Ornamental Grasses Care and Uses

March 26, 2012

Sculpture Garden with Ornamental Grasses

Grasses have a found their place in our gardens and yards. Their grace and beauty provides an aesthetic appeal throughout the summer, fall and winter. These easy to grow low maintenance plants produce pretty rustling sounds and provide graceful textures. Technically any grass that is not grown as turf is considered an ornamental grass. Although, we have a fewer number of grasses to choose from here in Minnesota there are still many offering a variety of colors, blooms, forms and textures.
In the project shown we created a sculpture garden which become the center piece of a large rectilinear auto court for a private residence in Deephaven, Minnesota. This square turn-around island featured a Native American turtle sculpture that was surrounded with a variety of ornamental grasses. These grasses included Silver Feather Miscanthus, Karl Foerster Feather Reed Grass, Prairie Dropseed and Blue Fescue. As you can see some of these grasses have pretty plumes that are blowing in the wind. In addition to these there are other ornamental grasses that also have plumes, which will add spots of red, maroon, blue, silver, beige and white to your garden.
One of the best things about ornamental grasses is that you do not need to be a professional gardener to grow them. These grasses are particularly hardy. In actuality, they grow in almost every type of soil making them an ideal plant in any areas where other plants simply do not grow. They are easy to take care and do not require frequent watering. Ornamental grasses are not even bothered by pests or diseases.
Many of the grasses sold at local nurseries are perennials. However, there are some varieties that are not hardy that are planted in flower beds and other areas that are being used as annuals. Most of the ornamental grasses we grow are clump grasses and not runners. There are some varieties like ribbon grass and silver grass which are found to be invasive in Minnesota.
Pampas is a very commonly used name that is used for a number of different plants. Here in Minnesota, Chinese Silvergrass, or Miscanthus sacchariflorus, is referred to as a pampas grass. It, however, is an invasive type that will spread and grows 5 to 10 feet tall and not recommended. Instead use Silver Feather Miscanthus, or Miscanthus s. ‘Silberfedher’, that is of a clump forming variety that also grows tall with beautiful silvery white plumes.
Sedges, hakonegrass, bottle brush, rush and wood rushes are some of the varieties that sustain in shade where as tufted hair grass is the only variety in Minnesota which grows both in sun and shade.
Cutback the old dead grass in early spring before the new growth starts to grow. This helps the plant and keeps your garden looking good. If this is not done it becomes difficult to separate the new grass from the dead grass.
If you are interested in using grasses that are native, look for varieties like big and little blue stem, blue grama, Indian grass and switch grass which can be readily available for your garden at local nurseries.

If you would like our help with your garden project please contact us, Niwa Design Studio, at 952-470-1882.

Posted in Garden Types, Natural Gardens, Perennial Gardens, Perennials, Plant Materials