Garden Design: Leaf Texture
Karen The texture of leaves can have a big impact on the beauty of a garden yet it is often ignored. Just think about the contrast between the foliage of ferns…
Ornamental Grasses for Cold Climates
Ornamental grasses are more and more popular as garden styles are changing and a natural look is developing. They have a lot to offer a gardener because they can play…
Ornamental Grass Used for Screen or Hedge
Tall ornamental grasses can be utilized as screens or hedges. Some can even be effective as windbreaks. They come in different heights, colors, and textures so can fit into a…
Ornamental Grass Used as Ground Covers
Ornamental grasses make excellent ground covers. Clump-forming grasses can be used to make attractive patterns while fast spreading running grasses can stabilize the soil and reduce erosion. Both the foliage…
Ornamental Grass Look-Alikes
The term grass is generally used to refer to plants with long thin leaves but to be a true grass the plant must be in the family Poaceae (aka Gramineae)…
Ornamental Grasses: Forms
Ornamental grasses that grow in clumps vary in form from stiff and upright to relaxed and floppy. When classifying grasses by form only the foliage is considered, not the flowering…
Ornamental Grasses as Valuable Garden Plants
Ornamental grasses have become increasingly popular in the last few decades. Before 1950 they were rare in American landscapes but since that time they have become a staple in American…
Plant Profile: Silver Spike Grass (Achnatherum calamagrostis)
This cool weather grass is a native of the mountains of southern Europe where it is found in forest openings. In addition to cool temperatures it likes low humidity. It…
Plant Profile: ‘Read Head’ Fountain Grass (Pennisetum alopecuroides ‘Red Head’)
The large plumes of ‘Red Head’ fountain grass are 8-10” long and 3” wide. Pink when they first appear, the plumes mature to smoky purple. They appear in mid- to…
Name This Plant Game: Fall Ornamental Grasses
Chuck This simple game tests your gardening knowledge by identifying five plants shown in photos from a list of possible names. Photos of each plant are accompaned by a clue describing…