Peter Dowdall:  The joy of using ornamental grasses in the garden

Stipa Tenuissima is a beautiful grass native to New Mexico. Ponytails is a compact lower variety of this ornamental grass which in early summer forms thin stems. File picture

There's a certain something in a garden that makes it a bit special, that gives the space an extra nuance. It’s a secret ingredient, not always easy to put your finger on it, but it’s that clever use of texture that comes by using ornamental grasses in the mix.

Ornamental grasses come into their own at this time of year, pushing up soft plumes and seed heads that catch every breath of wind and turn ordinary borders into living, moving, entities.