Ornamental grasses grow in many shapes and sizes. They can fill in borders and add contrast to other plants and flowers. They are lovely, low-maintenance perennials.
Growing ornamental grasses in the garden can be a lovely way to fill in spaces, create borders, screens or backgrounds. They are a nice addition to perennial gardens, as their subtle beauty complements the more showy flowering plants. Ornamental grasses are available in a wide range of colors, textures and sizes. Their flowers and seed heads vary widely as well and can produce quite the show of their own! Another lovely aspect that grasses create is one of movement and sound. Their gentle “whoosh” adds tranquility to the garden, as a breeze moves through. Some grasses grow to be several feet and can be a natural fence; some act more as groundcovers, creating a soft mat. They require little care, once they are established and will grow in a wide variety of soils. They are an easy choice to add to the garden.
To plant ornamental grasses, the soil must first be prepared. Turn it deeply, to allow aeration for the roots to grow, and add a generous amount of compost. Early spring is the best time to plant grasses, as the soil warms and the garden is waking back up. Plan the proper spacing and placement of the grasses. They will not reach their full height and width for a few years so make sure they have room to grow and will still look good together as time goes on. When planting, add plenty of water to the hole, before placing them in it, tamp the soil down firmly around the roots, then water the plant again. Fertilizer can be added once a year but, generally speaking, ornamental grasses will fend for themselves quite well.
Early spring is a great time to cut back ornamental grasses that have died back during the winter. Cut them down to just a few inches and they will spring back to life with lots of new growth, when the weather warms. Evergreen varieties do not need to be cut back but merely spruced up a little, trimming any dead material, pruning for shape a little, if wanted. Grasses may become too thick for an area after a while and may be dug up in early spring and divided, each part being replanted in its own space.
Flame grass (Miscanthus purpurascens) is true to its name, producing lovely redish-orange foliage that can compliment a green area very well. The redness intensifies in the fall and reaches a full height of 4-6 feet tall. Little Bluestem Grass (Schizachyrium scoparium) grows well in colder climates and can grow 2-4 feet tall. It also earned its name, with its delicate blue stems but it also produces a gorgeous burgundy inflorescence and amazing fall color that grows well above the tips of the grasses. The aptly named sweet grass (Hierochloe odorata) is a prolific little sweet-smelling grass that is found natively across the Great Lakes area and is a lovely addition to the garden.
Growing ornamental grasses is a lovely, easy way to fill in spaces, add depth and movement and to create natural borders and barriers in the garden.
