How To Care For And Cut Back Ornamental Grasses with Carolyn Kolb
Posted on 26. Apr, 2010 by carolynkolb in Blog, Care and maintenance, Ornamental grasses
Beautiful Photos of Ornamental Grasses
Posted on 16. Dec, 2009 by carolynkolb in Blog, Movement, Types of Grasses
Watch this video of ornamental grasses shot with a blackground, showing off their exquisite forms. Photos and artistry by Travis Houston, Shoot On Sight Photography.
The Magic of Ornamental Grass, Molinia c. 'Skyracer'
Posted on 17. Nov, 2009 by carolynkolb in Blog, Designing, Movement, Ornamental grasses
Molinia c. ‘Skyracer’ ( Tall purple moor grass) is a grass I highly recommend for your landscape. The mounded green, basal foliage grows only about 2′ tall, allowing it to be placed almost anywhere within your beds. The show begins in summer, when the 7-8′ tall seedheads appear. Although they are commanding in height, the stems are not dense, offering a see-through quality. Their stately upright form waves in the slightest summer breeze, adding graceful movement to your garden. Skyracer is especially dazzling when it is planted in front of a solid background, or backlit by the sun.
At the Oregon Garden in Silverton, Skyracer is utilized as a drift on a hillside along the path, drawing your eye to the golden seedheads with a clear blue sky background. (Unless it’s raining, of course) In a stiff breeze, the seedheads dart in unison like a flock of sand birds.
Skyracer grows well in containers, and can be moved around the garden to fill in gaps as the season wears on. The foliage turns a lovely, rich golden color in the fall.
Tall purple moor grasses are native to moist, sunny, open habitats in Eurasia and are hardy to Zone 4. Although they prefer regular water, they are quite drought tolerant once established.
Skyracer is a grass that is not only spectacular but durable as well, gracing your yard for many years. And, since it is a relatively slow grower, you won’t need to divide it for several years. The only yearly maintenance is shearing it about 3″ above the ground in early spring, when the new green growth emerges.
So much pleasure, so little work!
When to cut your ornamental grasses back?
Posted on 29. Oct, 2009 by carolynkolb in Blog, Care and maintenance, Ornamental grasses
With the advent of the first frost, your deciduous grasses will turn a lovely tan color. Shortly thereafter, I see commercial landscape maintenance people clipping the grasses to the ground in the name of neatness. I lament the fact that we are missing the very attribute that grasses are famous for- winter structure and interest.
The warm season grasses, such as Miscanthus and Pennisetum, are those that bloom late in the season, with the seedheads lasting throughout the winter,. On a late fall morning, take a stroll by your grasses and marvel at the seedheads with their glorious frosting of ice crystals, or jewel-like dew. This scene is doubly wondrous if the grasses are backlit by the sun. All winter long, the grasses keep their structure, with the seedheads being amazingly resilient to winds, rain, and even snow.
When the leaves have turned tan, they become papery, and rustle in the breezes, adding yet another dimension to your winter landscape.
So, when is the ideal time to cut grasses down? Certainly, if any of the stems have fallen over or are looking unsightly, then by all means, cut them. But generally, it’s best to leave the grass intact until you see the new green shoots emerging in the spring. The clumps of dried grasses will provide food and shelter for the birds and other wild life. The tops also tend to protect the plant from the ravages of winter.
The time when the new growth emerges will vary according to the spring weather, but usually it’s sometime between late February and mid March. At that time, shear the grasses off a few inches above the ground. Depending on the type of grass, and how many you have, the job can be done with hedge shears, or an electric hedge pruner. If the clumps are large, I recommend tying a bungee cord around it prior to cutting it. That makes simple work of carrying the bundle all at once to its destination.
The clipping of the foliage allows the sun to penetrate the soil, warming the roots, and getting ready for their next spectacular show.
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Designing With Grasses Presentation
Posted on 24. Oct, 2009 by carolynkolb in Blog
Recently, the Avid Gardeners Garden Club in Eugene, Oregon, invited me to speak to them about Ornamental Grasses.
My specific topic was Designing With Grasses, so we began with the many and diverse attributes of grasses. From there we discussed the various families of grasses, whether they are warm or cool season grasses, and what that means in planning your landscape.
Finally, we covered the Care and Maintenance of grasses, which is amazingly simple if you know the basic rules.
I’d like to thank the Avid Gardeners for their generous hospitality. We were mightily impressed with their attentiveness too, even though most of them do have Ornamental Grasses in their landscape.
Eugene Avid Gardeners Club – October 19th, 2009.
http://www.avidgardeners.org
Panicum v. 'Huron Solstice'
Posted on 15. Aug, 2008 by carolynkolb in Blog, Ornamental grasses
Panicum ‘Huron Solstice’ is a new variety of switch grass for 2008. The blue green foliage begins turning a deep burgundy wine color in early summer, and by fall is almost totally burgundy, providing a stunning accent with its blazing fall color. Dainty, airy, purplish inflorescences appear atop the foliage in late August. Height is approximately 4′.
Eragrostis spectabilis
Posted on 15. Aug, 2008 by carolynkolb in Blog, Ornamental grasses
Eragrostis spectabilis is a fall blooming grass that makes my heart sing when it bursts forth with light airy, pinkish-purple panicles in mid August here in the Northwest. Planted among pink Echinacea, the blooms become a bouquet in the garden. When side or back lit by the sun, the inflorscences positively glow. Now add a gentle breeze, and an element of movement makes the scene come alive. Eragrostis spectabilis reaches 2′ in height and width.
Prairie Grass- Bouteloua gracilis
Posted on 15. Aug, 2008 by carolynkolb in Blog, Ornamental grasses
Warm Season Ornamental Grasses
Posted on 11. Aug, 2008 by carolynkolb in Blog, Ornamental grasses
Warm season grasses are preparing for a magnificent stravaganza as mid August approaches. Among the most common families of warm season grasses are Panicum, Molinia, Miscanthus, and Pennisetum. These are the grasses that like temperatures above 75 degrees. Bloom time begins in mid August and continues through September. Since they bloom so late in the season, the seedheads remain in tact through the winter in most climates. I recommend not cutting these grasses down until late February or early March, as they bring so much enjoyment through the drearier months. After a frost, the foliage turns tan, but remains upright and adds a much needed structural element to the garden. Additionally, the foliage rustles quite dramatically in the winter winds, lending both movement and sound. The seeds provide food and cover for the birds as well.
Ornamental Grass Companions
Posted on 07. Aug, 2008 by carolynkolb in Blog, Designing, Movement, Ornamental grasses
Ornamental grasses compliment perennials in magical ways. In designing gardens, its wise to choose grasses and perennials that bloom at the same time for maximum impact. Here we have a Pennisetum (Fountain Grass) ‘Red Bunny Tails’ which blooms from late May through the summer. As the inflorescences emerge, they are distinctively burgundy, gradually changing to a tan color. They will remain upright most of the winter, depending on your climate. Even the slightest breeze sets them dancing and adding movement to the garden. By contrast, the Echinacea is stationary and acts as the grounding element. For this particular combo, the grass reaches 3′ high in bloom, while the coneflower is slightly taller, giving the grass a ‘filler effect’ like baby’s breath in a bouquet.