Selecting Ornamental Grasses for the Landscape

Think about a gorgeous bouquet. There’s a lot more to it than just colorful flowers thrown together. There are stalks with leaves and sprigs of grasses to create contrasts in height, color, and texture. Then, they are arranged to create a pleasing overall shape. You can apply these same ideas to your garden by planting varieties of ornamental grasses among your flowers and shrubs.

Start off by deciding how you want to incorporate ornamental grasses. Tall, thin plants can make great privacy screens. If your landscaping has a lot of thick, solid walls and borders, you can soften its appearance with a lush spray of grass or small puffs edging a walkway or stairs. Remember to create contrast with your other plants. Plant some tall grasses among your short shrubs, and thin, spiky grasses among broad-leafed flowers.

You also need to determine when you would like your grasses to reach their peak of growth. Cool season grasses will start growing early and appear most colorful in spring. After blooming in early summer, their growth slows and their color gradually fades. Depending on the species, they may die in the middle if not maintained properly, or stay around through winter with little effort. Warm season grasses often don’t appear until early summer and will flower even later. Some may even be in bloom in the fall. Find out when your other plants will blossom, and plant your grasses to coordinate appropriately.

Don’t know what to plant? Here are some suggestions:

Feather Reedgrass: This popular plant can grow up to six feet tall in full sun. It is a cool season grass and can keep its shape over winter.

Little Bluestem: Although it is considered a warm season grass, this plant is beautiful all year. It starts a blue-green color, but changes to purple, red, and orange in the fall. It grows to three feet tall in full sun.

Fountaingrass: Well maintained, it forms a large, full spray with flexible plumes. It is a warm season grass best suited for full sun and well-drained soil.

Cordgrass: One of the lesser-used ornamental grasses, this species thrives in full sun and wet soil, even growing next to streams. It can reach seven feet tall and blooms in the summer.

Northern Sea Oats: A warm season grass that grows up to three feet tall, this plant grows in either full sun or part shade. It is prized for its arching stems and beautiful seed heads.

Blue Fescue: Since it only grows up to a foot tall and stays in neat mounds, it is perfect for edging. It is a cool season plant that likes full sun or part shade.

There are countless ways to incorporate ornamental grasses in your landscape. Try cultivating a knot garden. Use tall grasses to shade certain plants. If you choose a species known to spread, you can grow it in a container on your patio. With careful planning, ornamental grasses can transform your garden into a masterpiece.