ORNAMENTAL GRASS
Foliage color and
texture has become of greater importance in the landscape, container gardens, or in planters.
We find ourselves ending up with the same handful of annuals, deciduous shrubs, evergreens, and perennials.
We often over look a plant family which can give us both color and texture, this plant family would be Ornamental Grasses.
Valued
for their foliage appearance; flower shoots (Plume), texture, and winter interest. Foliage color among
grasses can vary immensely, ranging from leaf colors of green, green with purple, yellow with green, white with green, and
in numerous mature heights ranging from 6 inches to 12 feet.
Common
uses in the landscape are changes in texture and height, softening up vertical edges, and camouflage for your utility
boxes and water meters. The texture of the grasses is typically used to contrast broadleaf plants and to
soften up the landscape. Grasses are free flowing and help us break the monetary of highly manicured landscaping,
providing a more natural appeal. Grasses can be both eye catching as well as pleasing to the eye.
An example would be, having red barberry lined in front of the house and then placing a white and green leaved ornamental
grass as a corner planting. The color of the barberry would help make the grass stand out, and the grass
would help make the barberry stand out therefore, creating an eye catching landscape.
Plumes come up on stalks during the late part of summer
to the first part of fall. The plumes are feather like in appearance and colors are typically khaki, white,
and some even have a purplish tinge to them. Plumes vary a little bit in size and shape. The
plumes add even more to a plant that already looks good and brings the total package to any landscape.
Hardy
in most conditions, ornamental grasses do well in sun, part sun, some varieties in shade. They also do
well in moist and even wet conditions.
Winter interest or indoor décor.
When the grasses go dormant in the fall, if you leave them uncut they leave us with a khaki colored arrangement to
enjoy the look during the late fall/winter. It really looks neat when there is snow on the ground.
For inside décor, you can bundle the grass up, cut if off at the ground, and place it in a nice decorative pot
inside your house for a nice show piece.
Rejuvenate your landscape by
adding ornamental grasses that will reward you with color, texture, and benefit of year long interest
