The Dramatic Expression of Ornamental Grasses
Click Here to View Our Wide Variety of Ornamental Grasses.
Ornamental grasses are becoming increasingly popular as garden and landscaping plants because they provide attention-grabbing qualities that are rarely found in other ornamental plants. Including ornamental grasses in any size garden results in a stunning, low maintenance addition that can not only add a unique background for your garden but will also provide texture, form, motion and sound to a garden, not to mention the vast palette of colors and their attractive and often colorful and shapely seed heads. As such, you can use ornamental grasses in much the same way that you use any flower, shrub or tree.
Ornamental grasses range from a few inches to several feet high and their variations in width are just as vast and they can be grown in most zones across the USA. While no “maintenance free” plants exist, ornamental grasses are about as close as you can get and tend to require little maintenance once they have been planted. However, ornamental grasses do have the same fundamental requirements as other plants including; suitable light, well-drained soil, sufficient water and intermittent trimming. There are also warm and cool season grasses available and this simply refers to when they bloom.
The majority of ornamental grasses favor full sun although there are a few species that will tolerate light shade.
Ornamental Grasses can be Used in Unusual and Extremely Effective Ways
Ornamental grasses thrive in a wide range of soil pH and will germinate based on soil temperature. When planting your make sure you allow enough room for growth. Like most perennials, grasses may not reach their full size potential until their third year in the ground. Grasses can also be mixed together to contrast size, shape, and foliage color. It also doesn’t hurt to mulch your grasses with organic material in the fall to protect their roots and any shoots from freezing. The use of compost or fertilizer is also a good idea at this time since grasses tend to be nitrogen hungry. However, they don’t require high amounts of fertilizer.
For any gardener ornamental grasses should be viewed as the plants that add dramatic flair to their garden. The gentle waving motion of the grasses, and the accompanying sounds create a very peaceful atmosphere within your garden. These animated movements also change with the seasons; the look and sounds made by green and dry grasses are worlds apart. This is why many gardeners leave their ornamental grasses standing throughout the winter, just to get these dramatic effects. This is particularly the case when 3-5 different types of grass are clumped together and doesn’t even take into consideration their unique range of foliage, textures, shape, colors, attractive flowers and seed heads.
Including ornamental grasses will not only add to the aesthetic appeal of your garden but will give it a natural elegance often lacking in traditional gardens. Growing ornamental grasses from seed is easy and will provide you with the greatest possibilities in both variety selection and design possibilities. In addition to their unique beauty, ornamental grasses do not require special care and are not susceptible to pests and diseases. As a final note keep in mind that native ornamental grasses are resistant to common pests and provide food (foliage, fruit or seeds) and cover for songbirds, small animals and beneficial insects.
And remember, you can keep your seed fresh by simply storing it in a freezer until the following growing season begins. Moreover, buying seed early means that you may be able to save money as seed supplies do decrease and thus become more expensive as the growing season draws closer.
Facebook Comments: