Long adored in Europe and the Orient, ornamental grasses have finally become accepted into American gardens. Different from lawn grasses, which are tolerant to foot traffic but are boring and require high maintenance, ornamental grasses are used more for aesthetic purposes.
They are remarkable plants that come from all corners of the globe. Even some of our native prairie grasses make splendid ornamental specimens. Ornamental grasses range from an inch or so tall to over 20 feet and include the bamboos (woody grasses), many of which are hardy in the midwest. |
The color display of ornamental grasses is something to behold. It begins with the leaves which during late winter display attractive shades of straw and tan. Some evergreen species even remain green all winter long. During March these leaves should be removed-to make room for the new-year's growth, which begins in late April. By May the new leaves begin to grow very fast and by midsummer they begin to mature.
Most grass leaves are narrow and pointed at their tips, but the similarities end there. Grass leaves are available in about every shade of green and blue, golden and yellow, bronze, red, silver and green striped, gold-and-green-striped, gold-and-greenbanded. They often change color or intensify their colors in fall. This alone is remarkable, but in combination with the flowers, which normally transcend the foliage during summer or fall, the color effect is spectacular. Flowers of grasses include shades of
tan, pink, purple, russet, yellow, white, and silver. They are often large, showy, and persistent. And, like the leaves, they often remain effective throughout the winter months.
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Landscaping with Grasses:
Ornamental grasses perform a variety of functions. Like the turf
grasses, some of the shorter types can be walked on. The shorter
sedges (a genus of grasslike plants) even grow in the shade and
only need mowing once a year. Others serve the purpose of conventional
ground cover and may be either colonizing spreaders or
short growing clump formers that tolerate close spacing. Large,
clump forming selections make nice specimen- or accent-plants
and can easily take the place of small to large sized shrubs. These
may be massed in thickets for a tropical effect and can even be
planted as a hedge.
Naturalized Plantings:
Certain native grasses can be used
at home or on a commercial scale
in praire type gardens. Here they
combine nicely with other prairie
species including a number of
perennials and annuals.
Grasses Enmasse as Ground Covers:
Most ornamental grasses lend
themselves to planting in large
colonies as ground covers.
Sometimes, one has to be a bit
open minded to visualize a 6
foot tall grass as a ground cover,
but when thinking large- or
commercial-scale, this becomes easy to do. On a residential basis,
the smaller types such as Carex, Panicum, and Pennisetum, may
be more appropriate choices.
Grasses for Accent:
Used alone or in small groupings, many
grasses lend themselves to use as accent
plants. In this manner, they help draw
attention and visual support to other
plants, landscape features such as benches,
sculpture, stairs, decking, light poles,
and fences.
Grasses as Hedges:
Tall clump forming
grasses make fabulous
hedges and
screens. Costing
much less than a
fence, grass hedges
are typically exempt
from zoning ordinances
and taxes,
and never have to
be painted. Selections of Miscanthus are commonly used for
hedging, but Erianthus, Panicum, Calamagrostis, and
Sorghastrum also work quite well.
Grasses for Edging:
With their graceful
foliage, low growing
clump forming
grasses are ideal
for edging pathways,
stairs, and
sidewalks. Here
they add beauty,
soften sharp
edges, and require
little maintenance.
Motion and Sound in the Landscape:
The tree Populus tremuloides is commonly named quaking
aspen for the motion and sound of its leaves as the wind rustles
through them. A greater wonder is why none of the grasses have
been named for the lovely motion and soothing sound that the
wind causes as it blows across them. Even the shortest grasses
(and also the bamboos which are woody-stemmed) respond to
gentle breezes and create the elements of motion and sound, so
important to our enjoyment of the landscape.
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Grasses as Specimens:
Grasses can take the place of shrubs in
the landscape and perform the function
of a specimen. As such, they can be
planted alone and enhance the landscape
with their own unique features and
architectural merits:
Grasses for Erosion Control:
Grasses have extensive fibrous
root systems and when planted
on steep slopes, enmasse, do an
excellent job of stabilizing the
soil.
Grasses as Companion Plants:
Grasses are superb companion plants,
interacting well with a host of ground covers
and perennials. Some of the most popular
companions to the grasses are
Rudbeckia, cone flower, Sedums, Russian
sage, Oregano cultivars, Lavender,
daylilies, Geranium cultivars, crownvetch,
Caryopteris, Campanula, Aster, and
Solidago.
What are Grasslike Plants?
There are some plants that look like grasses but are not. Usually
they differ in some anatomical trait such as the arrangement of
the flowers. These are plants that, like the sedges, have narrow,
pointed, grassy looking leaves. Besides the sedges, varieties of
sweet flag (Acorus) and rushes (both grasslike plants) are excellent
in the landscape.
Maintaining Ornamental Grasses:
The maintenance of ornamental grasses is easy. If it is a running
type of grass and you want it to stay within bounds, surround it
with a deep plastic edging. Dig a narrow trench two feet deep
and insert a sheet of heavy duty plastic from the bottom to the
top of the trench. Then backfill with soil. This will prevent the
rhizomes of the grass from spreading out of control. Grasses
(with the exception of the evergreen bamboos) should be cut
down to a height of 2 inches once each year. You can do this in
fall but it is best to wait until spring. Grasses look nice poking
through the snow during winter, and what's more, they give birds
a place to perch-and feed should the grass be seed bearing. By
late winter grasses become tattered and during March should be
cut down. To do this you may use a lawn mower, or if the grasses
are very stout, pruning shears or a weed eater equipped with a
rotary blade.
Planting, Maintenance, Spacing, and Watering:
Similar to ground covers. Please refer to the ground cover section
of this site.
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