Carex

Anyone who has travelled in New Zealand knows the beauty of the tussocks blowing around in the wind. They hug the ground and their combined colours glow.

close-up detail of brown carex

I try to purchase different varieties of Carex from the bargain bin at the local nursery. Juvenile plants are cheap and fill out in one or two seasons. The perfect planting position for me is near the edge of a traditional perennial border. Often the tussock strands will drape themselves gently over their neighbours.

Brown Carex with Roses

I like the variety called "Frosted Curls" which has strange curly ends, and is a fresh pale green colour.

Other varieties glow red in the sun, and change colour drastically in the Autumn and Winter. Some of my tussocks (particularly any planted near a path) get haircuts with the scissors every four weeks or so, and produce enough seedlings to pot up and use in new plantings.