IN THE GARDEN

Selecting the best options for ornamental grasses, climbing vines and fast-growing pines

Pampass grass not best ornamental for the job

Q: I live in Fayetteville and have a below-ground pool with one side rising out of sloping ground with a stone retaining wall about 5 feet tall.

Would pampas grass be good around the wall? I don't want anything (leaves, flowering heads, etc.) to blow into the pool.

A: Ornamental grasses such as pampas grass would be an option. Are you wanting to buffer the wall or be able to see the plants above the wall? Ornamental grasses do have seeds inside the blooms, and pampas grass can get more than 10 feet tall with plumes. Seeds could blow into the pool if you leave the pool open all year. Purple muhly grass or feather reed grass are beautiful ornamental grasses that would cover the wall but stay low enough that I don't think the seeds would pose a problem.

Variety of vines would work on garden ring

Q: I have an iron ring 3 feet wide and 2 inches deep that I plan to mount upright on its edge in my flower bed. I want to plant vines to grow on it, something thick and fast-growing to completely obscure the ring. Blooms aren't a necessity but would be a bonus.

What would you recommend and how many do I plant on each side? I live in Maumelle, am retired and have the

time to trim it every day to keep it under control.

A: You don't mention if you have sun or shade or whether you want evergreen or deciduous. Also, 3 feet is not much height for any vine. Any way the ring could be elevated some? Vines typically grow upward to 6 feet — or more. Several options would work.

For sun you could plant a trumpet honeysuckle (Lonicera sempervirens) or 'Gold Flame' honeysuckle (Lonicera heckrottii). Do not plant the familiar off-white-flowering Japanese honeysuckle, which is highly invasive. There are many clematis vines that would also give you great flowers. An evergreen option is Confederate jasmine (Trachelospermum jasminoides), which does well in the southern half of the state.

Carolina jasmine would also work with its bright yellow flowers.

Past time to prune 3-year-old blackberry canes

Q: When is the best time to prune blackberry canes? I know you are supposed to prune fruit trees in the

Special to the News-Times Ornamental Grass: Purple muhly grass puts on a show in the fall. Muhly grass or feather reed grass would be better choices for hiding a retaining wall near a pool than pampass grass due to height.

Special to the News-Times Variety of Vines: (clockwise from top) Clematis comes in a broad range of flower colors. Confederate jasmine (Trachelospermum jasminoides) is an evergreen flowering vine that does well in the southern half of Arkansas. Carolina jasmine, also known as jessamine, is a popular flowering vine.

JANET CARSON