Understanding Ornamental Grasses for Landscaping

Most of the grasses we know are for a particular landscaping purpose—either they help the soil develop, are meant for soft terrain, or are beneficial to soak up water. But there are also what’s known as ‘ornamental’ grasses, which, as you might guess, are there just for decoration. They help shape and improve the appearance of your property’s landscaping, yet do not always offer the same purposes mentioned before. But that doesn’t mean they’re not important in their own right.

Well-Balanced Landscape on Your Property

So here’s what you need to know about them, and what you can start using today:

The Season Matters

Are you looking for a garden that can survive the winter, or one that is planted and maintained in the summer? That’s a vital question when asking yourself what kind of ornamental grass you want. Warm seasonal grasses, for example, can handle extreme heat very well, whether it’s heat, humidity, or drought. However, one thing to keep in mind is that they don’t bloom until much later into the spring. If your fine with this criteria, then check out our Fountain Grass, which is a very popular warm seasonal.

How Do You Want it to Look?

One thing ornamental grasses can offer that regular grasses cannot is a sense of style, and design. You have options now: you can totally flip your garden’s appearance, and the vibe it gives off to those visiting. Take, for example, our Beachgrass, which can survive warm summers, just like the Fountain Grass. Once planted, Beachgrass can essentially turn any backyard or garden into a summer oasis, with that beachside look that we all know, and love.

Grow Tall

If you want to give your garden some height, ornamental grass can do that. Especially our common Cattail, which do particularly well in normal shade, and somewhat flooded conditions. When they mature, they can reach anywhere between four and five feet. So start planting!

Once you have a grasp of these ornamental grasses, you’ll be able to easily decide what sort of garden you truly want. Contact Cold Stream Farm at (231) 464-5809 today or visit us online for more information about our shrubs and trees we offer!