These are plants with a multitude of subtle colourings, such as the blues of Festuca glauca, or the taller Helictotrichon sempervirens, the soft browns and greens of Carex and Deschampsia, the yellows of Molinia, Milium and Hakonechloa all of which will perfectly complement pretty much any border plant.

Grasses are among the most tolerant of plants and although they prefer a relatively bright, open position in a well-drained soil, most will tolerate some shade. For most grasses a trim over in early spring is all the pampering they will need.

For height and substance, choose Miscanthus in variety, or the elegant Stipa gigantea. These may be used as single architectural specimens to great effect.

The subtle combination of soft texture, straight-line, spear-shaped leaves and almost geometric shape to the plants make grasses excellent architecturally. You can use the soft lines of the foliage to enhance the hard surfaces of gravel, paving and decking. A group of containers planted up with your favourite grasses really shows them off effectively.