In the residential garden there are quite a lot of uses for the grasses available on the market, and at Nature’s Friends Landscaping, we often use ornamental grasses in our designs. Being of different shades, heights and widths there is a grass for every application in the garden.

They are extremely easy as far as maintenance is concerned; all that is necessary to keep them healthy is to cut them down once a year. Generally this is done during cold weather in early spring before they start to put out new growth. By waiting until then to give them a trim you are able to enjoy the sight of them standing tall during the winter. In addition the birds will eat the seeds in the seed heads which provides them additional food during the winter months.

There is a grass for every application, there are the giant pampas grasses which become very tall and have a pretty large circumference, and then there are the mini grasses which can be mixed amongst your other perennials and annuals without overwhelming the blooms. They are very short and petite in their sizes, making them a good additional shape and texture for a mixed bed. In addition there are grasses of every size in between these two extremes. The larger versions are useful as a boundary or an edging for an area or a piece of an estate. And then there are beautiful colors and variegated versions which can stand alone as a special plant all on their own.

Grasses are very drought tolerant after they get established so they are great additions to a section of a bed or yard which isn’t easily irrigated. They have such an appeal when the wind blows as they create motion in the garden. The plumes are also so soft and silky to the touch on some of the varietals so you might want to plant them where you can touch them! And if you plant them where the light will shine through from behind they can look quite spectacular.

So in the world of grasses you have significant choices for your yard or your planting beds and this makes them very useful in the world of gardening. They are simple for the amateur gardener and they are really useful for the professional landscaper. These multi functional plants are available for every zone and are such a great addition to the garden more people need to try them out in their landscapes.