zakruti.com » Do it Yourself - Handmade » Garden Answer

10 Perennial Grasses I Absolutely Love!

video description

Rating: 4.0; Vote: 1

10 Perennial Grasses I Absolutely Love! Garden Answer Gabriel: Nice presentation and way to introduce folks to Ornamental Grasses. I have 45 years' experience in Design (25 of those with installation included) of Landscapes, Eco-Communities, Homesteads, Swimming Pools (likely about 500-600 by now, Greenhouses, Lakes, Orchards, most food crops (microgreens, wheatgrass, veggies & herbs, Natural Ponds, perennial gardens, etc. in about 9 states and have a team now of 8 (we help people grow food & herbs so we have Naturopathic Doctor, Certified Food Producer, Aquaponics farmer, 2 permaculture farmers and even architect for structures. I began heavily incorporating ornamental grasses beginning in 1990 (yes 31 years ago) into ornamental landscapes, along with perennials and have likely been responsible (in designs & contracting) somewhere between 500, 000 and 1 million. They go great around commercial building as well as home gardens, require relatively little maintenance, bring contrasting texture, seasonal interest (as your video greatly shows) to landscapes. I specialized in open to the deer colorful perennial gardens without fencing and grasses are something they almost never touch. I have planted extensively most every one on your list and if I were to add one it would be Helictotrichon sempervirens 'Blue Oat Grass'. Similar steel silver blue as several Blue Fescues but about 2'-3' diameter grass clump with beautiful wheat colored straight/stiff spikelets that reach above the clump. They look great as one single specimen or in groups or I have planted them in drifts of 50-100 or more if you have room. In Southern Oregon Valleys (worked there many years but work all over US now) there are also pretty well evergreen so they are great year-round. Once a year they can be cut back but they will quickly return to looking great. One other note on your Miscanthus, in having used extensively about 12 + varieties I have not ever seen them spread from their original clumps. Another super cool thing about these grasses, like this Miscanthus, every 5 years or so you can dig them and cut the root clumps into divisions, about 4 in diameter and plant them or give. One more: Chasmanthium latifolium (Northern Sea Oats) are outstanding. NATIVE! and love shade, the arching seed clusters look similar to flattened oats and are cool in flower arrangements, easy-care (cut down in winter when the look ragged and fully brown, they will colonize which for right place is beneficial. They will often grow where most other grasses (except Carex) will fail. Last note, always good to check for any native grasses and plants you can use in your garden. helps avoid invasives, promotes native pollinators, encourages bio-diversity for the environment. Hopes this adds to the conversation and folks try some grasses.
Date: 2022-07-16

← Potato Rolls, Seeds, Coppice Pruning, Harvesting More Carrots, and Even a Little Laundry

I Spent the Day Working at The Garden Center →

Related videos

I Built Pillars Using An Ancient Water Method

• Erik Grankvist

Cabin Life - Alone in 1940s Cabins in the Wilderness

• My Self Reliance

How I Left The City At 18 and Built My Dream Log Cabin

• Erik Grankvist

14 Crops You NEED To Start In October

• Epic Gardening

REVEALING MY SECRET GARDEN & JOB! Come Work with Me as a Flower Photographer & Writer

• Northlawn Flower Farm

Antiquing for Shiny Brite Ornaments, Vintage Christmas Decorating in the Garden Library

• Northlawn Flower Farm

Comments and reviews: 9

David
Great video! My new home was already landscaped prior to purchasing and have a row of deer grass in front. I'm finding it spreading horizontally. I haven't touched it in a year because they're quite new but now have new growth. I was wondering if it's a good idea to cut them at the base to maintain the gap? I prefer the space between each one rather than filled in. On another perennial, sea lavender, was also planted on either side of my walkway. I know we need to help the bee population but I hate that I and everyone I know must walk through a ton of bees to my front door. Thank you HOA! Is there something I can replace it with that doesn't attract bees and drought tolerate? I live in northern California.
reply

Brooks
Love your videos. So much to consider. I have a 50'x4' raised garden with a 8' tall fence behind it, and I am for perennial suggestions. I was considering a tall grass along the 50' fence and then something in front of that medium height, and then a ground level perennial, to give multi-level for visual appeal. Any suggestions? Live in Canada, gets direct sun 8 hours a day, summer is in the 80f, winter is 10f.
reply

Claudia
I love, love, love fountain grasses, I have planted both the green and purple versions around my garden- they just whisper hushhhh to me.
In my previous garden I would simply burn them back with a hose handy ready to stop the flames within a minute or so after lighting them, and they grew back beautifully every year. Cant do it anymore but it definitely helped with the cleanup too! (Im in a zone 9 area.
reply

Karen
Thank you for your expertise! I love the grasses you presented. You might like like the Miscanthus gold bar and Miscanthus sinensis Little tiger. They are absolutely amazing with their horizontal white strips! If you happen to know them, I'm not sure how to protect them from the extreme cold here in Canada. I lost quite a few last winter. Any info would be greatly appreciated! Thank yo so much
reply

Jeff
been growing Panicum Totem Pole grass this spring-summer, it's a beauty, steel blue thick blades, nice and straight up, no flopping and the seed heads come out in masses, well above the grass. it's more narrow the first third of the grass and gets nice and full & thicker towards the top, the seed heads blow in the wind, this is my new favorite! not so easy to find but I now have 2 of them!
reply

linda
I'm having a landscaper come in September and I'm choosing ornamental grasses. They're my all-time favorite, with so many varieties. I only have a zebra plant and one that's has a purple hue and beautiful 'feathers' on them. Like you said, I love their movement in the wind and they're calming and interesting looking.
reply

Kelly
Is there a such thing as a ornamental grass that does NOT develop foxtails of any kind? I've had issues with foxtails embedding into my yorkie's skin and even in his eyeball once! I love the look of grass but I can't tolerate foxtails in the yard because of the dogs. If so, what type? I'm in zone 9b.
reply

MD062010
this was exactly the video i needed to help me decide on some ornamental grasses! I cannot thank you enough for all of your videos- they're so extremely helpful! Gardening is certainly a trial and error hobby, however, you have saved me so much time and money with your great videos! thank you!
reply

Muffin
Ogon acorus - I can attest to the wet conditions. Living in PNW I use this in at our front door walkway that is completely shaded 90%, always wet and the Ogon just shines and flourishes. Its stunning, paired with ligularia that gives a bloom in late fall.
reply

Add a review, comment