The creative hobby gardener brings abundance to the design of his garden with ornamental grasses. In the form of hardy perennials, they enrich the appearance of the plant all year round. There is a wide range of ornamental grasses to choose from, from ground-covering plants to ornamental, tall cultivated forms. There are suitable ornamental grass varieties for almost every location, from sunny to shady, from dry to moist, the hobby gardener is spoiled for choice. As solitary plants, they look just as attractive as in a group, in community with other flowers and plants in the garden or in a tub on the terrace or balcony. In the following, some of the most popular varieties are presented, which are sorted according to their height in connection with their preferred location for a better overview.
Table of Contents
Ornamental grasses up to 250 cm in height in a sunny spot
- upright growth up to 250 cm
- Flowering from September to October
- Flower colors white, silvery or reddish
- well suited as a solitary plant and on the edge of a pond
- Plant spacing 60 cm to 120 cm
- Cut back in spring
Pampasgras
- Leaf height up to 100 cm
- Flower height up to 200 cm
- Flowering time from September to October
- silvery-white, fruity rice flowers
- beautiful specimen plant or in a group
- Plant spacing 120 cm
- Cut back in spring
recitals
- Leaf height 100 cm, flower height 150 cm
- deciduous grass
- Flowering June to September
- bushy, upright panicles in yellow-brown
- ideal specimen plant or in a group
- Plant spacing up to 150 cm
- beautiful winter jewelry
- Cut back in early spring
- Leaf height 100 cm, flower height 150 cm
- Flowering period August to September
- very beautiful ornamental grass
- red to pale brown panicles
- ideal specimen plant
- Planting distance 80 cm
- Cut back after winter
Silver ear grass
- Growth height 70 cm to 100 cm
- evergreen
- hardy
- Flowering June to September
- very nice in groups of 3
- Plant spacing approx. 60 cm
- Cut back completely or in parts in spring
Ornamental grasses up to 250 cm in height in a partially shaded location
Pipe grass
- Leaf height 60 cm, flower height 220 cm to 250 cm
- Flowering July to September
- fits well in perennial beds
- Planting distance about 120 cm
- very nice winter jewelry
- Cut back in spring
Ornamental grasses up to 50 cm tall in a sunny location
Bärenfellgras
- Leaf height up to 10 cm, flowers up to 30 cm
- hemispherical and ground covering
- Flowering July to August
- Plant 6 to 10 plants per square meter
- no pruning required
- Ornamental grasses for partially shaded to shady locations
Blue fescue
- Leaf height 20 cm, flower height 40 cm
- Shape of a hemisphere
- cushioning
- Flowering June to July
- ideal for rock gardens and grave planting
- Plant spacing 30 cm to 40 cm
- no pruning required
Bronze Veil (Forest Schmiele)
- particularly lush ornamental grass
- Leaf height 60 cm, flower height up to 120 cm
- very beautiful golden brown fountains
- Flowering period June to August
- Plant spacing 60 cm
- suitable for large-scale cultivation
- Cut back in spring
- Leaf height 50 cm, flower height 80 cm
- Flowering period August to October
- magnificent gray-brown ears
- goes well with roses and lavender
- Plant spacing 60 cm to 80 cm
- Tie up bundles of grass in winter
- prune in early spring
Fuchsrote Segge
- Leaf height 50 cm, flower height 70 cm
- bright red shoots
- Flowering in July
- also copes with partial shade
- Plant spacing 40 cm to 60 cm
- no cut back
Japan-Berggras
- grows up to 60 cm high
- arching and overhanging growth
- lush appearance
- needs winter protection
- Planting distance about 60 cm
- Cut back in early spring
Pilzkopf-Seggen
- Specialist for difficult locations
- grows up to 30 cm high
- bushy, overhanging growth
- Flowers already in April and May
- Plant spacing 30 cm
- no pruning required
New Zealand sedge
- grows up to 30 cm high
- beautiful, silvery, shiny grass
- Flowering period August to October
- is planted in spring
- in a group or as a pond edge plant
- cut compatible
Ornamental grasses for pots and planters
In principle, all ornamental grasses up to a height of about 100 cm to 120 cm are also suitable as a container plant. The following types of ornamental grass are particularly suitable for this area of application, thanks to their delicate, slightly overhanging leaves and upright, feathery flower spikes:
Diamondgrass
- Leaves up to 70 cm, flowers up to 120 cm
- Flowering period September to December
- Flower color silvery pink
- for planters from 10 liters
- cut compatible
- hardy
New Zealand wind grass
- Height of growth 60 cm to 80 cm
- Flower color yellow-orange
- Flowering period August to December
- for planters from 5 liters
- needs light winter protection
- cut compatible
Icelandic broad-leaf sedge
- showy leaves with a thin, yellow margin
- Height of growth 15 cm
- Flowering period April and May
- for planters from 3 liters
- goes very well with flowering plants
- cut compatible
The ornamental grasses featured represent some of the most attractive varieties that Mother Nature has to offer. The offer is really huge and has something suitable for every need and every location. Ornamental grasses not only set unique accents, they are also easy to plant and extremely easy to care for.
Plants in the bed
For most ornamental grasses, spring is the best time to plant once the frost has cleared the ground. An important decision right at the beginning is the choice of location. Ornamental grasses that need a sunny location, such as pampas grass or Chinese reeds, do not make high demands on the quality of the soil. The soil should be dry, slightly sandy and well-drained. Under no circumstances should there be a risk of waterlogging. As wonderful as it is to look at when the magnificent ears of corn sway in the wind, it is still advisable to prefer a sheltered location. Ornamental grasses that want to be in partial or shady shade, such as pipe grass, on the other hand, appreciate a rather moist, nutrient-rich and humus-rich soil. However, even these types of grass do not get waterlogged at all.
- Before digging up the planting hole, the root ball is placed in a bucket with water until no more air bubbles form.
- The planting hole that is dug with the shovel should also be twice as large as the root ball of the ornamental grass. If it is a tall plant, a support post is driven in for more stability.
- To prevent waterlogging, the bottom of the planting hole is loosened with a rake. Then a layer of gravel, granules or chopped up potsherds is added as drainage.
- The excavated earth is mixed with some sand, garden compost and horn shavings.
- A layer of potting soil is spread over the drainage before the root ball is placed in the center of the planting hole. Then the soil is distributed so that the entire bale is covered. Ideally, the filled earth will sink a little towards the middle, so that a hollow is formed where the water can collect for an even more effective supply.
- The earth is trampled around the root ball so that no air holes can form there.
- The root ball was already well moistened before planting. Nevertheless, he now receives another large dose of water so that he can grow well.
It is very important to wear gloves when working with ornamental grasses, as the edges of the blades of grass can sometimes be razor-sharp and cause deep cuts. If several ornamental grass plants are planted next to each other, it is important to keep the recommended planting distance. At first this may seem like the distances are too far; however, most ornamental grass varieties are very vigorous and will quickly fill the space around them.
Plants in the tub
Dainty and filigree ornamental grasses also come into their own in a bucket. Set up at the house entrance, on the terrace or balcony, they attract everyone’s attention, especially when the light summer wind plays with them. So that planting in the tub succeeds right away, only a few tips need to be observed:
- The planter, which is large enough for the selected variety of ornamental grass, should have a water drainage hole that is covered with a drainage made of gravel, granules or potsherds.
- As with planting in a bed, the root ball is placed in a bucket of water until no more air bubbles can be seen. Meanwhile, the substrate is mixed, consisting of one part potting soil, one part compost and one part sand or coconut fiber.
- A layer of the substrate is placed on top of the drainage. Then the now well-moistened root ball is positioned in the middle and surrounded with the potting soil, which is pressed firmly in between times. So that nothing spills over during later watering, the substrate should end a little below the edge of the bucket.
- The end of the work is a generous gift of water so that the ornamental grass can grow well.
In the event that it is a high-growing variety of ornamental grass that will develop a corresponding weight, it is advisable to put the tub on a plant roller from the start.
Advice on care
Since ornamental grasses are not only robust but also easy to care for, only a few tips need to be observed so that the new eye-catcher in the garden develops splendidly.
- water regularly and abundantly;
- Weed weeds every few days;
- fertilize only sparingly;
- one layer of compost per year is enough;
- do not cut in autumn;
- tie up for the winter;
- a thick layer of leaves as protection against the cold.
Another aspect makes ornamental grasses so appealing to hobby gardeners: They are not susceptible to diseases and pests. Even the voracious snails make a bottom around them. Should there be any damage to the grass, the cause is usually a maintenance problem, such as over-fertilization or insufficient watering.
To cut
The vast majority of ornamental grasses are not cut until spring, shortly before the new shoots. In this way, they offer attractive winter decorations in the garden, especially when they are covered with glittering hoarfrost or powder snow. In addition, cutting in spring protects the plant from winter. The cut is made with a knife that is as sharp as possible, up to a hand’s breadth above the ground. Experienced hobby gardeners tie the grass together in small bundles beforehand, because this little trick makes it easier firstly to cut it and secondly to dispose of it. Good gardening gloves are essential to avoid injuries from the sharp edges of the grass.
Multiplication
The propagation of the ornamental grasses is as easy as the care. Since the seeds of most ornamental grasses are not single-variety, propagation by division is more promising. The best time for this work is spring. The individual clumps are lifted out of the earth with the digging fork and then divided by hand. These pieces can now be nursed a little in a sandy humus substrate in plant pots or they can be placed in the optimally prepared soil at the chosen location.
Conclusion
With the diverse selection of ornamental grasses, the creative hobby gardener receives an effective design element for the garden. The large variety of varieties has several variants in terms of height and color for each location. In addition, ornamental grasses score with a remarkable resistance to moisture and cold, are not susceptible to diseases or pests and do not have high requirements in terms of care. Therefore, ornamental grasses are undoubtedly the ideal candidates for the well-tended garden.
