Ornamental Grass is the New Garden Art

Throughout the last few years I have seen a drastic increase in ornamental grasses being used to make a bold statement in many gardens. Ornamental grasses, at least when I was growing up, were not popular in a professional garden. This is not the case today; therefore gardeners should take a few minutes to look through this article and see what ornamental grasses have to offer a gardener.

There are two types of ornamental grasses, warm and cold weather grasses.

1. Similar to the evergreen there are some cold weather ornamental grasses that will stay green throughout most of the winter months. Then, while still dormant and spring has sprung simply just cut off the few spots that may have grown brown tipped and the grass will grow back into the full summer green color that it is intended to be. During periods of drought, cold weather ornamental grasses should water daily to make sure they are getting the nutrients they need to survive. If not watered during drought periods, the leaves will turn brown and die very fast. Some popular varieties are Autumn Moor Grass, Tufted Hair Grass and Blue Oat Grass.

2. Warmer states will benefit from warmer weather grasses since they will not thrive until the warm temperatures have stabilized. This type of ornamental grass will not need as much watering as what the cold weather grasses would require in the drought season. Therefore, for those warmer states that have strong regulations on watering the yard, these plants are perfect. Either type of grass can be grown anywhere there and have high success rates.

Growing ornamental grass is best when planted in the fall or spring seasons. It is important to note that there are two forms that grasses can grow in which are known as clump and rhizome forming
.
1. Clump forming means that the selected grass will grow in a nice neat circle bunch, rather than spreading. They grow great next to other perennials without issues. Some examples are Blue Fescue, Plume Grass and Feather Reed Grass.

2. Rhizome forming means that the selected grass will spread tiny roots underground and will invade the garden. Some examples are Blue Lyme grass, Switchgrass and Northern Sea Oats. These plants should not be placed as a border to a small garden since they will take over within no time.

Although the ornamental grasses can be grown in either the spring or fall, it is best to till the soil in the fall and plant in the spring. By tilling in the fall, the soil will become more nutrient enriched and more workable after the snow has melted in the spring. The success of a plant does not depend on planning this far ahead though, it is just for best results. When tilling, add a general-purpose fertilizer to the soil, nothing too strong is needed though. Create a hole that is about double the size of the plant that has been purchased and cover again with the soil. It is best to plant slightly higher than the normal ground to assure there is proper drainage for the new plant to live. Water at least once a week the first year to make sure the root system is established. Nothing else is needed unless you are planting in the fall which will require a thin layer of hay to be added to make sure the roots survive the harsh winter.

For general care of the ornamental grass is basic to any spring maintenance after a harsh winter. Revive the roots by placing a small amount of slow release fertilizer near the base and give a small amount of water to start the fertilizer. In addition, cut tall grasses down to four to six inches to allow new growth to occur while not letting the grass to grow too high. Root pruning can be done to help the plant roots to become stronger every three years. If the ornamental grass seems to turn brownish in the center, it is time to divide and transplant. This usually only happens every three to five years so it should not be too much of an issue. As an added advantage, each grass is insect and disease repellent; therefore no insecticides or pesticides should be needed.

All in all, I see why many gardeners are starting the trend of using ornamental grass as a new art for the garden. They are easy to plant and easy to maintain. In addition, for those states that have regulations on amounts of watering each week, they are the prefect solution. There are many varieties of ornamental grasses so I suggest going to an online store and checking out some of the varieties and picking on that is attractive to your eye. They can be purchased either online or in a gardening center. They have become the new art for many professional gardeners because of the wide variety of colors now available online. Most gardening centers do not sell most colorful varieties, therefore try looking online for more decorative styles. In addition, try planting ornamental grass in different pots and your garden will turn from plain to modern in seconds.