You’ve started a flower garden and maybe even started growing your own food. But nothing beats stunning ornamental grasses for your beds and containers for diversity and ease of care. They’ll provide texture and intrigue to any room and flow with the breeze no matter what time of year it is. They exist in a variety of shapes, sizes (ranging from 1 foot to 15 feet in height), variations, and colors, and are supposed to flourish rather than be mowed, unlike other grasses.
Consider which varieties will survive the winter in your USDA Hardiness zone before choosing the appropriate type for your yard. Most require full sun (at least 6 hours of direct sunlight), however, some do well in the shade, as indicated by the plant tag or description.
When you’re ready, dig a hole two to three times the width of the pot and lay the plant in it, roughing up the sidewalls of the root ball with your gloved hand if roots are wrapping around inside the pot. Then add more soil, put it down firmly, and water thoroughly. After that, water the grasses as they establish themselves and during dry times, then clip perennial grasses back in the early spring.
Now for some of our favorite garden ornamental grasses…
Sedge
Sedge comes in a variety of varieties, but this clump-forming grass looks best when planted in groups. Its arching leaves come in a variety of colors, including gold, green, and variegated.
Switch Grass
Arching leaves that turn red in late summer to fall make this grass an attractive addition to garden beds. It’s a good choice for large containers, topping out around 3 feet tall.
Fiber Optic Grass
The delicate, fluffy blossoms on the tips of the stems of this lovely grass give it the appearance of a fiber optic light! It grows to be about a foot tall and is classified as an annual in many parts of the country, but it can also be carried indoors and enjoyed as a houseplant.
Feather Reed Grass
This plant is topped off with feathery spikes that linger all winter and make it rather attractive. It’s extremely low-maintenance and comes in a variety of cultivars (cultivated variations).
Blue Fescue
This steel-blue grass is a smaller type that looks wonderful in groupings of three to five. Because it reaches a height of about a foot, keep it at the front of mixed borders.
Purple Millet
This warm-season grass develops pretty flowers that turn into attractive seed heads by fall. It’s a visually striking plant featured by itself in pots, beds, or paired with other annuals or perennials in containers.
Fountain Grass
With its brushy blossoms that bloom in the fall, fountain grass offers a lovely focal point. Some, like ‘Desert Plains,’ are perennials, while others, like ‘Rubrum,’ are considered annuals. They grow to be 3 to 4 feet tall, making them ideal for constructing privacy or varied borders.
Japanese Forest Grass
This lovely grass has arching leaves that can be plain green or variegated with gold and grows to a maximum height of 18 inches. It’s one of the few ornamental kinds of grass that can survive in partial shade.
Pink Muhly Grass
This grass grows to be 3 to 4 feet tall, making it suitable for borders. Its lovely pinkish-red plumes give the yard an ethereal presence, making it a must-have for moderate climes.
Mondo Grass
When planted in clumps, this low-growing clumping grass creates a stunning groundcover. It comes in a variety of colors, from light green to dark burgundy.
