I’ve noticed the landscaping outside an office building near me for a few months.  The strip of ornamental grasses between the parking area and the road has consistently looked amazing.  The “hellstrip” – that area that is baked in the sun and surrounded by asphalt – is a tough area for anything to grow.  These grasses make it look easy.  The tawny flower heads are looking great right now, but even as new green shoots they held their own.  The plants completely fill the space.  Dense and soft and airy, they really change this narrow, l-o-n-g space.  Just imagine what it would feel like if the same strip was filled with rock! A planting in a nearby hellstrip shows another commonly used plant – a Stella d’Oro daylily.  It’s so sad!

These daylilies looked great in early summer, I’m sure, but no longer.  Part of the deal with hellstrip plantings is that this area requires plants to be okay with low, low maintenance and high, high stress.

Can’t wait to see these golden beauties as they age into autumn color!