Just off Eastern Avenue, a stone's throw from the Ohio River, is a garden oasis of grasses. Perfectly designed for the Tristate, ornamental grasses can withstand drought, blooming defiantly in late July through October when everything else in the garden has surrendered to extreme heat and humidity.

        These ornamental grasses provide a sense of movement and sound, unlike any other species in the garden. A sanctuary for a huge variety of birds, this garden refuge has survived the ravaging flood waters of the Ohio River.

        The prairie-like setting was designed by an artist who was looking for plants to enhance the hard lines of his stone sculptures. Today it is owned and operated by an engaging and energetic young couple with three children.

        Welcome to the newly named Ohio River Grass, formerly owned by sculptor Stuart Fink. Cooper and Anne Burchenal are the proprietors of this three-acre paradise, complete with more than 80 varieties of ornamental grasses, two ponds, figurative cast concrete sculptures and a nursery of grasses for sale. Five greenhouses have been added since the Burchenals bought the property in 2001. Native wildflowers will be available in 2003.

        This magical space was a truck depot when Mr. Fink purchased the land nearly 15 years ago. A gardener can imagine the compacted clay soil that was created over the years by heavy trucks. Mr. Fink persisted, and for the first 12 years he did all his work by hand with a wheelbarrow and shovel. The grasses did the rest of the work, their quick working roots and stems improving and enriching the soil.

        Meeting the Burchenals, who lived in the neighborhood, was a stroke of luck for Mr. Fink, he says. Mrs. Burchenal, an English teacher and runner, saw the potential of the place to raise her family and run a business.

        Mr. Burchenal, a graphic designer, was looking for a new work opportunity. His family had a farm in Mason and owns a cattle farm in Montana. He felt comfortable with the lifestyle of earning a living from the land. Mr. Fink still visits. He is a great mentor, the couple says.

        The Burchenals will host “Relax in the Grasses,” a fund-raiser for the Civic Garden Center of Greater Cincinnati, 6-8:30 p.m. Friday. Wine and cheese will be served and an Irish band will perform. Cost: $15 per person. Call 221-0981 for more information.

        A free sculpture show will begin at 6 p.m. Oct. 5 at Ohio River Grass.

        Contact Peg St. Clair by phone: 541-4680; Web site: www.gardenersnetwork.org.

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