Pocket PRAIRIE BORDER

How to mix perennials and grasses to stunning effect

- CHRIS MORLEY

Natural beauty

Prairie planting is a free-spirited, wildlife-friendly style inspired by the native grasslands of North America. It blends swaying grasses and tall, flowering perennials to create a flow of colour, shape and texture that mimics a natural landscape. Most often seen in large gardens, prairie planting can look fabulous in smaller spaces too, especially when employed in island beds that can be viewed from all sides.

Planting plan

Start with a layer of grasses, like tufted hair grass (Deschampsia cespitosa) or Mexican feather grass (