The Advantages of Ornamental Grasses

Low Maintenance

• One of the most significant advantages that ornamental grasses have over other landscaping plants is that they require very little maintenance. You should treat them with some starter fertilizer when planting them, but afterward, you only need to fertilize ornamental grasses if they exhibit signs of poor health, such not reaching full height or having a brown or yellow color. Because they have such deep roots, ornamental grasses typically require less watering than lawn grass as well. Pruning is unnecessary, but you should cut back ornamental grasses on a yearly basis to help promote new growth and prevent them from obscuring other parts of your landscape. They experience few disease or insect problems, so they usually do not require treatment either.

Year-Round Plants

• Another benefit of using ornamental grasses for your lawn is that they provide visual interest for your landscape year-round. Unlike flowering plants that only bloom seasonally, the grasses offer color and texture across all four seasons. Some species of ornamental grass may thrive in the spring, summer and fall, when they exhibit colorful foliage or their heads flower, but because of their height, they can help decorate a garden in winter as well, with their blades peeking up through the snow.

Landscape Design Versatility

• Because there are so many species of ornamental grasses, there is a variety of design possibilities when you incorporate them into your landscape. The species vary in size, so you can choose shorter grasses for foundational plantings and taller varieties as a hedge or screen planting. You can also find ornamental grasses in different shapes and textures, so you can combine different varieties to add dimension to your landscape. They vary in color, so you can opt for grasses in various shades of green and blue. You can even find ornamental grasses in purple and red. For added flair, consider planting species with flowering heads, such as fountain grass or Japanese maiden grass.

Movement and Sound

• Ornamental grasses not only provide color, height and texture to your landscape, but soothing movement and sound. When they pick up the wind, the grasses' long blades sway gracefully as part of your landscape. They also make a rustling sound that has a whisper or sigh-like quality, which can be very soothing. As a result, ornamental grasses may be an ideal option if you are creating a Zen or meditation garden for your yard.