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Ornamental grasses are a fantastic way to add texture, depth, and visual interest to your landscape. The nice thing about these perennials is that they come in many different complementary colors that add to the overall look of your garden without taking away from other elements. Ornamental grasses are also low-maintenance, with most varieties being drought-tolerant and are exceptionally hardy during all seasons. Read on to discover the power of ornamental grasses and the best ways to add them to your landscape.
The layout of your specific landscape and the look that you want will determine which ornamental grasses will best suit your needs. An excellent place to start is asking yourself questions like, how do I want to use ornamental grasses? Do I want them to be a focal point or to fill in areas of my landscape? Do I want to use them to add privacy to my yard? What kind of colors will complement the other plants in my garden? Once you have answers to these questions, it will be easier to decide which type of ornamental grasses are best suited to your needs.
Ornamental grasses are versatile additions to a landscape and can be just as showy as a blooming shrub. They can line walkways or driveways, stand alone in the garden, or add height and texture when potted in containers. To use ornamental grasses as a focal point, choose ones that grow in clumps and provide an eye-catching feature such as plumes, seedheads, or a pleasing color. If you want your ornamental grasses to be the star of your show, try an extra-showy variety like ‘Pink Cloud’ Muhly grass, ‘Beyond Blue’ Fescue grass, or fountain grass.
Incorporating ornamental grasses into your landscape is a creative way to provide a natural privacy screen. You’ll want to choose grasses that grow rather tall and spread out instead of in clumps, so they create a natural wall-like structure. Many varieties of ornamental grasses grow up to 6 feet tall and will spread as far as you let them. For this reason, it’s essential to either plant them in an area where they won’t overtake other plants or make sure they are properly maintained if you plan to use them as a backdrop for feature plants. Tall grasses are a fantastic way to add depth and texture to your garden. Some excellent choices to consider include ‘Northwind’ switchgrass, ‘Karl Foerster’ reed grass, and ‘Gracillimus’ maiden grass.
When you put so much thought and effort into your landscape, you want it to look its best all the time. Luckily, many kinds of ornamental grass adapt with each season, providing you with an on-point look no matter the time of year. For example, different types of grass may feature seedheads that offer a rustic winter look (not to mention a food source for birds) or turn a lovely bronze, purple, or deep red color to mimic an autumn setting. Some excellent choices to consider include ‘Hameln’ fountain grass, ‘Adagio’ maiden grass, and Mexican feathergrass.
At Westwood Gardens, we understand the importance of creating a landscape that’s both beautiful and low-maintenance. That’s why we highly recommend adding ornamental grasses to your landscape! With so many grass options available, it can feel challenging to choose the perfect one that’s right for you, but we can help take out all the guesswork and point you in the right direction. Visit one of our garden center locations today!
