Another type of Pennisetum treated in the North as an annual isPennisetum glaucum. Long driveway or sidewalk borders can be taxing to maintain. Elijah Blue Fescue is a very popular low growing ornamental grass as it offers icy blue foliage and pastel yellow flowers. Scientists at Oregon State University developed this mix, making it suitable for the Northeast weather and good for pollinating insects, such as bees. Sedge displays arching leaves that are available in pretty gold, green, or variegated types. The plant also produces spiky, dark flowers with a bluish tint in summer that turn harvest gold in autumn. To divide tall ornamental grass, cut the plant down to 4 to 6 inches, and then dig up the entire clump. Dont cut your grass too short. Tall fescue is a cool-season grass with deep grass roots that make it more drought resistant. Fine Fescue chewing fescue, creeping red fescue, hard fescue, sheep fescue. Lawn care and maintenance of ornamental grass types such as St. Augustine grass or Bermuda grass, which is often used for golf courses takes time and effort, but you might not have much of it if you have a family, due to heavy foot traffic caused by pets or children playing on the grass. Be sure to analyze which parts of your lawn get how much sun and shade throughout the year for optimum or less maintenance. As with maiden grass, cut back the foliage in early spring. Little Bluestem is a prairie grass has gray-green leaf blades that add shades of blue in the summer and shades of purple, red, and orange in autumn. One way Denver homeowners can create an interesting landscape that is also drought-friendly is by incorporating ornamental grasses. Learn tips for creating your most beautiful home and garden ever. Height and spread: 1 - 2 ft. (0.3 - 0.6 m) tall and 5 to 6 ft. (1.5 - 1.8) ft. wide. Because of its height, a plant such as plumegrass can be used as a focal point. Light exposure: Partial to full shade. 11 Low-maintenance Ornamental Grass Types To Grow To Your Garden by Carolyn Mullet When it comes to decorative outdoors, most people will think of beautiful plants like climbers or shrubs. These are our favorites for home gardeners, from cool-season varieties to transition-zone and warm season grasses that are naturally resistant to heat. Purple fountain grass thrives in tropical areas and is drought-tolerant. These ornamental grasses can survive, and even thrive, in those shaded spots. They can be woven through borders, used as a focal point, scattered through gravel gardens and planted in containers. Use as a low-maintenance border. The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for anonymous statistical purposes. How Much Will A Lawn Irrigation System Cost? It tolerates a little shade, but be sure to grow it in full sun to achieve maximum darkness. Try combining grasses such as Elijah Blue (which you should only need to cut back every couple of years) with varieties such as Festuca Glauca and Miscanthus Sinensis for a beautifully natural look without the graft. Ornamental grasses are very different from traditional turf. Vibrant green fiber optic grass, which is technically a sedge, adds a unique element to landscapes with its tiny flowers. Well walk you through everything you need to know on low-maintenance grasses, including the best types for every climate. Meanwhile, the garden building adds a chic place to relax whatever the weather. Below are some popular types of ornamental grass that stay small and make great additions to the landscape: Read more articles about Ornamental Grass. 9. Cool-season grasses have fine blades that are soft under your feet, making them a good option for families that spend a lot of time on the grass. Its a modernized, improved version of Buffalograss native to the United States and Mexico, so its naturally apt for these climates. You'll want to contain this plant, however, because it's invasive. This verdant space is full of intriguing yet low maintenance features. Don't cut the clump's stems back until after the bleakness of winter passes, since the graceful stems and puffy plumes provide visual interest on an otherwise barren December-February landscape. It is a shade plant. Make sure that the soil contains enough vital nutrients for the grass seed to develop beautiful green grass blades, resistance to diseases and strong roots. For help incorporating ornamental grasses and other beautiful yet tough plants for Colorado landscapes experiencing dry conditions, call on the plant experts at Lifescape. Check out our low maintenance grass selection for the very best in unique or custom, handmade pieces from our shops. David has been interviewed by numerous newspapers and national U.S. magazines, such as Woman's World and American Way. Looks great in mass plantings and in containers. On the other hand, warm-season grasses are quite heat tolerant and grow most in full sun exposure, during the hottest summer days of June, July and August, and go dormant in the cold winters. When it comes to maintenance, grasses are relatively low-maintenance, and can be cut back to different heights depending on the look you're going for. Cultivars include "Regal Mist," a dark pink variety. Kentucky bluegrass is a common cool-season grass in the Northeast and on the West Coast. Theyre full of essential nutrients for your grass, so leaving them in both acts as a natural fertilizer and takes one additional job from your hands. So, what would be the solution to this problem? See the examples below to get ideas for incorporating grasses into your own garden. They provide visual interest, many grow large and can fill empty spaces, and they return year after year. Low maintenance Gardening with Grasses!Learn about the different grasses for sun or shade gardens that will cut down on maintenance and look good doing it.Yo. Deer Resistant Perennials There are many deer resistant perennials that can be planted in order to deter these creatures from eating your plants. Most properties have at least a few low-light areas. Some, like tall fescue, also work well in the transition zone that reaches through the Midwest and across the country. | Soil Moisture: Average Bluestems. This makes it ideal for those looking for a low-maintenance lawn option for warm weather. That is ornamental grasses. The seep muhly (M. reverchonii) also . When planted in mass, short ornamental grasses create a groundcover that few weeds can penetrate. Get it Aug 18 - 23. In stock. This item: Dwarf Pampas Grass | 10 Live Plants | Cortaderia Selloana Pumila | Compact Low Maintenance Drought Tolerant Ornamental Grass. The plant reaches a height of 3 to 5 feet, with a spread of 2 to 4 feet. Japanese forest grass enjoys humus-rich, well-draining soil. They give you elegant ornamental grasses. True grasses are in the Grass family (Poaceae) but horticulturists consider Sedges (Carex spp.) Low-effort plants will grow in the ground or a pot both inside and outside your home, depending on your preferences. Usually ships within 2 to 3 days. Available in a wide array of forms, textures, and colors, short ornamental grasses are a simple to grow and require very little maintenance. You can water your lawn more often in extremely hot weather or if it receives big amounts of sun exposure, but only if the grass looks dry. Low Maintenance Grass for Your Landscape Design. Ships from and sold by Florida Foliage. The popularity of this clumping, drought-tolerant ornamental grass lies in the blue color of its foliage, which will beautifully complement any surrounding plants you may have with silvery foliage, such as lamb's ears (Stachys byzantina). Purple fountain (Pennisetum setaceum Rubrum) is a tropical ornamental grass. As low as $29.40. Use a single variety of ornamental grass to fill the length of the bed instead of mixed perennials and annuals for an easy-care (and handsome-looking) solution. Too alkaline or too acidic, and nutrients are unable to be absorbed. Just make sure that, when spring does come, you cut the plant back early enough to get the old growth out of the way before the new growth emerges. It is far more drought tolerant than the typical ornamental grass and is very low maintenance. Sandy soil is the fastest draining soil type, whereas clay soils have the ability to retain water. 4. In recent years, these decorative plants are used a lot by gardeners. Ornamental grasses can look stunning in a garden of any size and need significantly less maintenance than standard turf. It grows clump-forming when planted in groups. It's often mixed with such plants to fill flower beds, creating diversity in terms of form and texture. Plant grass plugs in loam soil in spring, summer, fall or winter Mowing Need: Once or twice a year Places Fit for its Growth: Verges, slopes, and courtyards 2. Bahiagrass is most common in the Gulf Coast region and across the South. Easy to grow, low maintenance and available in many beautiful shapes, sizes and . Even after its leaves have dried and died, it provides visual interest to the winter landscape. While this may not be feasible for large areas, it's certainly an option for small plots of land. For areas with heavy rainfall, choose grass seed that can handle the extra moisture. So much for what might be considered the "when" part of the question. USDA Zones: 8 to 11 'LM300' Breeze has fine, bright green foliage. Its also tough enough to survive winters, but its root system is shallow. within the group of ornamental [] This is because it thrives in full sunshine and heat and doesnt require a lot of water or fertilization. SHOP FOR LOW MAINTENANCE PLANTS Ornamental grass, by contrast, isn't meant to be mowed, isn't meant to be uniform, and isn't meant to be tread upon. The retention of water can be improved by simply adding some coconut coir, peat moss or vermiculite. It grows 8 to 12 feet tall (its clump has a spread of 3 to 4 feet). Cool-season grasses, like Kentucky bluegrass and tall fescue among other grasses thrive in cooler climates and have a high shade tolerance. Its one of the best slow-growing grass types for those who hate mowing. It also includes such tasks as: By clicking Accept All Cookies, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. Feather Reed Grass produces feathery spikes that last into winter making it quite eye-catching. Resembles small sea-oats. Since they are great in formal, informal and natural settings you're sure to find one or more suited to your landscape design. Ornamental Grasses for the Garden Proven Winners 18 Top Ornamental Grasses Feather reedgrass has delicate golden leaves that catch sunlight and add a gorgeous glow to landscapes all year long. This low-maintenance, cold-hardy stunner is perfect for both cooler northern regions (where it goes dormant . While it might be tempting to mow down a mess like this, removal of the dry stuff and a good shaping is generally all that will be needed. Standing at 12 to 18 incheshigh at maturity isJapanese blood grass(Imperata cylindricavar. If you're looking for a dynamic garden without having to bend over backwards to achieve it, ornamental grasses are happy to take the wheel. Good grass like Pennisetum alopecuroides ' Little Bunny ' - Dwarf Fountain Grass is drought tolerant along with Stepable Thymus praecox ' Elfin Pink ', a nearly flat Thyme groundcover. Ornamental grass, by contrast, is one of the yard's actors. Below are some popular types of ornamental grass that stay small and make great additions to the landscape: Dwarf Mondo Grass ( Ophiopogon spp. It grows to 3 feet by 3 feet in the landscape. Purple Millet puts off pretty flowers that turn into attractive seed heads by fall. Japanese Forest Grass is an attractive grass that typically reaches about 18 inches max. Plus, they can be used in gardens styles ranging from cottage to contemporary. If you are wondering what to choose for garden grass to decorate in the garden, lets refer to the 11 Low-maintenance Ornamental Grass Types To Grow To Your Garden. Like CitraBlue and Palmetto St. Augustinewhich we talk about a little farther down in this articleEMPIRE has a very dense canopy. Below are 22 low-maintenance plants you can grow in 2022. Rock. UC Verde Buffalograss is also low-maintenance because it suppresses weed growth well, so youll spend less time getting rid of those nasty weeds. Evergreen in milder regions. Aloe vera (Aloe barbadensis miller) Pothos Arrowhead Plant Cast iron plant (Aspidistra elatior) Blue Grama Grass Plugs Zones: 3-10. Dwarf mondo grass does well in full sun or partially shaded areas. Many grasses can withstand missing a watering or two, but will thrive with a thorough deep watering along with the other plants in your garden. These slow-growing, perrenial ornamental grasses form cascading mounds of texture around your garden. Replacing lawn grass with a combination of mulch and ornamental grass can reduce yard maintenance requirements. Plant it in full sunto partial shade in well-drained soil. They're also naturally disease- and pest-resistant, so you can say goodbye to chemical pesticides. In contrast to clay soils, sandy soil and silt soils with higher porosity can handle more frequent watering, but you should still avoid doing it every day. Twilight Zone Little Bluestem Grass Zones: 3-9. Should I Weed and Feed Before or After Mowing? Some ornamental grasses, like plumegrass and maiden grass, can get rather tall and provide a lovely, year-round focal point. Ravennagrass makes a stunning statement with itsdramaticheight and big, feathery plumes. There are many varieties of ornamental grasses. Plus, they can grow well outdoor in raised planting beds, or an entire yard, even some also can grow indoors in containers or pots. Like its taller cousins, small ornamental grass varieties are highly resistant to pests and disease that can overtake other, less hardy plants. In high heat, this grass variety tends to thatchgathering debris from roots, dried stems and shoots, making your lawn look brown and requiring lots of maintenance to fix the issue. That way, after the cutting is done, you mainly have just one object to pick up and move, rather than all of the individual stalks. This plant, with its tall, thin shafts and fluffy coiffures, has a delicate structure that lends a touch of charm to the harsh winter landscape. Perennial ornamental grasses include Miscanthus, Pink Muhly Grass, and Pampas Grass, just to name a few. Ornamental grass is used in landscape design the way you use flowers, shrubs,and trees. Whether you need a low growing variety or one that will aid in privacy, there's an ornamental grass perfect for your landscape. It's mainly late in the season that Miscanthus sinensisGracillimus provides much of a display (after it blooms). Fescues are hardy and they'll naturally crowd out weeds, so you don't have to worry about fertilizer, herbicide, or pesticide. Cutting and grooming ornamental grass makes it healthier. Avoid varieties such as fescue that suffer from too much moisture. To avoid this mess, tie the dead stalks up into abundlebeforeyou make your cuts. When composing such beds, it's best to layer the plants, placing the tallest in the back, the shortest in the front, and the rest in the middle. Sign up to get all the latest gardening tips! Instead, if you want a low-maintenance lawn, youll do best with the grass seed type that goes well with your local climate and backyard. This, in turn, will help you grow a more resistant, maintenance-free grass. Grasses should be cut back within 6-8 inches above the . As a general rule, chop about a third of the blades when you mow and aim to always leave them at a minimum length of 3 to 4 inches. The species plant is highly invasive, but varieties such as rubra are tamer, although you still must watch out that they don't revert to the tendencies of their species. Award-winning Helianthemum 'Henfield Brilliant' (Rock Rose or Sun Rose) is a vigorous, low-growing evergreen shrub resembling a flower carpet from late spring to midsummer. Modern materials blend harmoniously with wilder pockets of perennial planting, sporting the likes of easy-care hydrangeas, ferns, and ornamental grasses. People love these narrow ornamental grasses that are on the smaller side for their versatility and unique textures as companion plants. Forget that back breaking work with hand shears - hedge trimmers make quick work of sawing right through the grasses with ease. When the blades are bigger and longer, the plants have more room for photosynthesis, and they grow stronger roots. Replacing lawn grass with a combination of mulch and ornamental grass can reduce yard maintenance requirements. This turf type is generally low-maintenance and grows best when you water it deeply and not too often. Add motion, texture and year round interest to your landscape with ornamental grasses. Water and mow less frequently, leave grass clippings in and reserve fertilizing for the best growing season. It's just a question of when. Ornamental grasses can grow without supervision, pruning, or maintenance. Also like liriope, it can be invasive. Purple silver grass (Miscanthus sinensis Purpurascens) measures 5 feet tall by 3 feet wide and is suited to zones 4 to 9. Buy It: Dwarf Ornamental Fountain Grass ($35, Lowe's ) 03 of 21 Little Bluestem John Reed Forsman A lovely, tough-as-nails prairie native, little bluestem offers gray-green leaf blades that turn bold shades of purple, red, and orange in autumn. It makes a spectacular groundcover when planted in masses. It also offers wispy seed-heads in fall that add further interest. Here, browse 16 low-maintenance landscaping ideasfrom ornamental grasses to container gardensto gather inspiration. The latter is a functional grass, serving primarily a practical purpose: It forms a uniform surface on which to walk when we're out in the yard. Ornamental grasses are a versatile and low-maintenance addition to any landscape. Also called periwinkle, vinca minor is one of the most low maintenance flowering plants you could ever plant in your garden. A forest garden is one of the few low-maintenance landscaping ideas that thrive on neglect and still ends up looking magical. You can plant zoysia grass in the hot US South, where freezing winters dont exist. It is perennial and evergreen. The Best Zoysia Grass for Low Maintenance in Florida EMPIRE Zoysia EMPIRE Zoysia is a turfgrass that checks all the boxes. Leave the grass clippings on the lawn when youve mowed it. 7 Reasons Of Using Bone Meal Fertilizer In Your Garden, 7 Edible Houseplants That You Will Fall In Love, 23 Creative DIY Succulent Planter Ideas To Place On Desk And Tabletop, 8 Great Natural Pesticides You Can Apply To The Garden, 10 Summer Culinary Herbs That You Can Dry To Use For A Long Time, 8 Amazing Leftover Milk Uses For Your Garden, 9 Houseplants That Look Like A Banana Tree To Bring Tropical Space, 15 DIY Recycled Trellis Ideas For Your Garden, Beautiful Flowers That Resemble Fireworks, Easy DIY Backyard Bike Rack Ideas You Can Build Right Now. So, what happens if you put clay soil and sand together? You can fertilize again in the fall, but theres no need to do it across the summer unless your lawn is really in need of nutrients. This ornamental grass, too, has a spiky flower, ranging in color from white to lavender. No fall or winter landscape should be without tall ornamental grass. Key species and cultivars: Big Bluestem (Andropogon gerardii) Sun: Full Some hardy ornamental grasses are suitable for the coldest climates, while others tolerate intense summer heat or salty air and windy coastal conditions. A fine blade perennial with a compact habit that offers bright pine green foliage. If it gets too damaged from extreme heat or foot traffic, though, it doesnt bounce back easily. UC Verde Buffalograss is also low-maintenance because it suppresses weed growth well, so you'll spend less time getting rid of those nasty weeds. This tough plant is great for drought-prone areas. Less mowing is always better. This will help the grass drain more moisture from the ground and survive with less water. You dont have to water your lawn every day, just water it enough to maintain moist soil! By removing all that dry, old growth that is basically a big mess of dead grass, new growth will actually be exposed to sunlight and fresh air. It thrives in direct sunshine and isnt ideal for shaded lawns but becomes dormant in droughts, recovering quickly through watering and keeping the soil moist. Add some silt which is a type of soil that has smaller particles than sand grains and is also fast-draining to the mixture and you get what is known as loam soil, which is considered to be the best soil for grass seed to grow in. Ornamental Grass can bring texture and variety to offset your flowers. The striking color of this zone-6-to-9 plant combines well with plants that bear golden or chartreuse leaves. Lilyturf likes water but also prefers well-drained soil. Northern sea oats (Chasmanthium latifolium) is an ornamental grass that grows 2 to 3 feethigh in loose clumps of green foliage. $59.98. In autumn it bears a dark berry. Its hardy, low-maintenance growth means you can plant it and almost forget about it. Hard fescue and fine fescue mixes require very little maintenance. As low as $39.89. Ornamental grasses are drought-resistant and incredibly low-maintenance, thriving in nearly every type of soil with little to no fertilizers. Natural stone is an ideal material for a low maintenance landscaping. This mix is designed to bring back nutrients to your lawn to make it more low-maintenance. If you want short ornamental grass that doesn't require too much watering or trimming, consider a low-maintenance ornamental grass. It's hardy in zones four to eight, and it gets a foot tall and six to nine inches wide. And then you have the grass seed types that thrive in areas of partial shade and full sun. Here are a few ornamental grasses that would look wonderful in a Denver landscape design. It is thought to be low-maintenance, but that is usually because gardeners and people who take care of landscapes cut it down to about a foot high when it looks dry in late fall. Keep the ground evenly moist, especially at the beginning of the growing season and during the hottest parts of summer. This ornamental grass usually grows 2 to 5 feet tall and 2 to 4 feet wide when it's fully grown. Dwarf Pampas Grass | 20 Live Plants | Cortaderia Selloana Pumila | Compact Low Maintenance Drought Tolerant Ornamental Grass Brand: Florida Foliage $9899 Size: 20 Plants 3 Plant 10 Plants 20 Plants 30 Plants 40 Plants See more About this item Grown, packaged and shipped exclusively by Florida Foliage. As low as $34.79. Its spiky foliage is also burgundy. Justin West, CEO of Thrive Lot, recommends starting with a tree and layering smaller shrubs and herbaceous plants around it. Grass: Mexican feather grass (Nassella tenuissima) It needs about six hours of sun and can tolerate shade for about four hours. Buy local and save money at Grass Pad. This type of lawn includes perennial ryegrass, hard fescue, clover and daisy, among other grass types. The technical storage or access is required to create user profiles to send advertising, or to track the user on a website or across several websites for similar marketing purposes. Large clumps of ornamental grass are impressive, but dont disregard the value of low growing ornamental grasses. Ornamental grasses in the cool season start growing in spring, mellow down in summer, and keep growing during fall. Fleur de Lawn Fleur de lawn is a flowering grass mix that's great for its low maintenance and eco-friendliness. Purple Majesty is so-called for its very dark foliage and cattail-like seed-heads. Here's a list of the top low maintenance plants for your garden divided into sections: perennials, annuals, shrubs, groundcovers, ornamental grasses, and bulbs. A popular cultivar is Purple Majesty. Use these low maintenance beauties to add vertical interest, a focal point or unity to a garden. The UC Verde is a drought-tolerant warm-season grass that survives well in the heated and dry conditions of the US South. Drought-tolerant once established it bears reddish blades. He was in the nursery business for over a decade, working with a large variety of plants. Another soil property that is important to know when wanting to plant grass seed or maintaining an already established lawn, is the pH level of the soil. In fall, that color morphs to a reddish-purple. For this reason, we need to categorize ornamental grasses in terms of their height, as follows (all should be grown in full sun unless otherwise stated). 1. For a shorter deer-resistant plant, try lilyturf (Liriope spicata). Zoysia is a drought-tolerant, warm-season grass that grows mostly through the late spring and summer. EverColor Everlime Variegated Sedge Grass Zones: 5-9. So, if you are residing in areas that get exposed to frequent dry spells, ensure that you select drought-resistant ornamental grasses for garden plantation. It will get 2 to 3 feet tall with an arching . Large, 12-18" tall plumes erupt from foliage in mid-summer. Designers love to use ornamental grasses to add structure and seasonal interest. 7 Low Growing Ornamental Grasses to Freshen-Up Your Landscape Japanese sedge Japanese forest grass Blue fescue grass Tufted hair grass Hameln fountain grass Mondo grass Fountain grass No. Select an area with partial shade and soil rich in compost for best results. 1: Japanese Sedge The Japanese sedge is grass native to Japan's central and southern regions. This zone is where the subtropical and temperate climates mix, so maintaining your lawn can be more challenging. Try to use a natural fertilizer rather than a chemical one and avoid fertilizing in full sun exposure, this way you will have more erosion control resulting in less amounts of damaged grass or lawn diseases. But, it also works well as a transition-zone grass in states from the Midwest to the Pacific. Some types of grass, such as Kentucky bluegrass, cant survive in the shady areas. These plants are warm-season grasses that perform best at temperatures between 60 and 75F. rubra), which can be grown in zones5 to 9. Gently dig the roots up and transplant the grass to a new area of the garden bed with a similar soil composition. Pink Muhly Grass reaches about 3 to 4 feet tall making it become an ideal option to grow in borders. Let us start off with the native grasses of cooler areas of the world. Find more gardening information on Gardening Know How: Keep up to date with all that's happening in and around the garden. Large, Medium, and Small Picks for a Low-Care Alternative. Attractive, clump-forming grass with wide leaves and nodding, arching clusters of flat, oat-like seedheads. Ornamental grasses have gained popularity in recent years due to their low maintenance and potential for year-round interest in the garden. These plants also respond beautifully to the wind and create sound with their rustling leaves. A typical clump size is 5 feet tall by 2 feet wide. Black mondo reaches 6 inches in height. 1976-2022 Lifescape Colorado, all rights reserved, We use cookies to optimize our website and, Low-Maintenance Ornamental Grasses Great for Colorado Landscapes. This low maintenance evergreen will grow in sun or shade and is salt and drought tolerant. These easy-to-care-for plants can add incredible texture and color to landscapes while not requiring much in return. Certain varieties of ornamental grasses act like wind chimes in the breeze, adding a delightfully unexpected element to landscape designs. It is also highly drought and pest resistant, requiring little care to survive and thrive. It tends to push roots deep in the ground, helping it take moisture from the ground in dry conditions, meaning youll need to water it less frequently. USDA zones: 3 - 8. plant is bright green with blue flowers in the summer. Neutral or slightly acidic soil is the best when it comes to growing grass seed. They include a variety of ornamental grasses, herbs, vegetables, and flowers. . Its one of the most common options for the tough transition zone between climates because it has good resistance to both the cold and heat. It is a new, grey/blue and white variegated grass that has long, green, graceful leaves that sport thin white striping. It reaches 3 to 5 feet tall. All Right Reserved. Dont go for a grass type merely for its blade type or color, especially not if you are dealing with heavy foot traffic! Add Color and Texture to Any Landscape with Ornamental Grasses. Rejuvenate your landscape adding low maintenance ornamental grasses that will reward you with color, texture, and the benefit of year long interest. Medium-Sized Varieties of Ornamental Grasses, Low-Care Landscaping With Ornamental Grass and Mulch, 12 Best Ornamental Grasses for Your Landscape, How and When to Cut Back Ornamental Grasses, How to Grow and Care for Chinese Silver Grass, 10 Best Ornamental Grasses for Adding Privacy to the Garden, 10 Popular Sedges for Ornamental Garden Use, 33 Best Rock Garden Plants for Sun or Shade, How to Grow and Care for Blue Fescue Grass, 10 Best Plants for Erosion Control in Your Yard, The Best Zone 7 Plants to Grow Regionally, 10 Great Ornamental Grasses to Grow in Containers, 18 Perennial Flowers That Bloom in Spring, Summer and Fall, How to Grow and Care for Silvergrass (Miscanthus), 12 Fall Plants for Container Gardens & Hanging Baskets. Others, like fescue, thrive on completely shady areas. Grass seed likes to grow in soil that is well-draining but it should also be able to retain some amounts of water. The blades are easy to cut in the fall, winter or spring, and their softer feel won't slice arms like many ornamental grasses can! These low-maintenance plants can also make Colorado landscapes more interesting by adding height, movement, and even sound! Remember, maintaining a lawn goes beyond mowing grass. PROS: No Mowing. Fine fescue also doesnt recover fast if it gets damaged because of high temperatures. Some really short grasses form a lawn of continuous grass, others will be in clumps with space between the plants. Likewise, black mondo grass (Ophiopogon planiscapusNigrescens) isn't a true grass, but it functions in landscaping as if it were. David Beaulieu is a landscaping expert and plant photographer, with 20 years of experience. Some of the most popular varieties include: yarrow, echinacea, and lavender. Nor are these the only types of Miscanthus sinensis, a species commonly called "silver grass." Without a subpoena, voluntary compliance on the part of your Internet Service Provider, or additional records from a third party, information stored or retrieved for this purpose alone cannot usually be used to identify you. For more on these plants, check out this article on Growing Ornament Grasses which we came across on the Garden Guides website. Makes a great native ornamental grass. Usually ships within 2 to 3 days. However, they will also tolerate slightly colder and warmer conditions. Get it Dec 8 - 13. This means it will benefit further from the above lawn maintenance tips for stronger roots. Blue oat grass is a mounding,cool-season ornamental grass suitable for zones 4 to 8. Most of them share an important trait: low-maintenance. Known botanically as Helictotrichon sempervirens,deer tend to leave this plant alone. These low-maintenanceplants can also make Coloradolandscapesmore interesting by adding height, movement, and even sound! Lilyturf (not a true ornamental grass, but a perennial) can be grown in zones 4 to 10 and reaches only about a foot in height. A native to the Great Plains and prairies throughout the United States, this tall grass brings texture and even color to a nice design. This means all of your maintenance efforts to keep a healthy lush lawn, will be for nothing. If you prefer your blades to be gold-colored, try golden Hakone grass(Hakonechloa macra Aureola). Low Maintenance - Ornamental Grasses - Outdoor Plants - The Home Depot #1 Home Improvement Retailer You're shopping South Loop OPEN until 10 pm Delivering to 60607 Cancel Holiday Decorations Appliances Bath & Faucets Blinds & Window Treatment Building Materials Cleaning Decor & Furniture Doors & Windows Electrical Flooring & Area Rugs Hardware Mondo Grass is a low-growing clumping grass that comes in shades ranging from pale green to dark burgundy. Bring your catalogs and compare. This tough, low maintenance, perennial grass, hardy to Zone 8, is drought tolerant and evergreen. You can use fleur de lawn on your entire lawn, but most people choose it for spots and ground cover where they want to have flowers, not only green grass. Warm-season grasses or Southern lawns like zoysia grass, usually have great heat tolerance and have some drought resistance; they thrive best in warm climates, which is why theyre common in the South. Spacing out watering will save you time and grow your lawn stronger, meaning you wont have to waste time fertilizing constantly. Shop ornamental and pampas grass with American Meadows today! But learn about the features of each type before deciding what you want to buy. Ships from and sold by Florida Foliage. This trailing variety is used as a ground cover to suppress . Grass Pad nurseries stock the largest selection of hardy and decorative annual varieties of ornamental grasses. When you apply fertilizer to your lawn, make sure youre doing it at the right moment to take advantage of your turfs primary growth season. They make great accents in a garden border. across (3 cm), adorned with a boss of central yellow stamens literally smother the plant. Dried flowerheads highly prized. Just remember that it doesnt thrive in the shade! As low as $79.94. They have attractive daisy-like flowers that draw in bees and butterflies. That is ornamental grasses. If you live in a place with little rainfall in the summer, pick a variety that is highly drought resistant like the UC Verde buffalo grass, which has a deep root system. You shouldnt fertilize them too early in the spring but rather wait for the grass to actively grow. Fountain grass is a low-maintenance plant that is easy to care for. Color and texture arent the only benefits you can reap with ornamental grass. In stock. But the "how"is worth considering, too to avoid making a mess when youtrim ornamental grass. They do not like full sun. Although all ornamental grass types hold the reputation of low maintenance plants, they require basic growth factors, like water, light, temperature and nutrients. Not only is it attractive year round, rock never needs replacing. Once established, ornamental grass landscaping is low-maintenance, drought tolerant, and resistant to disease. The technical storage or access is strictly necessary for the legitimate purpose of enabling the use of a specific service explicitly requested by the subscriber or user, or for the sole purpose of carrying out the transmission of a communication over an electronic communications network. They come in a variety of colors, textures, and heights, and can be used to create a variety of looks. Plantain lily is one of the best ground cover plants for full shade. Otherwise, you'll be worried about mistakenly trimming the new shoots, since they'll be right in your way as you attempt to remove dead stalks. This grass is easy to take care of and continues to maintain great color. The technical storage or access is necessary for the legitimate purpose of storing preferences that are not requested by the subscriber or user. The ideal USDA hardiness zones are between 5 and 9. It tolerates some shade, but grow it in full sun (and well-drained soil) if you wish to enjoy the signature blue hues of its foliage to the fullest. Height: 3 to 6 feet Color: Burgundy red Cool or Warm Season Grass: Warm Zebra iStock Miscanthus sinensis is a good choice for a hardiness zone of five to nine. Fine fescue is the most popular low-maintenance cool-season grass. It can take some shade. However, there is another choice to make a stunning look for your landscaping. Theyre amazing accent plants that sway in the breeze and add interest for any season of the year. Its leaves may be solid green or variegated with gold. Whether you mix ornamental grass with shrubs, trees, and flowers or let it stand alone, you'll want to apply mulch around ornamental grass. Fertilizer You can fertilize your Hameln fountain grass with a slow-release balanced product in the spring to enhance its growth. The grass seed adapts well to different soil types, and it doesnt require much fertilizing, thanks to its deep roots. Blue Fescue is steel-blue grass that tops out around a foot tall and looks great planted in groups of three to five plants. Its purplish flower spikes are followed by fluffy, attractive seed-heads tinged with purple or burgundy. However, there is another choice to make a stunning look for your landscaping. If you're looking for a plant that offers more to look at earlier in the year, tryMiscanthus sinensis Zebrinus (zones 5 to 9). The heights and hardiness of the following plants vary greatly: These grass varieties are called "ornamental" for two reasons, both of which are good arguments for including them in your landscaping: The term, "ornamental," is used to distinguish this type of grass from "lawn" grass. Abundant, showy, single, bright orange flowers, 1 in. What Is Monkey Grass: Caring For Monkey Grass In Lawns And Gardens, Types Of Dwarf Ornamental Grass - Tips For Growing Short Ornamental Grasses, Ornamental Grasses - Learn About Blue Fescue Growing Tips, How To Grow Tillandsia Cyanea Or Pink Quill Plant, Begonia Botrytis Treatment How To Control Botrytis Of Begonia, What Is Begonia Pythium Rot Managing Begonia Stem And Root Rot, Creeping Succulent Plants Do Succulents Make Good Groundcover, Lawn Plug Aeration: When To Plug Aerate A Lawn, Home & Garden Marketplace: Advertiser Info. Most people understand that ornamental grasses need a good haircut, at some point, after they have turned brown. At the first sign of crowding, separate the plants. The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for statistical purposes. Starting green, the leaves turn purple in the middle of the summer. Whether it be grass seed for areas of full sun, partial shade or full shade, you need to make sure youve picked the right one for your location based on the below factors. Fountain Grass grows up to 3 to 4 feet tall so you can grow it for creating privacy or in mixed borders. When youve applied your low-maintenance grass seed, be smart about your lawn care. The clumps each grow two feet tall and wide. Once established, ornamental grass will grow between 4 to 8 inches per year, depending on the soil conditions and the variety planted. Maiden grass bears coppery tassels as seed-heads in early fall, eventually turning silvery and adorning the plant as a "plume." The University of Florida IFAS Extension describes this grass as "virtually maintenance free.". Korean Velvet Grass No-Mow Grass Korean Velvet Growing Conditions: Ornamental grass with a slow growth rate, requires less water, fertilizer, and thatch. Cool season grasses are not good for the Southern US states extreme summer heat but are better suited for the Northeast and Northwest. This plant family boasts a huge variety of graceful, low-maintenance grasses that add a wealth of texture and movement to the landscape, in colors ranging from soft pink to bright green or intense purple. Hakonechloa - variegated ('Aureola') or bright chartreuse foliage ('All Gold') provides a wide tuft of . Low ornamental grass can work as a ground cover to fill up space and add texture without requiring too much upkeep. When To Apply Milorganite Fertilizer For Best Results, When To Water After Applying Weed And Feed. @ 2020 - AnimalsViral. When it comes to decorative outdoors, most people will think of beautiful plants like climbers or shrubs. Its green summer foliage becomes reddish in fall. They need more help for growth right at the beginning of the spring, as soon as temperatures are consistently over 70 degrees Fahrenheit (21.11 C). A single ornamental grass plant can be quite pretty to look at. play their roles. Ornamental grass is very different from the "grass" that many of us have reluctantly been mowing since our childhoods. This way, you can help your grass stay green for longer. It can thrive in the harshest of conditions, making it perfect for more arid and dry locations. Heirloom 50+ Ornamental Perennial Grass Seed - Pampas Grass - "Pink" Tall Feathery Blooms. They do most of their growing in the early spring and fall. Hardscaping, Xeriscaping, & Other Low Maintenance Landscaping Options for Colorado Yards. Perennials Coneflower ( Echinacea) Coneflowers are a classic low maintenance perennial. Depending on the variety and purpose of your ornamental grass, your watering habits may vary. Ornamental grasses are a surprisingly beautiful and low-maintenance option that come in a shocking variety of colors and shapes, many of which are drought-tolerant. Fiber Optic Grass grows about a foot tall and produces tiny, fluffy flowers on the tips of stems that look like a fiber optic light. It shows off beautiful pinkish-red plumes to bring the garden an ethereal look. If the common name of "millet" for the species sounds familiar, that's because millet seed is often part of bird-food mixes. This deer-resistant ornamental grass is cold-hardy to zone 5. You can also use grass seed in batches, with different types for different areas of your lawn if they vary in sun and shade levels. Fleur de lawn is a flowering grass mix thats great for its low maintenance and eco-friendliness. Low-Care Landscaping With Ornamental Grass and Mulch Whether you mix ornamental grass with shrubs, trees, and flowers or let it stand alone, you'll want to apply mulch around ornamental grass. ): This 4 to 6 inch (10-15 cm.) Divide it every few years to rejuvenate it. Blue Fescue Purple Millet is an annual grass that attracts birds with its unique shape and gorgeous deep, purple color. Types of Low Maintenance Grass 1. Benefits of planting Easy maintenance. $33.98. General fertilization recommendations include an 8-8-8 or 10-10-10 and should be applied in late spring. Amend nutrient deficient soil with organic material such as grass clippings, dead leaves or compost. In terms of aesthetics, functional grass is mainly negative space. Are you dealing with an alkaline soil or an acidic soil? Use a large, sturdy knife, an ax, or a sharp shovel to divide the plant into quarters . Maiden Grass has a lovely texture with silvery plumes that appears in the fall and winter. What Makes These Types of Grasses "Ornamental"? #3) Fountain Grass - The 5 Best Ornamental Grass Varieties Fountain grass is one of the most popular grasses of all among homeowners, and for good reason. Its name comes from its seed pods, which look like oats. Prairie Dropseed Grass Zones: 3-9. Otherwise, your garden will end up looking like a barbershop floor, after a customer has just left. Golden Variegated Hakone Grass Zones: 4-9. This reliable grass is valued for its low-maintenance, tolerance of a wide range of growing conditions, and hardiness. Winter interest is one of the main excuses for growing ornamental grass, and you lose that if you trim in fall. Combine with lavender, daylilies, catmint, and sedums for a low-maintenance landscape. This ornamental grass attains a height of 2 to 3 feet tall, with a similar spread. Pennsylvanica grows to about 8" and then flops over, making for an elegant mass in the landscape. Ornamental Grasses. If you want to get straight to it, these are my favorite types of lawns that require less maintenance: Whichever low-maintenance grass type you pick, youll put in less work if you follow these best tips for taking care of your lawn. Ornamental grasses are versatile, hardy and spectacular, bringing movement, texture and drama to gardens of all styles, nearly all year round. The plant resembles a pincushion bristling with blue pins. Look carefully at the different varieties in your planning. Use in containers, at the edge of a mixed border, or massed as a groundcover. Some make great ornamental grass accents, others make a great low maintenance groundcover. Name: Schizachyrium scoparium Growing Conditions: Full sun and well-drained soil Size: To 3 feet tall If you want really low maintenance, then you can always opt for a lawn alternative. The primary purpose of ornamental grass is to be pretty, to be an "ornament.". Sign up for our newsletter. (See: Why To Cut Back Ornamental Grasses In The Winter) So if you are looking for the ultimate low-maintenance ornamental grass - give feather reed grass a try, and enjoy years and years of low-maintenance beauty! The "zebra" markings on its leaves provide plenty of visual interest even before it flowers. It also grows best in cool climates that arent too wet. You'll only have to mow your lawn once or twice a year. What's great about small ornamental grasses is they'll do well in containers in small spaces, too. These drought-tolerant ornamental grasses are specifically adapted to thrive in desert-like conditions, so once they're established, you can wave goodbye to high water bills and wilting plants and enjoy a gorgeous natural landscape. 8. Certain varieties of ornamental grasses act like wind chimes in the breeze, adding a delightfully unexpected element to landscape designs. In fact, happy homeowners tend to strive for a beautiful garden . ft. of bed area. Next Slide 9 of 12 Miscanthus 'Little Miss' (PlantHaven) Try to space it out and do a thorough watering about once a week. Clover, for example, restores nitrogen, so you wont need to fertilize as much. Andropogon gerardii Indian Warrior is a cultivar of big bluestem grass suitable for zones 3 to 9. Generally, ornamental grasses are quite low maintenance. Fine Fescue grass doesnt require a lot of fertilizer or sunshine, making it excellent for a low-maintenance lawn that can survive in shaded backyards. You get the best of both worlds. Switch Grass grows about 3 feet tall and has arching leaves that turn red in late summer to fall making it becomes an attractive addition to garden beds. Its also key for keeping clay soils from caking in the upper layers. Maiden grass (Miscanthus sinensisGracillimus) is a fine choice in zones 5 to 9 for a tall,drought-tolerant ornamental grass, as it reaches as much as 7 feet in height, with a spread a bit less than that. Low Maintenance Ornamental Grasses. Whether you cut your grasses back in the spring or fall, one of the easiest ways to cut back your grass stands is with a good pair of electric hedge trimmers. If you live in an area subject to harsh winters, you'll need to treat it as an annual. While most homeowners dream about lush gardens, flowering plants, mature trees, and year-round color, not many are looking for the hard work, cost, and time required to achieve these results. Another short ornamental grass (around 1 foot by 1 foot) grown in zones 4 to 8 is blue fescue (Festuca glauca Elijah Blue). Product Link : Electric Hedge Shears. If you have poor soil in your garden, fertilize it before planting grass seeds in order to restore the nutrients that are not present. Too late in the fall can also weaken the roots during the winter, so stick to fertilizing across the hot summer months to maintain a beautiful lawn. Warm season lawns benefit most from fertilization in summer when theyre actively growing. This item: Pampas Grass Blue Bayou | 3 Live Plants | Cortaderia Selloana | Dwarf Low Maintenance Drought Tolerant Ornamental Grass. After establishment, ornamental grasses can be very low maintenance. Color and texture aren't the only benefits you can reap with ornamental grass. Lomandra Breeze. They dont go fully dormant in the winter and can turn brown in the summer. Also known as Indian Wood Oats, this native ornamental plant is an aesthetically brilliant, clump-forming grass with wide leaves and nodding and arched clusters of flat oat-like seed-heads. They give you elegant ornamental grasses. Impressive, graceful, fountain-like clumps. It can be tricky to achieve the best coloration with this plant, but it will often turn a wonderfully warm golden color when grown in shade. Achieving anaestheticallyappealing landscape while keeping water consumption down can be tricky, but its the price we pay to live in the beautiful Rocky Mountains. You don't walk on ornamental grass, so there's no pressing need to maintain it at a certain height. You can find low-maintenance lawn grass seed for all climates. Simple trees, unfussy hedges, and crushed rock borders in black or white come together in an impressive contemporary garden. This makes it look like a bale of hay that has been cut down. Not only gives add a visual charm at any place in your garden, but these ornamental grasses are also easy to grow with basic care. Its job is not so much to be admired, in and of itself, as it is to form a stage on which the yard's actors (flowers, shrubs, trees, hardscape, etc.) Low-maintenance landscaping ideas Tip 1: Understand native plants. The flower heads are reddish. 3 /27. Last Updated on April 18, 2022 by Grow with Bovees. The seed-heads are mauve-colored. Wood oats first grow in greenish-blue hues that change to yellow and brown as the plant develops. What is ornamental grass? It makes awonderfulfocal point or can be used to hide unsightly objects. Plumegrass (Erianthus ravennae) is grown in USDA planting zones 4 to 9. The warm-season variety can resist drought conditions and a good percentage of their growth happens in the summer heat. Ornamental grasses and grass-like plants are valued in home landscapes for their hardiness, ease of care, dramatic appearance, . Also grown as groundcover in shaded areas. If you select ground cover grasses, 2-3 pounds of complete fertilizer is recommended per 100 sq. Let Your Jungle Grow Wild. Enter and get to know the best low-maintenance lawns instead of wasting your time on a more traditional lawn. Yeah, sure Bermuda grass or St. Augustine grass is nice, but is it worth it? In fall, it emerges beautiful focal point with its brushy flowers. While tidy folks may prefer to trim ornamental grass at the end of autumnto give the landscape that "clean-cut" look before winter sets in, others prefer to do it in spring. 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