fulgida and Hylotelephium spectabile (still widely sold as Sedum spectabile).

Festuca glauca ‘Elijah Blue’ provides intense blue-grey foliage year-round in a compact, tufted mound. It is grown entirely for its foliage colour and associates particularly well with purple and silver plants in a Mediterranean or contemporary scheme. It requires full sun and free-draining conditions, it will not thrive in heavy, wet clay without amendment, but in a raised or improved bed in a south-facing garden it is excellent.

North and east-facing gardens

Aspect is only a starting point. A north-facing garden can have sunny corners, and an east-facing one can get plenty of morning sun, so judge by the light at the planting spot: our free Flourish Sun Planner can help. Where it is genuinely shady, sun-loving grasses such as the stipas struggle, but the grasses that do thrive in shade provide qualities that are genuinely difficult to achieve with any other plant group. For design principles for shadier aspects, see our north-facing garden design guide, our guide to plants for north-facing gardens, and our east-facing garden guide.

Deschampsia cespitosa, tufted hair grass, is one of the most reliable ornamental grasses for shade in Surrey gardens. It produces dense, arching tufts of dark green, fine-textured leaves and clouds of fine-stemmed golden flower spikelets from June that catch the light beautifully in a shaded space where few other plants would perform this well. The cultivar ‘Goldtau’ is the most widely grown form and one of the most effective grasses for use beneath deciduous trees or along north-facing boundaries. It tolerates heavier clay soils than most grasses and is fully hardy.

Hakonechloa macra, Japanese forest grass, is one of the best shade-tolerant grasses for smaller gardens. The cascading, arching habit and the warm golden-green or variegated foliage of the cultivar ‘Aureola’ creates a pool of light in a shaded border that looks almost luminous in indirect light. It is slow to establish but, once settled, long-lived and reliably beautiful. It suits north-facing borders, shaded corners, and positions under deciduous canopies where little else performs well.

Luzula sylvatica, greater woodrush, is technically a rush rather than a grass, but sits in the same design vocabulary and fills a gap that no true grass quite manages: deep shade, dry conditions, under heavy evergreen canopy. The cultivar ‘Marginata’ has cream-edged leaves. Evergreen, spreading, and effective as ground cover where other shade-tolerant plants struggle with competition from tree roots.

The key species for Surrey gardens

The large prairie grasses

Molinia caerulea subsp. arundinacea, tall moor grass, is arguably the most graceful large grass available for British gardens. The cultivar ‘Transparent’ is the most widely used, producing tall, arching stems of tiny flowers from August that are genuinely diaphanous in quality, you can see through them to the planting behind, which creates depth in a border that no solid-stemmed plant can replicate. The stems turn golden amber in autumn and usually stand well into winter before breaking away at the base, although wind and snow can bring them down sooner. ‘Windspiel’ is another good choice, with a more upright habit that can suit more exposed positions; check the label for its height. Both grow well on clay that doesn’t stay waterlogged and are among the most valuable grasses for a naturalistic planting scheme.

Calamagrostis × acutiflora ‘Karl Foerster’ is the most architectural grass for Surrey gardens. Where the Molinias are graceful and arching, Karl Foerster is rigidly upright, the stiff flower stems emerge in June and remain standing through winter, providing exactly the kind of vertical emphasis that a planting scheme loses when herbaceous perennials die back. It is tolerant of clay soils, tolerates some shade, and divides easily. In a contemporary garden, a repeated mass of Karl Foerster provides the structure and rhythm that the style depends on. It associates well with large-leaved plants including Persicaria amplexicaulis and Veronicastrum virginicum.

Panicum virgatum, switchgrass, is among the most underused prairie grasses in UK gardens, despite being highly reliable in Surrey conditions. The cultivar ‘Shenandoah’ is the most widely grown, producing upright, medium-height growth with airy flower heads from August and extraordinary autumn colour, the foliage turns deep red from September onwards and persists with good colour until the winter cut-back. ‘Rehbraun’ is similar with warm brown-red autumn tones. Both tolerate clay well and suit naturalistic and cottage-style planting schemes.

Miscanthus sinensis is a warm-season grass that starts late and flowers from late summer, with silky plumes that stand well into winter. Some forms grow to 2 m or more, so choose smaller cultivars where space is limited. ‘Kleine Silberspinne’ reaches about 1.2 to 1.5 m. ‘Morning Light’ reaches about 1.5 to 1.8 m and is grown mainly for its fine, silver-edged leaves, as it does not flower every year. Miscanthus tolerates clay but not waterlogged ground, and like the other warm-season grasses is best planted and divided in late spring.

Bamboos as structural grasses

Bamboos occupy a different design category from ornamental grasses but belong to the same family and serve related structural functions. The key species for Surrey gardens are covered in our tropical garden style guide, which covers Phyllostachys nigra (black bamboo), Phyllostachys aureosulcata f. spectabilis (golden bamboo) and the containment approach that all running bamboos require. The principle of using rhizome barriers before planting is non-negotiable for any Phyllostachys species in a managed garden setting. A barrier is not a one-off fix, though: check it every year, keep its top edge above soil level so rhizomes cannot cross over it, and cut out any that escape. If that ongoing care is not realistic, choose a clump-forming bamboo or a different plant.

How to use grasses in planting design

As structure through winter

The most important function of ornamental grasses in a planting scheme, the one that justifies their inclusion more than any other, is what they do from October to February. When herbaceous perennials have died back, when the garden is at its most structurally exposed, grasses are at or near their best. Calamagrostis ‘Karl Foerster’ usually stays upright through frost, although heavy snow and wind can flatten it. The Molinias often hold their amber stems well into winter. Pennisetum seedheads persist attractively into December. On a frosty morning, a garden planted with grasses looks better than almost any other planting approach.

This winter quality is what distinguishes a well-designed naturalistic or prairie-style planting from one that simply looks bare from November to March. The seedheads of grasses also provide food for finches and other seed-eating birds, which makes their winter value ecological as well as aesthetic.

As movement and transparency

Grasses move in ways that few other plants do. Even a light breeze sets tall Molinia stems into gentle, sustained motion that is genuinely calming to watch. The transparency of fine-stemmed grasses, Molinia ‘Transparent’, Stipa gigantea, means that what is planted behind them remains visible through their stems, creating depth in a border that would otherwise be a solid plane of planting. This transparency is one of the defining qualities of the New Perennial or prairie planting style developed by Piet Oudolf and applied with particular skill by garden designers across the UK over the past three decades.

As repetition and rhythm

In design terms, grasses work best when repeated rather than used as isolated specimens. A mass of twelve Molinia ‘Transparent’ in a large border creates a quality of movement and visual cohesion that one or two plants cannot produce. A repeated line of Calamagrostis ‘Karl Foerster’ along a path creates rhythm and punctuation. Even in a smaller garden, using three to five plants of the same variety rather than single specimens produces a more resolved, designed result.

Grasses in different garden styles

The ornamental grasses that work best depend partly on the overall style of the garden. In a contemporary garden, the most effective choices are upright and architectural, Calamagrostis ‘Karl Foerster’ and Panicum ‘Shenandoah’ suit the clean geometry of a contemporary scheme far better than the loose, arching Molinias.

In a naturalistic garden, the full range comes into its own. Molinia ‘Transparent’, Deschampsia ‘Goldtau’, Panicum ‘Shenandoah’, and Calamagrostis ‘Karl Foerster’ are all core species in the kind of layered, successional planting scheme that this style depends on. The grasses provide the structural framework and winter interest that allows the flowering perennials to do their work through the growing season.

In a cottage garden, grasses play a supporting rather than dominant role. Fine-textured grasses including Deschampsia ‘Goldtau’ and Pennisetum ‘Hameln’ associate well with traditional cottage perennials and soften the sometimes dense, static quality of a heavily planted border.

In a Mediterranean garden, the drought-tolerant stipas, Stipa gigantea, Nassella tenuissima, and Festuca glauca are the key grass choices. Their preference for dry, free-draining conditions aligns with the general drainage requirements of the Mediterranean planting palette, and their silver, gold and blue-grey tones sit well within the restrained, sun-baked character of the style.

The best perennial companions for ornamental grasses

Grasses and perennials work together best when they occupy different visual layers and different seasonal moments. The most effective combinations in Surrey gardens are:

Echinacea purpurea with Calamagrostis ‘Karl Foerster’, the bold daisy flowers of the coneflower from July to September associate beautifully with the upright, architectural stems of Karl Foerster, and the combination carries well into winter when both the seedheads and the grass stems remain standing. See our detailed Echinacea guide for variety recommendations for Surrey conditions.

Persicaria amplexicaulis ‘Firetail’ with Molinia ‘Transparent’, the crimson flower spikes of persicaria from June to October thread through the transparent stems of the moor grass in a combination that changes character through the day as the light shifts. Both tolerate Surrey clay well and require minimal input once established.

Sanguisorba officinalis ‘Red Thunder’ with Deschampsia ‘Goldtau’, the dark bobble flowers of sanguisorba on long, wiry stems from July to October create a floating, airy quality above the golden flower clouds of the deschampsia. The combination works particularly well in a partially shaded position on Surrey clay.

Rudbeckia fulgida var. sullivantii ‘Goldsturm’ with Panicum ‘Shenandoah’, the golden daisy flowers of rudbeckia from August to October pick up the warm autumn tones of the switchgrass foliage as it turns red-brown in September. A combination that peaks in late season when many other plantings have exhausted themselves.

Verbena bonariensis with Stipa gigantea, the purple-red flower heads of verbena on tall, wiry stems from July to October complement the shimmering oat-like spikelets of the stipa in a combination that is almost impossibly light and airy in evening light. Both self-seed modestly, which means the combination gradually naturalises through the planted area in a way that looks increasingly effortless over time.

Caring for each grass

Two things decide how to look after a grass. Whether it is evergreen or deciduous decides how you cut it back. When it grows decides when to plant and divide it: cool-season grasses start growing early in the year, while warm-season grasses wait for warmer soil and often do not appear until May. Sources do not always agree on which group some grasses belong to, so the table below gives practical timings for the grasses in this guide.

Use the dates as a guide and watch the plant: cut or tidy before the new shoots are long enough to be damaged.

Establishing ornamental grasses on Surrey clay

Soil preparation

The preparation required for ornamental grasses on Surrey clay is less intensive than for a Mediterranean garden but more significant than planting most shrubs. Start by checking how the ground drains: dig a hole about 30 cm deep, fill it with water and see whether it empties within a day. What you find decides how much work is needed.

Where the ground is compacted, for example after building work, loosening it to about 300 mm helps the roots of large prairie grasses establish. Compacted clay can hold plants back for the first two or three seasons. On residential sites this is usually double-digging or subsoiling with a long fork; on larger sites with severe compaction following construction work, a tractor-mounted subsoiler is the more efficient tool.

Digging in well-rotted garden compost or a soil conditioner improves the structure of clay over time, helps it drain and evens out the extremes of wet and dry.

Grit is rarely the answer for a whole border on heavy clay: it only helps in very large quantities and can make the soil harder to work. Where drainage is genuinely poor, choose grasses that tolerate moist soil, such as Deschampsia and Molinia, or plant on a slight mound or in a raised bed. Keep drought-loving grasses such as Festuca and Nassella for raised beds and gravel.

Planting

Plant cool-season grasses in early autumn, while the soil is still warm, or in spring. Plant warm-season grasses in late spring, once the soil has warmed and they are growing: they make little new root in cold soil and can rot over winter in wet clay. Container-grown grasses can be planted any time from spring to early autumn provided watering is maintained in dry spells during establishment.

Plant at the same depth as the rootball. Planting too deep, particularly with species including Stipa gigantea, can cause crown problems. Water in well after planting and maintain moisture through the first growing season, particularly during dry periods in June and July when newly planted grasses are at their most vulnerable.

The annual cut-back

The timing of the annual cut-back is one of the most important maintenance decisions for ornamental grasses, and one of the most often mishandled. Cut back deciduous grasses between late winter and spring, before the new shoots are long enough to be damaged. Most can be done from late February through March, depending on the weather; Miscanthus and Pennisetum can wait until March or April. Cutting back in autumn, as is sometimes recommended, removes exactly the winter structure and seedhead interest that makes grasses so valuable in the first place.

Cut old deciduous growth close to the base, without cutting into the crown or the new shoots. On large, dense clumps such as Miscanthus, Panicum and Calamagrostis ‘Karl Foerster’, leaving about 10 to 15 cm is a practical way to avoid damaging the crown. Molinia stems usually break away cleanly by late winter and can simply be pulled or cut off. Deschampsia can be cut back or simply combed through with gloved hands to remove dead stems while retaining the new green growth emerging at the base.

Semi-evergreen grasses including Stipa gigantea should be treated more carefully, remove dead stems and tidy the basal growth rather than cutting hard, as the semi-evergreen foliage is part of the plant’s year-round value.

Evergreen grasses and sedges including Festuca glauca and Carex usually need only tidying: comb through to remove dead leaves and trim lightly to keep the shape, leaving the evergreen growth intact. There are exceptions. Pampas grass is cut back in late winter, and a tired, shorter-lived evergreen can be cut back in spring to rejuvenate it, or simply replaced. Hakonechloa is deciduous: cut the old leaves back to the base in late winter, before the new shoots appear.

Division

Divide a grass when it needs it: when the clump is congested, the centre has died out, it is losing vigour, or you want to reduce it or make more plants. Some grasses need this every few years; others, including many warm-season and long-lived evergreen grasses, rarely need it. Split the clump into sections with a sharp spade. Divide cool-season grasses in early spring as growth starts, and warm-season grasses in late spring once they are visibly growing. Divide Hakonechloa and Molinia in spring as growth resumes, when the soil is moist but not waterlogged. Replant the outer sections with the most vigorous growth and discard the woody centre.

Grasses to avoid in Surrey conditions

Not all ornamental grasses perform well on Surrey clay or in the UK climate, and it is worth knowing which species are regularly oversold and underperform in practice.

Cortaderia selloana, pampas grass, is a large, effective plant in the right setting but is frequently planted in suburban gardens where it quickly overwhelms the scale of the space. Its leaves are sharp-edged, and its seedlings can escape into the wild, so think carefully about where to plant it, particularly near green spaces.

Pennisetums vary in hardiness, and some do not survive a cold UK winter. Check the RHS hardiness rating of any pennisetum before buying in quantity, and give them a sheltered, well-drained position.

Imperata cylindrica ‘Rubra’, Japanese blood grass, is grown for its striking red leaves. The RHS lists it for sun or partial shade in moist but well-drained soil, including clay, and suggests winter protection in colder areas. We have found it less reliable in Surrey gardens than its photographs suggest, so we use it sparingly.

Problems

• Dead centre to the clump: the plant is due for division. Lift it, discard the woody middle and replant the vigorous outer sections.
• Plants rotting over winter: usually wet clay around the crown, often after autumn planting of warm-season grasses. Improve drainage and plant at the right time for the group.
• Floppy stems: too much shade or too rich a soil. Most grasses need sun and no extra feeding.
• No growth in early spring: warm-season grasses are naturally late. Wait until late May before assuming a plant has died.

Frequently asked questions

When should I cut back ornamental grasses?

Cut back deciduous ornamental grasses between late winter and spring, before the new shoots are long enough to be damaged: most from late February through March, and Miscanthus and Pennisetum in March or April. Cutting back in autumn removes the winter structure and seedheads that make grasses valuable from October to March. Evergreen and semi-evergreen grasses usually need only tidying: comb out dead material and trim lightly rather than cutting hard.

Do ornamental grasses grow well on Surrey clay?

Many ornamental grasses, including Calamagrostis, Molinia, Miscanthus and Panicum, do well on Surrey’s London Clay provided it drains adequately. Fountain grasses (Pennisetum), Festuca and Nassella prefer free-draining soil and dislike clay that stays wet in winter. The main requirement is that drainage is addressed before planting, as waterlogged clay in winter can damage crowns. Loosening compacted ground, adding organic matter and, where drainage is poor, using raised beds or grasses that tolerate moist soil usually deals with this. Once established, well-chosen grasses on Surrey clay are among the most self-sufficient plants available.

Which ornamental grasses work in a shaded or north-facing garden?

Deschampsia cespitosa ‘Goldtau’ is one of the most reliable grasses for shade in Surrey gardens. Hakonechloa macra ‘Aureola’ provides beautiful golden-green cascading foliage in partial shade. Luzula sylvatica is effective in deep shade where other grasses struggle. For north-facing gardens more broadly, our north-facing garden planting guide and north-facing garden design guide provide detailed recommendations across all plant groups.

What is the best grass for a contemporary garden?

Calamagrostis × acutiflora ‘Karl Foerster’ is the most widely used grass in contemporary garden schemes, valued for its strongly upright habit and the way it provides vertical emphasis and winter structure. It is tolerant of clay soils, tolerates some shade, and works particularly well in repeated masses. Our contemporary garden design guide covers how grasses are used within the context of that style in more detail.

How do I divide ornamental grasses?

Divide when a clump becomes congested, dies out in the centre or loses vigour, rather than on a fixed timetable. Divide cool-season grasses in early spring and warm-season grasses in late spring once they are growing. Use a sharp spade to split the clump, replant the vigorous outer sections, discard the woody centre and water in well.

How long do ornamental grasses live?

Most of the grasses commonly used in UK gardens are long-lived when they are well suited to their position. Established grasses including Molinia, Calamagrostis, Panicum and Deschampsia can perform for many years, especially if divided when they become congested. Stipa gigantea and Hakonechloa are slow to establish but long-lived. Nassella tenuissima is short-lived but replaces itself from seed.

Related pages

• Naturalistic gardens: the planting style where grasses do most work
• Naturalistic borders: reworking a tired border with grasses and perennials
• Garden design and build: when the planting is part of a full garden
• Planting design and installation: how we choose, supply and plant your grasses

Let’s plan your planting

If you would like to discuss a planting scheme that includes ornamental grasses for your Surrey garden, our planting design and installation service covers everything from initial site assessment and species selection through to soil preparation, planting and establishment. For more substantial garden transformations, our garden design and build service integrates planting with the wider garden layout.

For wider context, see our companion guides on refreshing borders with naturalistic planting, Echinacea for Surrey clay, multi-stem trees and our drought-tolerant gardens guide.

Contact us to arrange a consultation and start planning a garden that performs through every season, including winter.

Written by Craig Davis BSc (Hons) Horticulture, member of the Chartered Institute of Horticulture. Craig has over 40 years in horticulture: in the family business since the age of 13 and a horticulture graduate since 1992, he designs, builds and plants gardens across Kingston, Surrey and South West London.