5 Easy Ways to Incorporate Ornamental Grasses Into Your Garden
Discover five creative ways to incorporate these hardy and vibrant beauties into your garden.
Ornamental grasses come in a variety of styles, from basic to striking, but all have the potential to make a statement in your landscaping. With their decorative qualities and practical applications, these easy-care plants will provide pleasure for many seasons. Consider trying one of these five ideas to incorporate grasses into your outdoor space.
1. Line a Walkway
By utilizing grasses to border a walkway, you can create an attractive path that leads visitors to your front door or patio. Additionally, these plants offer a gentle contrast to the harsh edges of stone and neighboring garden beds, helping to maintain a more organic aesthetic.
2. Spice Up Containers
Ornamental grasses can be just as captivating in pots as they are in your outdoor space. For an eye-catching display, layer a tall grass with shorter flowering plants and a luxuriant ivy or coleus. Generally, incorporating three plant varieties per container is recommended, but for a more formal and symmetrical appearance, fewer species can be used.
3. Avert Hillside Erosion
To combat soil erosion, consider incorporating ornamental grasses on sloping terrain. Their deep root systems make them an ideal choice for this purpose. Dense mondo grass or blue fescue can be excellent options. Additionally, native prairie grasses, like bluestem, are also well-suited to this application.
4. Build Visual Interest
Creating a visually captivating landscape requires incorporating plants of various heights. For instance, in a predominantly low-growing bed of plants, grasses can provide a striking focal point, such as a burst of fountaingrass plumes adding both height and a vivid color contrast to petite flowers planted in front of them.
5. Provide a Safe Space for Birds
Attract and protect local birds by planting ornamental grasses near your birdbath or birdfeeder. Conduct research to determine which grass species are native to your area, as these are most likely to entice local wildlife. By offering a secure spot to roost, feed, and nest away from predators, you can encourage birds to remain in the vicinity.