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Country Lifehome garden & Diggin' In: Ornamental grasses Planers and blue-green, turning orange-yellow to purple in the fall. Widespread in Vir- ginia, most U.S. states and Canada, the grass grows in limestone soils, open woods, road banks and fields. Many birds like its seeds, and it's a larval host plant for the pepper and salt skipper but- terfly. MCT photo Purple muhly grass casts a large haze of pretty purple-pink colors in the garden. BY KATHY VAN MULLEKOM Daily Press (Newport News, Va.) (MCT) In the fall, ornamental grasses are stars in the garden, their feathery plumes glowing in the autumn light. Morning Light miscanthus sinensis is an easy one to grow in any full-sun yard because it tolerates wind, saltwater, weather swings and variable soil condi- tions. Leave it in the garden until late winter, and then cut it back to the ground before new growth begins in warmer weather. Otherwise, it needs nothing but your admiration. you have little patience for their bad behaviors — pampas grass because it grows so large, and river oats because it sows seeds where you don't want them. There are many other ornamental grasses to enjoy, and their benefits are numerous for our environment and wildlife. Some species are worth avoiding if "Grasses add a lot of landscape inter- est, especially in the winter when their stems and seed heads are the only plants left in a garden … and their tall slim blades contrast nicely with broad-leaf plants," says Helen Hamilton, past pres- ident of the John Clayton Chapter, Vir- ginia Native Plant Society. She and Gus Hall, a retired botanist from the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, Va., have written a grass-inclusive book, called "Wildflowers and Grasses of Vir- ginia's Coastal Plain," and are seeking out a publisher. "They are important as soil stabiliz- ers, as well as cover and food for wildlife." native grasses featured in the book: Yellow Indian grass, or Sorghastrum nutans. Growing 2-8 feet tall, and topped by a large, plume-like, golden-brown seed head, the grass is attractive in the fall when the flowers produce dangling yellow stamens. The leaves are slender Here are three of Hamilton's favorite Purple muhly grass, or Muhlenbergia capillaris. In the fall, clouds of purple wisps wave in the autumn sun. For many months, the thin spiky blades add inter- esting contrast to broad-leaved blooming perennials and annuals and evergreen shrubs. In early fall, the seedheads begin to form where the blade bends at a right angle, and by the end of September, the tip of each blossoms into a 10 x 6-inch filmy purple haze. In winter the purple stems and seedheads dim to tan, provid- ing a lovely contrast to evergreens. Cut back the stems in March, when the new growth emerges, and drop the spent blades as mulch and groundcover. This grass is a native of moist pine barrens near the Atlantic coast and parts of Mis- sissippi and Texas. The genus was named in homage to G.H.E. Muhlen- berg, a self-taught botanist of the 18th century, called by his contemporaries the American Linnaeus. "Capillaris" means "hair-like or delicate," referring to the tufted purple flowers. Purpletop, or Tridens flavus. Purple- top is easily recognized in late summer by its loose, open, purple flower-clusters in a distinctive weeping form. This slen- der perennial grows to 4 feet tall, the upper stem, branches and spikelets cov- ered with a waxy, greasy substance. The large purple seeds are widely spaced on thin panicle-branches. Purpletop is com- mon along roadsides, fields, and edges of woods, ranging from Massachusetts and southern Michigan and Nebraska south to Florida and Texas. It's the larval host to four species of butterflies. Learn more about the John Clayton chapter at www.claytonvnps.org. types: What do you do when you need to level out or straighten a piece of wood? For that project, you'll need a planer. A planer is a power tool (hand-held or bench-top) designed to level or straighten a piece of wood by shaving its face. A rotating cutter head spins while wood is pushed beneath it using either curved or straight blades, or staggered carbide cutter bits. Planers are available in three different and have successfully replaced the larger planer from Dad's workshop. The new gen- eration of planers is able to remove much more material and allows superior control. In addition, contemporary hand-held planers are portable and ideal for smaller, less demanding tasks and tighter workspaces. • Thickness planers are typically station- • Hand-held planers are super versatile ary power tools. A pair of rollers and a cut- ter head work in concert to help flatten boards on their upper surface and retain an even thickness along their length. • If you often work with larger pieces of lumber, consider a jointer, which consists of a pair of parallel tables, a moveable fence (set perpendicular to the tables) and a cutter head that's powered by an electric motor. Here are a few features designed to help make your projects go more smoothly: • Match the tool size with the project scope. The larger your project, the larger your planer should be. For smaller tasks, hand-held planers should do the trick. Simi- larly, if you're working with larger stock, consider a thickness planer. Also, most resi- dential applications can be met with a bench-top planer. Finally, make sure the width capacities of the planer are enough for your projects. • A cut above. Depending on the type of planer you're looking for, you'll find they'll typically come with two, three or four knives. • Variable speeds. One or two speeds are Saturday, November 17, 2012 – Daily News 7A nice, but to maximize your planer's poten- tial, look for tools with variable speeds. • Depth stops. This feature will allow you to choose and set the desired board thickness for simple and reliable accuracy. lowest rate this season! -Limited Offer, Don't Miss Out Today! Guaranteed I;@F7D BDAB3@7 D3F7E your Ask about our Loyalty Reward CURRENT CUSTOMERS 2 LOCATIONS NOW AVAILABLE TO SERVE YOU! 3233 Brush St. Cottonwood, CA 530-347-7474 8455 Commercial Way Redding, CA 530-222-1516