#Ornamental grass garden layout full#

Neil explains that in winter, deciduous grasses, including miscanthus, panicum and pennisetum, tend to have dried stems and look dead, so these can be cut right to the base any time from late February onwards. Pruning and aftercare depends on which they are, so it is important to know what type you have.' Ornamental grasses: taking care There are two types of ornamental grasses – deciduous and evergreens. 'They're a beautiful easy-care group of plants, but to get the best out of them, a little timely maintenance is needed. A few Maiden or Pampas gives a tropical feel to swimming pool areas as they create privacy from neighbors’ prying eyes. Planting several in a group they will block an unsightly view and create privacy. Maiden and Pampas grass can grow 6-8’ tall and wide.

''More wow with less work is my maxim for gardening with ornamental grasses,' he says. Larger growing ornamental grasses make wonderful screens and living fences. If you have a heavy, wet soil, delay planting grasses that need good drainage until spring.Īccording to grass specialist Neil Lucas of Knoll Gardens in Dorset, grasses work well en masse because they're strongly architectural, but they're just as happy in mixed plantings and need little in the way of aftercare once established. Planting is possible at any time of the year provided the soil conditions are good, but avoid doing it in frosty weather. Grass plants: right plant, right placeĪlthough some grasses will grow happily in shade, most prefer a sunny open position and do best in average to dry soil. This makes ornamental grasses incredibly useful in our gardens, and no matter the size of your plot, there are grasses that will enhance it, as long as you choose the right one. They can be found in every shape and size too, from the low-growing grasses that we mow to make our lawns, to the towering Arundo donax that reaches over four metres high.

#Ornamental grass garden layout full#

In the wild, grasses have adapted to virtually every environment, from full sun to deep shade and waterlogged to parched. The slightest breeze will set them swaying, especially later in the year when their flowering heads dance on slender stems and the low light filters through them, illuminating their delicate beauty. Ornamental grass may not be the showstoppers of the border – in fact their appeal is quite subtle – but they do add an extra dimension to the flowerbed and keep the garden interesting for longer, weaving in among other plants and adding movement.