Grass plants for acidic soil
Grasses are perfect for adding texture, movement and an air of tranquillity to the garden. They are a distinctive group which help create a relaxing atmosphere as their foliage gently rustles in the wind, as well as adding invaluable architectural flair to your planting schemes. They’re highly effective in the sensory garden, make useful contrast plants and help soften areas of hard landscaping. In this section, we showcase the best grasses for acidic soil, mainly comprising variety of the beautiful New Zealand Flax, or phormium plants. Phormium is a large, clump-forming evergreen grass with sword-shaped leaves that gracefully arch towards the tips. The foliage is produced in a fan-shape arrangement from the base, making them different and distinct from Cordyline plants whose leaves grow in a rosette circling the top of the trunk. In summer, mature plants produce tubular flowers held high above the foliage on dramatic, upright flower stalks.
Phormiums are perfect for making an architectural statement in the border or containers, thriving in a well-drained acidic soil or ericaceous compost. To add drama to a border, consider Phormium ‘Black Velvet’ with its beautiful, deep maroon, sword-shaped leaves that combine well with other dark foliaged plants. Alternatively, Phormium ‘Golden Sword’ has striking, upright, bronze-green leaves with creamy-gold variegated stripes, whilst Phormium tenax ‘Joker’ boasts deep red leaves, bordered with intense pink margins and is perfect for adding a pop of colour in the border, container or mixed planter. Apply a generous mulch of 2 inches (5cm) of well rotted organic matter to help protect the roots from frost before the onset of winter.