chasmanthium latfolium

Have you started to think about next year's garden yet? I have. I generally don't allow myself to look at the shiny new garden catalogs until I've got my Christmas cards written...but I gave myself permission for one quick peek, and then an hour later...

At any rate, the picture at the right is a quick scan I took of an awesome, but under-utilized ornamental grass called Northern Sea Oats. I like to use them in my botanical art and pressed flower cards because they're beautiful, but better yet, the unusual seed heads are perfectly flat - no pressing needed!

They start out a beautiful spring green, mature to a rich sage green, and finally turn an impressive bronze color in the fall. I have them planted in one of my flower gardens, and they do a wonderful job screening a hose I keep there. They also keep their color well, making them perfect for dried flower arrangements.

Northern Sea Oats aren't always easy to find, but they are beginning to show up in seed and garden catalogs now and then. Keep an eye out for them - and if you can't find them in your catalogs, try Ebay in the spring.