Tony Dickerson answers your questions

QAWhat are the best grasses for tall screening? Kathryn McKee, Lincoln Many grasses can be used to create a ‘see-through’ screen, an effect popular with garden designers, but if you need to blot out a view or create privacy you need more substantial plants. Either use a single species to create a backdrop for other planting or make a mixed planting to create interest in itself. Most grasses are deciduous, the foliage colouring well in autumn and holding over winter. They quickly regrow if they’re cut to the ground in late February or early March. Most do best in full sun. Arundo donax (Spanish cane) is the tallest, growing to about 5m (16½ft) with strongly upright, stout stems and long, grey-green leaves. It’s semievergreen and, in cold areas, can look bedraggled over winter, but plants can be cut down and will make 3-4m (10-13ft) during the summer. It makes slowly spreading, large clumps. ‘Macrophylla’ is a good garden form with wider and greyer leaves, only growing to 2.7m (9ft). The golden-variegated ‘Golden Chain’ and white-variegated A. donax versicolor are smaller at 2.4m (8ft), but both need a warm, sunny position. Calamagrostis acutiflora ‘Karl Foerster’ is the tallest of the feather reed grasses growing to 1.8m (6ft). It has upright, narrow stems with dark purple flower spikes and makes a good informal screen. Pampas grass ( Cortaderia

selloana) needs no description but has fallen out of favour in recent times. However, as part of a mixed planting it has much merit being semi-evergreen. ‘Pumila’ to 2.1m (7ft) is the best selection, while ‘Evita’ is more compact at 1.8m (6ft).

Miscanthus giganteus has bright green, slightly pendulous foliage and makes good informal screens to 3m (10ft). Miscanthus

sinensis is shorter at 2.4m (8ft) but there are dozens of selections available with varying coloured foliage. ‘Gracillimus’ is one of the taller at 2.1m (7ft) with bright green foliage, while ‘Ferner Osten’ (1.8m/6ft) has spectacular dark red flower spikes and good autumn colour. Switch grass ( Panicum

virgatum) is a true Prairie species. The tallest are ‘Blue Tower’ and ‘Cloud Nine’, both with glaucous blue foliage to 2.4m (8ft).

A. donax Arundo donax can often be found growing in the wild, but tamer forms, such as this ‘Variegata’, are available for gardens

Pampas grass can get out of control but is useful for screening