Mondo Grass Isn't a Grass?

That's right, Mondo Grass is actually a lily, native to Japan, Korea and China. It's real name is Ophiopogon japonicus and it is a high-end ground cover in the right climates. For years, many years, we have been planning to install Mondo Grass around Iraivan Temple, to create a kind of green-sea effect, since it gets long enough to wave in the tropical breeze and when that happens looks like dark green ocean water.

Planting has begun, but last week we came to an area where the ground was rock hard, and we knew mondo would not be happy there. So today we took Rajendra (the name of our mini-excavator) and deep tilled the hardpan, adding some rich compost to the mix. When done, the swath of mondo will be on the outside of the narrow stone path that surrounds the temple, serving as a simple setting for Iraivan's classic architecture. It will take some months to complete the project.

Aerial shot showing the existing Paspalam grass with arrows to indicate where the mondo will go.

If you have visited Kadavul Temple, you have seen this major patch of mondo, planted back in 1984 or so. Weed-free and happy in Siva\

s Sacred Garden. '

These are the sprigs, ready to go in the ground. There are 6,000 plants in this photo, so you can imagine how much patience it takes.

Rajendra is strong enough to break through the hardpan and loosen it up.

You see here mondo planted a month ago just above mondo planted last week.

After two months it begins to fill in.

And after six months it can be quite dense.

Good job, everyone!

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