Posts Tagged ‘grass’
Expert suggestions for planting ornamental grasses
According to Jeff Griff of Lowe’s Greenhouses, Florist & Gift Shop in Chagrin Falls, grasses should be planted early enough in the fall for roots to become established before the ground freezes.
As with other plants, it is always important to provide a good watering to settle soil and get plants off to a good start. After establishment, ornamental grasses require little additional irrigation.
It’s a good idea to provide mulch in the late fall to protect new grass plantings. The best time to transplant or divide ornamental grasses is in the spring.
Richard Malone of RJM Landscape Design in Brunswick says his favorites are Red Rays Switch Grass (Panicum virgatum ‘Rotstrahlbusch’) because it maintains a red tint throughout the season; Flame Grass (Miscanthus sinensis purpurascens), because it’s green during the summer and en-
flames into shades of red, yellow and orange in the fall; and Karley Rose Fountain Grass (Pennisetum Orientale ‘Karley Rose’), because it has purple-pink plumes.
Here are Griff’s ornamental grass favorites:
- Giant Reed Grass (Arundo donax) for screening.
- Reed Grass (Calamagrostis), wheatlike plumes in June.
- Sedge grass (Carex), good groundcover and shade tolerant.
- Northern Sea Oats (Chasmanthium), unique seed heads and shade tolerant.
- Tufted Hair Grass (Deschampsia), low growing with winter interest.
- Blue Lyme Grass (Elymus), erosion control, running.
- Clump Bamboo (Fargesia), the only bamboo that is not potentially invasive.
- Hakone Grass (Hakonechloa), shade loving with bright, yellow color.
- Japanese Blood Grass (Imperata), low and colorful.
- Maiden Grass (Miscanthus), most popular family of ornamental grasses.
- Mondo Grass (Ophiopogon japonicus), striking, nearly black color.
- Ribbon Grass (Phalaris arundinacea), erosion control runner.
- Little Blue Stem (Schizachyrium scoparium), groundcover or edge of woods transition plant. Drought tolerant.
By Roxanne Washington
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Another post about ornamental grasses, you can see Ornamental grasses serve many purposes
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Ornamental grasses serve many purposes
A soft, subtle swaying. A faint whisper as the wind blows. Dazzling color that stretches late into fall. Beautiful to look at even in winter.
Ornamental grasses offer all of the above and then some.
“I know a landscape designer who calls ornamental grasses ‘Music in the garden,’ ” says Jeff Griff, owner of Lowe’s Greenhouses, Florist & Gift Shop in Chagrin Falls. “I think that’s perfect because when you sit next to certain ornamental grasses when the wind is blowing, there’s a nice soft sound.”
Lowe’s is offering a class, “Dancin’ in the Wind With Ornamental Grasses” from 10 to 11 a.m. on Saturday, Sept. 27. The session is for gardeners looking to add a layer of color, texture and silhouettes (other than flowers and shrubs) to their landscape, but aren’t sure where to begin.
Quite frankly, not knowing where to begin is understandable with so many ornamental grasses from which to choose.
Silhouettes range from ground-hugging tufts no taller than a few inches, to tall varieties, standing either upright or flowing into a graceful fountain shape, that reach as high as 12 feet. Some are even taller.
Colors span from bold golds and bronzes, cool blues and grays and silver, to rich reds and oranges, with nuances in between.
Not all ornamental grasses are actually “true” grasses, Nancy J. Ondra explains in her book, “Grasses - Versatile Partners For Uncommon Garden Design.” True grasses are in the Poaceae family (also known as Gramineae) and include lawn grasses, cereal grains and the showier species grown as ornamental garden plants, as well as bamboo. But the term grass has become a convenient way to identify a range of plants that share a similar trait: namely, narrow to straplike leaves.
The diversity of ornamental grasses is covered in two other books, both by Rick Darke: “The Encyclopedia of Grasses for Livable Landscapes” ($59.95) and “Pocket Guide to Ornamental Grasses” (19.95). Timber Press publishes the books.
As with any plant, location, sun and water needs matter, so it’s best to do some research on environment before purchasing and planting.
By Roxanne Washington.
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