Sedge displays arching leaves that are available in pretty gold, green, or variegated types. A forest garden is one of the few low-maintenance landscaping ideas that thrive on neglect and still ends up looking magical. Theyre amazing accent plants that sway in the breeze and add interest for any season of the year. This means it will benefit further from the above lawn maintenance tips for stronger roots. If it gets too damaged from extreme heat or foot traffic, though, it doesnt bounce back easily. If you live in an area subject to harsh winters, you'll need to treat it as an annual. As low as $29.40. UC Verde Buffalograss is also low-maintenance because it suppresses weed growth well, so youll spend less time getting rid of those nasty weeds. As low as $34.79. This plant family boasts a huge variety of graceful, low-maintenance grasses that add a wealth of texture and movement to the landscape, in colors ranging from soft pink to bright green or intense purple. Don't cut the clump's stems back until after the bleakness of winter passes, since the graceful stems and puffy plumes provide visual interest on an otherwise barren December-February landscape. Heirloom 50+ Ornamental Perennial Grass Seed - Pampas Grass - "Pink" Tall Feathery Blooms. Meanwhile, the garden building adds a chic place to relax whatever the weather. Low maintenance Gardening with Grasses!Learn about the different grasses for sun or shade gardens that will cut down on maintenance and look good doing it.Yo. In high heat, this grass variety tends to thatchgathering debris from roots, dried stems and shoots, making your lawn look brown and requiring lots of maintenance to fix the issue. Prairie Dropseed Grass Zones: 3-9. Look carefully at the different varieties in your planning. Easy to grow, low maintenance and available in many beautiful shapes, sizes and . Large, 12-18" tall plumes erupt from foliage in mid-summer. The UC Verde is a drought-tolerant warm-season grass that survives well in the heated and dry conditions of the US South. Purple fountain (Pennisetum setaceum Rubrum) is a tropical ornamental grass. Ornamental grass is very different from the "grass" that many of us have reluctantly been mowing since our childhoods. Attractive, clump-forming grass with wide leaves and nodding, arching clusters of flat, oat-like seedheads. This low-maintenance, cold-hardy stunner is perfect for both cooler northern regions (where it goes dormant . The seed-heads are mauve-colored. Its also key for keeping clay soils from caking in the upper layers. Cultivars include "Regal Mist," a dark pink variety. Deer Resistant Perennials There are many deer resistant perennials that can be planted in order to deter these creatures from eating your plants. A typical clump size is 5 feet tall by 2 feet wide. However, there is another choice to make a stunning look for your landscaping. Fleur de lawn is a flowering grass mix thats great for its low maintenance and eco-friendliness. Replacing lawn grass with a combination of mulch and ornamental grass can reduce yard maintenance requirements. One way Denver homeowners can create an interesting landscape that is also drought-friendly is by incorporating ornamental grasses. Simple trees, unfussy hedges, and crushed rock borders in black or white come together in an impressive contemporary garden. But the "how"is worth considering, too to avoid making a mess when youtrim ornamental grass. 7 Reasons Of Using Bone Meal Fertilizer In Your Garden, 7 Edible Houseplants That You Will Fall In Love, 23 Creative DIY Succulent Planter Ideas To Place On Desk And Tabletop, 8 Great Natural Pesticides You Can Apply To The Garden, 10 Summer Culinary Herbs That You Can Dry To Use For A Long Time, 8 Amazing Leftover Milk Uses For Your Garden, 9 Houseplants That Look Like A Banana Tree To Bring Tropical Space, 15 DIY Recycled Trellis Ideas For Your Garden, Beautiful Flowers That Resemble Fireworks, Easy DIY Backyard Bike Rack Ideas You Can Build Right Now. Ornamental grasses are drought-resistant and incredibly low-maintenance, thriving in nearly every type of soil with little to no fertilizers. If you want to get straight to it, these are my favorite types of lawns that require less maintenance: Whichever low-maintenance grass type you pick, youll put in less work if you follow these best tips for taking care of your lawn. When youve applied your low-maintenance grass seed, be smart about your lawn care. In recent years, these decorative plants are used a lot by gardeners. Instead, if you want a low-maintenance lawn, youll do best with the grass seed type that goes well with your local climate and backyard. So, what happens if you put clay soil and sand together? In fall, that color morphs to a reddish-purple. This verdant space is full of intriguing yet low maintenance features. Shop ornamental and pampas grass with American Meadows today! You shouldnt fertilize them too early in the spring but rather wait for the grass to actively grow. Maiden grass (Miscanthus sinensisGracillimus) is a fine choice in zones 5 to 9 for a tall,drought-tolerant ornamental grass, as it reaches as much as 7 feet in height, with a spread a bit less than that. Switch Grass grows about 3 feet tall and has arching leaves that turn red in late summer to fall making it becomes an attractive addition to garden beds. A native to the Great Plains and prairies throughout the United States, this tall grass brings texture and even color to a nice design. Bahiagrass is most common in the Gulf Coast region and across the South. Lomandra Breeze. Purple fountain grass thrives in tropical areas and is drought-tolerant. Impressive, graceful, fountain-like clumps. Winter interest is one of the main excuses for growing ornamental grass, and you lose that if you trim in fall. You'll want to contain this plant, however, because it's invasive. These slow-growing, perrenial ornamental grasses form cascading mounds of texture around your garden. Try combining grasses such as Elijah Blue (which you should only need to cut back every couple of years) with varieties such as Festuca Glauca and Miscanthus Sinensis for a beautifully natural look without the graft. Try to space it out and do a thorough watering about once a week. This tough plant is great for drought-prone areas. Use a single variety of ornamental grass to fill the length of the bed instead of mixed perennials and annuals for an easy-care (and handsome-looking) solution. Achieving anaestheticallyappealing landscape while keeping water consumption down can be tricky, but its the price we pay to live in the beautiful Rocky Mountains. Its one of the most common options for the tough transition zone between climates because it has good resistance to both the cold and heat. That is ornamental grasses. Looks great in mass plantings and in containers. He was in the nursery business for over a decade, working with a large variety of plants. These low-maintenanceplants can also make Coloradolandscapesmore interesting by adding height, movement, and even sound! When you apply fertilizer to your lawn, make sure youre doing it at the right moment to take advantage of your turfs primary growth season. Perennials Coneflower ( Echinacea) Coneflowers are a classic low maintenance perennial. It grows 8 to 12 feet tall (its clump has a spread of 3 to 4 feet). Low ornamental grass can work as a ground cover to fill up space and add texture without requiring too much upkeep. They provide visual interest, many grow large and can fill empty spaces, and they return year after year. 1. These plants also respond beautifully to the wind and create sound with their rustling leaves. Feather Reed Grass produces feathery spikes that last into winter making it quite eye-catching. These easy-to-care-for plants can add incredible texture and color to landscapes while not requiring much in return. Ornamental grasses are very different from traditional turf. rubra), which can be grown in zones5 to 9. If you have poor soil in your garden, fertilize it before planting grass seeds in order to restore the nutrients that are not present. If you live in a place with little rainfall in the summer, pick a variety that is highly drought resistant like the UC Verde buffalo grass, which has a deep root system. This turf type is generally low-maintenance and grows best when you water it deeply and not too often. This ornamental grass attains a height of 2 to 3 feet tall, with a similar spread. The retention of water can be improved by simply adding some coconut coir, peat moss or vermiculite. Like its taller cousins, small ornamental grass varieties are highly resistant to pests and disease that can overtake other, less hardy plants. 4. Should I Weed and Feed Before or After Mowing? You get the best of both worlds. They include a variety of ornamental grasses, herbs, vegetables, and flowers. For this reason, we need to categorize ornamental grasses in terms of their height, as follows (all should be grown in full sun unless otherwise stated). Twilight Zone Little Bluestem Grass Zones: 3-9. However, there is another choice to make a stunning look for your landscaping. Good grass like Pennisetum alopecuroides ' Little Bunny ' - Dwarf Fountain Grass is drought tolerant along with Stepable Thymus praecox ' Elfin Pink ', a nearly flat Thyme groundcover. It also offers wispy seed-heads in fall that add further interest. Less mowing is always better. It makes awonderfulfocal point or can be used to hide unsightly objects. That way, after the cutting is done, you mainly have just one object to pick up and move, rather than all of the individual stalks. Japanese Forest Grass is an attractive grass that typically reaches about 18 inches max. Well walk you through everything you need to know on low-maintenance grasses, including the best types for every climate. Dont cut your grass too short. Purple Majesty is so-called for its very dark foliage and cattail-like seed-heads. Here's a list of the top low maintenance plants for your garden divided into sections: perennials, annuals, shrubs, groundcovers, ornamental grasses, and bulbs. Some of the most popular varieties include: yarrow, echinacea, and lavender. Generally, ornamental grasses are quite low maintenance. Ornamental Grasses for the Garden Proven Winners 18 Top Ornamental Grasses Designers love to use ornamental grasses to add structure and seasonal interest. True grasses are in the Grass family (Poaceae) but horticulturists consider Sedges (Carex spp.) Just remember that it doesnt thrive in the shade! Use a large, sturdy knife, an ax, or a sharp shovel to divide the plant into quarters . Let us start off with the native grasses of cooler areas of the world. There are many varieties of ornamental grasses. Add motion, texture and year round interest to your landscape with ornamental grasses. In autumn it bears a dark berry. Usually ships within 2 to 3 days. The striking color of this zone-6-to-9 plant combines well with plants that bear golden or chartreuse leaves. Also grown as groundcover in shaded areas. It tolerates some shade, but grow it in full sun (and well-drained soil) if you wish to enjoy the signature blue hues of its foliage to the fullest. Low Maintenance - Ornamental Grasses - Outdoor Plants - The Home Depot #1 Home Improvement Retailer You're shopping South Loop OPEN until 10 pm Delivering to 60607 Cancel Holiday Decorations Appliances Bath & Faucets Blinds & Window Treatment Building Materials Cleaning Decor & Furniture Doors & Windows Electrical Flooring & Area Rugs Hardware Add some silt which is a type of soil that has smaller particles than sand grains and is also fast-draining to the mixture and you get what is known as loam soil, which is considered to be the best soil for grass seed to grow in. Last Updated on April 18, 2022 by Grow with Bovees. Try to use a natural fertilizer rather than a chemical one and avoid fertilizing in full sun exposure, this way you will have more erosion control resulting in less amounts of damaged grass or lawn diseases. David has been interviewed by numerous newspapers and national U.S. magazines, such as Woman's World and American Way. Blue Fescue is steel-blue grass that tops out around a foot tall and looks great planted in groups of three to five plants. Since they are great in formal, informal and natural settings you're sure to find one or more suited to your landscape design. David Beaulieu is a landscaping expert and plant photographer, with 20 years of experience. Combine with lavender, daylilies, catmint, and sedums for a low-maintenance landscape. Dried flowerheads highly prized. Perennial ornamental grasses include Miscanthus, Pink Muhly Grass, and Pampas Grass, just to name a few. Resembles small sea-oats. Sign up to get all the latest gardening tips! It grows to 3 feet by 3 feet in the landscape. If the common name of "millet" for the species sounds familiar, that's because millet seed is often part of bird-food mixes. However, they will also tolerate slightly colder and warmer conditions. Some really short grasses form a lawn of continuous grass, others will be in clumps with space between the plants. When it comes to maintenance, grasses are relatively low-maintenance, and can be cut back to different heights depending on the look you're going for. Low-Care Landscaping With Ornamental Grass and Mulch Whether you mix ornamental grass with shrubs, trees, and flowers or let it stand alone, you'll want to apply mulch around ornamental grass. Here, browse 16 low-maintenance landscaping ideasfrom ornamental grasses to container gardensto gather inspiration. This way, you can help your grass stay green for longer. Low-maintenance landscaping ideas Tip 1: Understand native plants. The heights and hardiness of the following plants vary greatly: These grass varieties are called "ornamental" for two reasons, both of which are good arguments for including them in your landscaping: The term, "ornamental," is used to distinguish this type of grass from "lawn" grass. Cool-season grasses, like Kentucky bluegrass and tall fescue among other grasses thrive in cooler climates and have a high shade tolerance. Cool-season grasses have fine blades that are soft under your feet, making them a good option for families that spend a lot of time on the grass. While most homeowners dream about lush gardens, flowering plants, mature trees, and year-round color, not many are looking for the hard work, cost, and time required to achieve these results. Most of them share an important trait: low-maintenance. Usually ships within 2 to 3 days. It can be tricky to achieve the best coloration with this plant, but it will often turn a wonderfully warm golden color when grown in shade. Ornamental grasses have gained popularity in recent years due to their low maintenance and potential for year-round interest in the garden. Ornamental grasses are a surprisingly beautiful and low-maintenance option that come in a shocking variety of colors and shapes, many of which are drought-tolerant. This, in turn, will help you grow a more resistant, maintenance-free grass. The grass seed adapts well to different soil types, and it doesnt require much fertilizing, thanks to its deep roots. Its leaves may be solid green or variegated with gold. The ideal USDA hardiness zones are between 5 and 9. Types of Low Maintenance Grass 1. Benefits of planting Easy maintenance. PROS: No Mowing. It needs about six hours of sun and can tolerate shade for about four hours. It's just a question of when. Leave the grass clippings on the lawn when youve mowed it. It's hardy in zones four to eight, and it gets a foot tall and six to nine inches wide. Its purplish flower spikes are followed by fluffy, attractive seed-heads tinged with purple or burgundy. Amend nutrient deficient soil with organic material such as grass clippings, dead leaves or compost. Vibrant green fiber optic grass, which is technically a sedge, adds a unique element to landscapes with its tiny flowers. These plants are warm-season grasses that perform best at temperatures between 60 and 75F. Some types of grass, such as Kentucky bluegrass, cant survive in the shady areas. Height: 3 to 6 feet Color: Burgundy red Cool or Warm Season Grass: Warm Zebra iStock Miscanthus sinensis is a good choice for a hardiness zone of five to nine. plant is bright green with blue flowers in the summer. If you want really low maintenance, then you can always opt for a lawn alternative. 9. As low as $39.89. They have attractive daisy-like flowers that draw in bees and butterflies. Once established, ornamental grass will grow between 4 to 8 inches per year, depending on the soil conditions and the variety planted. Otherwise, your garden will end up looking like a barbershop floor, after a customer has just left. The blades are easy to cut in the fall, winter or spring, and their softer feel won't slice arms like many ornamental grasses can! Here are a few ornamental grasses that would look wonderful in a Denver landscape design. Ships from and sold by Florida Foliage. Cool season grasses are not good for the Southern US states extreme summer heat but are better suited for the Northeast and Northwest. USDA zones: 3 - 8. If you're looking for a dynamic garden without having to bend over backwards to achieve it, ornamental grasses are happy to take the wheel. So much for what might be considered the "when" part of the question. Kentucky bluegrass is a common cool-season grass in the Northeast and on the West Coast. Use as a low-maintenance border. Get it Aug 18 - 23. Its job is not so much to be admired, in and of itself, as it is to form a stage on which the yard's actors (flowers, shrubs, trees, hardscape, etc.) You can also use grass seed in batches, with different types for different areas of your lawn if they vary in sun and shade levels. Korean Velvet Grass No-Mow Grass Korean Velvet Growing Conditions: Ornamental grass with a slow growth rate, requires less water, fertilizer, and thatch. The warm-season variety can resist drought conditions and a good percentage of their growth happens in the summer heat. This mix is designed to bring back nutrients to your lawn to make it more low-maintenance. Makes a great native ornamental grass. Ornamental grasses can grow without supervision, pruning, or maintenance. Hard fescue and fine fescue mixes require very little maintenance. Add Color and Texture to Any Landscape with Ornamental Grasses. The latter is a functional grass, serving primarily a practical purpose: It forms a uniform surface on which to walk when we're out in the yard. Blue oat grass is a mounding,cool-season ornamental grass suitable for zones 4 to 8. Color and texture aren't the only benefits you can reap with ornamental grass. Some hardy ornamental grasses are suitable for the coldest climates, while others tolerate intense summer heat or salty air and windy coastal conditions. USDA Zones: 8 to 11 'LM300' Breeze has fine, bright green foliage. Like CitraBlue and Palmetto St. Augustinewhich we talk about a little farther down in this articleEMPIRE has a very dense canopy. Remember, maintaining a lawn goes beyond mowing grass. For areas with heavy rainfall, choose grass seed that can handle the extra moisture. Without a subpoena, voluntary compliance on the part of your Internet Service Provider, or additional records from a third party, information stored or retrieved for this purpose alone cannot usually be used to identify you. Northern sea oats (Chasmanthium latifolium) is an ornamental grass that grows 2 to 3 feethigh in loose clumps of green foliage. Carex Spark Plug is another impostor (it's a type of sedge) that nonetheless plays the "shorty" role well, reaching only about a foot in height. 1976-2022 Lifescape Colorado, all rights reserved, We use cookies to optimize our website and, Low-Maintenance Ornamental Grasses Great for Colorado Landscapes. Maiden Grass has a lovely texture with silvery plumes that appears in the fall and winter. The flower heads are reddish. Once established, ornamental grass landscaping is low-maintenance, drought tolerant, and resistant to disease. The technical storage or access is required to create user profiles to send advertising, or to track the user on a website or across several websites for similar marketing purposes. Large, Medium, and Small Picks for a Low-Care Alternative. This reliable grass is valued for its low-maintenance, tolerance of a wide range of growing conditions, and hardiness. Andropogon gerardii Indian Warrior is a cultivar of big bluestem grass suitable for zones 3 to 9. A fine blade perennial with a compact habit that offers bright pine green foliage. Yeah, sure Bermuda grass or St. Augustine grass is nice, but is it worth it? Wood oats first grow in greenish-blue hues that change to yellow and brown as the plant develops. Whether it be grass seed for areas of full sun, partial shade or full shade, you need to make sure youve picked the right one for your location based on the below factors. Dwarf mondo grass does well in full sun or partially shaded areas. Medium-Sized Varieties of Ornamental Grasses, Low-Care Landscaping With Ornamental Grass and Mulch, 12 Best Ornamental Grasses for Your Landscape, How and When to Cut Back Ornamental Grasses, How to Grow and Care for Chinese Silver Grass, 10 Best Ornamental Grasses for Adding Privacy to the Garden, 10 Popular Sedges for Ornamental Garden Use, 33 Best Rock Garden Plants for Sun or Shade, How to Grow and Care for Blue Fescue Grass, 10 Best Plants for Erosion Control in Your Yard, The Best Zone 7 Plants to Grow Regionally, 10 Great Ornamental Grasses to Grow in Containers, 18 Perennial Flowers That Bloom in Spring, Summer and Fall, How to Grow and Care for Silvergrass (Miscanthus), 12 Fall Plants for Container Gardens & Hanging Baskets. For help incorporating ornamental grasses and other beautiful yet tough plants for Colorado landscapes experiencing dry conditions, call on the plant experts at Lifescape. This low maintenance evergreen will grow in sun or shade and is salt and drought tolerant. In fact, happy homeowners tend to strive for a beautiful garden . Certain varieties of ornamental grasses act like wind chimes in the breeze, adding a delightfully unexpected element to landscape designs. Color and texture arent the only benefits you can reap with ornamental grass. You can fertilize again in the fall, but theres no need to do it across the summer unless your lawn is really in need of nutrients. Find more gardening information on Gardening Know How: Keep up to date with all that's happening in and around the garden. Let Your Jungle Grow Wild. Lilyturf likes water but also prefers well-drained soil. 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