Landscaping by Thomas Rainer – Anne Bak – [Oh, what a little purple can do, to compliment ornamental grasses!] Here are some tips on how to design with Ornamental Grasses. Ornamental grasses bring late summer gardens to life with bloom stalks of white or pink finely textured foliage swishing in the summer breeze. Six Powerhouse Native Grasses. Written by David Salman, owner of High Country Gardens Many years ago when I first became interested in ornamental grasses, I didn’t understand how to use them as a components of a landscape design. Ornamental grasses make dynamic hedges A large bed of mixed grasses screens a nearby yard and acts as a tidy edge to a pool deck. by Christina Procopiou | Jul 2, ... You seldom if ever heard the term “grasses” to refer to all the amazing ornamental grasses that keep on keeping on all summer long. These grasses will compliment any garden setting. Pumila (Cortaderia selloana) Native to South America, this compact grass does well in medium-sized gardens. Plant grasses in unusual places to help showcase plants throughout your landscape. The grass grows up to two feet tall, is generally disease-free, and is a perfect complement to other plants, gravel, or even mulch. Now I use ornamental grasses all the time and have discovered how to combine them in the landscape with other plants. Perennial types, such as "Gracillimus" Eulalia grass (Miscanthus sinensis "Gracillimus"), which is hardy in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 6 through 9, can be split and transplanted in either spring or fall to reduce congestion or to create new plants. The rich jewel tones of variegated red fountain grass complement the purple plumes of ‘Miss Violet’ butterfly bush from midsummer into fall. These are our recommendations for ornamental grass varieties best-suited to containers, moist soils, shady areas, adding late-season color to the landscape, creating privacy screens and creating wildlife habitat. Here are some tips on how to design with Ornamental Grasses. Ornamental grass A good grass for shady areas. Now I use ornamental grasses all the time and have discovered how to combine them in the landscape with other plants. [Oh, what a little purple can do, to compliment ornamental grasses!] Here you will find those plants that belong in the true grasses (Poaceae), sedges (Cyperaceae) and rushes (Juncaceae) families. ... LADY BIRD JOHNSON WILDFLOWER CENTER. Shorter grasses that complement and contrast with plants in a bed make excellent edges. Make sure to put the right plant in right place, stylistically. The best perennial ornamental grasses for shade and sun, towering tall ornamental grasses, variegated grasses... Ornamental grasses are low maintenance...perfect as deer resistant ground cover. However, ornamental grasses provide tall structure to garden beds and are a beautiful backdrop to perennials’ summer blooms. by High Country Gardens. 13 Best Ornamental Grasses By Nikki ... Ornamental plants give your home texture and color that can lift your mood and have a calming effect on you, making you the envy of the neighborhood. When grasses are infected by pests such as the fungal infection commonly called rust, cutting the grass back may control the infection. Ornamental Grasses can help to draw attention to areas that normally go unnoticed. Choose the best ornamental grasses for your climate, soil and growing purpose. Line up grasses to reinforce a linear design. Top tips for grasses through winter Position. Other grass-like plants such as Ophiopogon (black grass) are to be found in the Perennials section. A long, low row of fountain grasses (Pennisetum alopecuroides ‘Hameln’) along a … Evergreen grasses don't go dormant like warm- and cool-season grasses, but they can be cut back by two-thirds every two to three years to rejuvenate the plants. Ornamental Grasses. Lavandula angustifolia (English Lavender ), Tickseed (Coreopsis), Partridge Feather (Tanacetum) and Silky Thread Grass (Nasella) Horticulturist David Salman's Favorite Combos. I’m always on the lookout for attractive edging plants that won’t fizzle by the end of summer. Grasses can help accent flower bed borders or add height to an existing bed. Rather than diving right in, make sure you plan things in advance for the desired result. ... watching things thrive—and sometimes watching them fail. They are neat, hardy, and fuss-free. Ornamental grasses grow best in full sun, use very little water and are low maintenance and easy to grow! Ornamental Grasses can be used in foundation plantings, borders & screens. Perennials add splashes of color to the landscape, adding purple, yellow and pink in the summer and fall when trees and shrubs have finished their bloom cycle for the season.