New person question ..

I know this may be hard to identify since I don't have a picture..

I was at a friend's house today and his mother has a very large, really pretty, shade garden...I noticed several Adam's Needles (with large/tall blooms)...hostas..vines...lemon mint..chameleon plant..and a lot of other things I didnt know ..in the very back of the garden is green grass that is well over 6 foot tall. It grows up then sort of falls forward.. I don't know whether it's called fountain grass or ornamental grass or pampas grass ( I don't know the difference in grasses) ...most of the grass seemed simply green..but there was one section that had yellow splotches up and down the blades...she said she mows it down every spring and it grows huge the rest of the season..

She said I was welcome to come take whatever I wanted out of that garden.

What I don't know is if there is a certain time of year you can dig the grass up and replant it and I don't know what to properly call it so that I don't sound so "new" lol..

As for the Adam's Needle, I know it isn't grass, but are they split like you would split a hosta?

Just curious to see if you all could answer the question.

Thanks!

PS .. anyone have any suggestions for bamboo that is hardy in zone 6 and ornamental..not just green.. is there such a thing? I saw a really pretty "candy cane" looking..but it wasn't hardy.



This message was edited May 31, 2006 10:45 PM

I took some pictures


Here is from the front

From the back

Close up

Close up 2

I'm going to wage a guess on Miscanthus zebrinus. I don't think it is siff enough or narrow enough to be porcupine grass. It tends to flop more in the shade and be fairly upright and arching in full sun and drier conditions. Some grasses are better split in spring and some in fall. I have moved Miscanthus at all times of the year and just varied the water. They need a fair amount until established. I usually pop them out of the ground with a shovel and pitch fork and cut them apart with a tree saw. They often die out in the center anyway, so quartering them every so many years actually helps.

Bamboo is not my strong suit. LOL You might want to check with hczone6 or henry10 for ideas. :)

Thanks so much for your reply.

I think that garden was beautiful once..and could be again. She's gotten to the point she can't really care for it...but maybe I can help here there ..