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When you want some unusual ground covers then give some serious thought to ornamental grasses. Their foliage has appeal all year round and there are many, many excellent and hardy varieties to choose from.
What I like about them is they also serve as effective screens most of the year. When you choose an ornamental grass it is best to choose varieties for you zone that will grow to at least eye level. Remember when you buy them they will usually be small, but they will grow and form an almost impenetrable mass by the time they mature so make sure you give them plenty of space.
Ornamental grasses mixed with evergreens will form a deep screen for all four seasons. When you want an eye catching specimen plant than plant any single large ornamental grass to do the trick especially when you want to create a focal point in your open garden.
Once I planted a large variety of them because I have a very large space and it needed to break up the expanse.
If you are a container gardener, then remember that ornamental grasses work well in containers as long as they are watered and feed the organic nutrients they need to stay healthy and continue to grow.
There are two categories to Ornamental grasses and they are known as cool-season grasses and warm-season grasses. Most ornamental grasses are perennials but because they are so tender they are treated as annuals. The cool-season grasses grow actively during the cool parts of the year and some of them stay green even throughout the winter and these grasses burst into lush, quick growth way before the warm-season grasses begin to wake up from their winter sleep. They bloom early in the season and when frost comes the foliage and seed heads turn to a bright golden tan thus giving you an added display through the winter.
Most ornamental grasses like full sun and will grow in just about any type of soil as long as they have good drainage. When they are planted in shady areas they tend to become “leggy”. The tall types of ornamental grasses make good backdrops for flowers.
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Author Bio Box: Arlene Wright Correll
 For more gardening or cooking information click http://www.learn-america.com/
To see Arlene’s Gardens and to read her gardening diaries or click on Arlene’s Books where you can download or buy her gardening & cook books. Arlene says, “All my royalties from the sale of my books go to the St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and I thank you for visiting my site.”
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