It is important to place your plant where growing conditions will suit it.  Our catalogue gives details of the sun/shade and soil type best suited to each plant.  Do not plant too close to the base of walls or fences as these areas often receive little rain.

Container-grown plants can be planted at any time of the year, but are best planted in spring or autumn when the ground is warm and moist.  Avoid planting in very hot or very cold weather and during a drought.  If planting in summer, be prepared to water new plants regularly until established.

Plants establish best if the soil they are planted into is in good condition.  Before planting, ensure all weeds are removed from the area to be planted, fork over the soil first to loosen it and mix in some well-rotted organic matter like compost.

Dig a hole large enough to accommodate the root ball of your plant.  Fork around the base and sides or the hole to loosen the soil and water the base of the hole.  Place the plant in the hole; ensuring the top of the soil around the plant is level with the surrounding ground.  Replace the soil around the plant and water in well.

Mulch well around your new plants with a proprietary mulch or well-rotted garden compost.  This will help stop the soil drying out in summer and keep it warmer in spring and autumn.

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Grasses are very easy to grow and require little regular maintenance.  Most prefer a sunny position and a well-drained soil, although golden and cream grasses prefer more shade and a damper soil.  All blue-leaved grasses need sun to produce their best colour.  Grasses that flower in late summer and autumn (like pennisetum) need as sunny and sheltered a position as possible.  All grasses should be planted at the same level as in the pot as they resent being planted too deeply.

Most grasses need very little attention apart from a little tidying in spring, removing the previous year’s dead foliage by pulling it gently away from the plant by hand.  Miscanthus and other grasses with bamboo-like stems should have the old, dead growth cut back to the ground once they have begun to shoot in spring.  The leaves often have sharp edges; so wear gloves when doing this.  Grasses do not need feeding as they thrive on poor soil, but they may need watering occasionally until they are established.