Ornamental grasses provide visual garden variety
CLAYTON, CA (June 26, 2024) — This time of year, our landscapes surrender themselves to the swaying plums of ornamental grasses.
We see these grasses throughout the city, providing texture, movement and grace wherever planted. Unlike with flowering shrubs, the slightest breeze brings ornamental grass to life. Installing ornamental grasses to a landscape, hillside or container will add interest to the overall look.
Red Fountain is probably the most popular ornamental grass installation for our area. Folks adore the reddish-brown foliage and rose-colored plumes. Pennisetum Setaceum ‘Rubrum’ is the botanical name for this fountain-like ornamental grass. At maturity, expect Red Fountain to reach 5 feet tall and wide.
It goes dormant during the winter, with the blades becoming brown and dry. This is part of its cycle, so consider this when placing it within your landscape.
Borders and accents
Pennisetum has another family member worth mentioning. Pennisetum Hameln is a dwarf fountain grass with green blades and blonde plumes. Use Pennisetum Hameln along a border, in a dry riverbed, to accent boulders or as a mass planting.
Lomandra has become more common in the past few years. This ornamental grass is lush green and creates a perfectly arched growth habit. Lomandra Lime Tough grows 30 inches tall and wide. It makes a nice living border along a walkway or surrounding a patio.
Lomandra Platinum Beauty is a cream and green variegated ornamental selection. Use Platinum Beauty to accent a red foliage Japanese maple or a multi-trunk fruitless olive.
All the Lomandra family are evergreen but would look nice pruned down to the ground every other March for a fresh foliage look.
Karl Foerster Calamagrostis is commonly called Feather Reed grass. This selection makes an awesome hedge or screen, reaching 6 feet tall while in bloom. The purplish plumes pair nicely with its deep green foliage. This ornamental grass is both deer- and drought-tolerant. Karl Foerster grows from the center out, so you will need to divide it every few years to prevent the hole-in-the-doughnut effect. It may be extra work, but the results are worth it.
Blue Fescue and Carex satisfy the desire for a tufted type of ornamental grass. Depending on the selection, you can expect Blue Fescue to grow 8-16 inches tall and wide. The color of the foliage is what sells the Blue Fescue. The bluer the better. Look for the selection Beyond Blue, which has a metallic blue color.
Carex creates a waterfall effect in the landscape and is available in green, variegated, bronze and orange. Cappuccino and Prairie Fire are some of the most sought after varieties.
Garden lovers delight
Recently, the ornamental grass called Pink Muhly has garden lovers in an uproar. They simply adore the pinkish-red feathery plumes that appear in late summer. This ornamental grass, called Muhlenbergia capillaris, makes an excellent border or focal planting.
Ornamental grasses add interest and texture to the landscape. They are readily available, drought-tolerant and easy to grow. Read up on the mature sizes of your considerations to ensure you will be happy with your installations.
Contact NicoleHackett with questions or comments by email at gardengirl94517@yahoo.com.
Nicole Hackett
Nicole is the Garden Girl at R&M Pool, Patio, Gifts and Garden. You can contact her with questions or comments by email at gardengirl94517@yahoo.com