Home Gardening

Ornamental Grasses
Garden Tips Newsletter - March 26, 2001

Consider a new addition to your garden this year -- ornamental grasses. Ornamental grasses have been overlooked as a landscaping plant in previous years, but are starting to show up in more and more gardens.

Grasses are now available in shapes, colors, and textures that can really spice up a perennial bed or any part of the home landscape. Growing grasses is relatively easy - most require full sun & well-drained soil. There are several grasses that will grow well in shady and wet areas. Some beautiful grasses to consider are Muhly grass, Purple Fountain Grass, Maiden or Miscanthus grass, and Chinese Fountain Grass. Each can add height, color (Muhly and Purple Fountain grass add nice shades of purple), and texture to your garden. Ask your local nursery about ornamental grasses available for your area.

For more information on Ornamental grasses: Ornamental Grass Gardening: Design Ideas, Functions, and Effects by Reinhardt, Reinhardt, & Moskowitz.

These archived newsletters were written by Dr. Lelia Scott Kelly. Kelly is a Horticulture Specialist with the Mississippi State University Extension Service. Her office is in the North Mississippi Research & Extension Center, Verona.