Designing with Grasses is the first book by Neil Lucas, owner of Wimborne-based Knoll Gardens. It offers a practical approach to gardening with grasses, and provides an essential guide to the many ways that grasses can be used to best effect, frequently at low cost and always with an incredible natural beauty.
As well as explaining how to create the perfect balance between grasses and other plants, the book also lists some top performers for specific places, including drought, waterside, containers and shade, alongside an extensive directory profiling more than 450 garden-worthy grasses, rushes, and sedges.
Neil has been described as one of the world’s leading grass gurus, and his passion for grasses comes across strongly throughout the book, which also features over 200 glorious photographs, many taken during his travels. These images graphically illustrate the huge contribution grasses can make to both public spaces and private gardens, as well as going some way to show how grasses can contribute to a greener world through their use in rain gardens, green roofs and for erosion control.
To use Neil’s words, grasses are adept at “blurring and merging” the lines between our natural systems and designed areas – to glorious effect.
“When I first arrived at Knoll Gardens in 1994 I had a dream to use its stunning framework to create a more naturalistic style of garden,” said Neil. ‘As each gardening year has passed I have learnt more and more about the beauty of gardening with ornamental grasses, and been lucky enough to have that knowledge rewarded with a succession of Chelsea Gold Medals. Designing with Grasses is for everyone who has visited Knoll and wanted to know more, as well as all those who are interested in combining a beautiful garden with sound environmental principles.”
Designing with Grasses is published by Timber Press and available from all good book shops. Alternatively, signed copies are now available direct from Knoll Gardens for just £18 +P&P. Order online at ww.knollgardens.co.uk or call the nursery on 01202 873931.
