Perennial Ornamental Grasses
Some of the easiest, most low maintenance plants you can grow for fall interest in your landscape are perennial ornamental grasses. In fact, most grasses offer great interest all season long! Grasses provide wonderful texture, movement, beautiful plumes & vibrant fall color to your landscaping in the later seasons of the year. We have some great options here at The Green Thumbers including Indian grass, Native grasses, Maiden grass (closest thing to pampas grass that grows here), Switchgrass, Big & Little Bluestem, Fountain, Zebra grass, as well as many other forms of Miscanthus etc…. If your garden is missing these brilliant elements of the autumn landscape, visit us for a walk through the nursery & take a look! We have a goooood healthy amount of NEW grasses that just arrived this week!
Why plant perennial grasses?
- They are easy to grow and require little maintenance to thrive.
- They provide additional texture & movement to your landscape.
- They are long-lived, & super hardy in our area!
- They bring the element of change to your landscape as they grow and mature through all four seasons. Their interesting texture is present in every season except late winter to early spring.
Whether you use them as screens, accents, or focal points, ornamental grasses are an easy way to add graceful texture and year-round color to your landscape. Most of them are very drought/heat tolerant, keeping their good looks no matter the weather. Plus, they aren’t usually bothered by pests and diseases, & deer tend to leave them alone. Enjoy these tough, versatile perennial plants in your yard! Here’s a few more things we love about ornamental grasses:
Tall grasses in a large grouping can be a perfect solution for blocking an unpleasant view or creating a sort of “privacy screen” to block out traffic or the neighbors. For the best effect, choose a taller variety such as Big Blue Stem, Native Indian grass, or Switchgrass, all of which can reach about 4-6 feet tall when seeded out. Keep in mind that you’ll cut back your ornamental grasses close to the ground in early spring, so there will be a month or two while your grasses are growing that you won’t have that privacy! Taller grasses can also be planted close together to create a unique wind block to your yard during the summer/harvest months!
Ornamental grasses add the best texture to the landscape. You can really maximize this effect by planting several different varieties of grass in the same landscape area to keep the eye moving!
Grasses can do a great job of “softening” the look & feel of an area. In an area with a lot of hardscape such as walls, stonework, paving or larger patios, ornamental grasses can provide a softer flowy feel to your view!
Grasses really shine at the end of the season when most annuals and perennials look worn out. Many grasses offer twice the interest: They have beautiful seed heads and stunning fall color. Switchgrass, Native Indian grass, Blackhawk Big Blue Stem & Little Blue Stem are some of the best grasses for a power punch of beautiful fall color!
Native grasses can be great for attracting wildlife, especially birds. Birds will use the leaf blades for making nests, find shelter in larger grasses, and many bird species will actually eat the seeds!
Our pros out in the nursery can assist you in choosing the perfect grasses needed to add that oomph to your landscaping!! Stop and see us at 3030 Brady Street here in good ole Davenport Iowa! 563-323-0055