If you are a weekend gardener and don't have an abundance of time to maintain your landscape--ornamental grasses are the perfect choice. They come in a wide variety of colors, heights, and growth patterns, and have very few pest problems. They are also very drought resistant and with proper mulching, you can have a landscape that demands little attention and looks good all year round. Lastly, (and for many, one of the more  important attributes), they are one of the few plantings that deer never touch. 

            Thanks to the efforts of Mary Meyer, Harold Pellett and D. White, who conducted research at the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum on the hardiness of ornamental grasses, we know which varieties will thrive here in the north. I heartily recommend that you order their publication, Ornamental Grasses for Cold Climates at http://shop.extension.umn.edu/PublicationDetail.aspx?ID=878. I've found that many northern nurseries offer grasses that won't survive our climate, but for only $9.95 you will know exactly which varieties will do the best in your cold-climate landscape.  

It's pretty obvious that pampas grass won't survive here, but Miscanthus sinensis 'Silberfeder' is a very close substitute with its large silver flowerheads.  Flamegrass (M. var. purpurescens) is another outstanding variety of miscanthus which not only has white flowers, but also the added benefit of brilliant orange foliage in the autumn.   

            Calamagrostis a. 'Karl Foerster' is one of the better known taller grasses, growing up to 4-1/2 feet, with tall pink plumes in July. A lesser known variety is the shorter C. a. 'Overdam'.  In the spring the new foliage is variegated with white and even a little pink on the edges.  As summer wears on it loses much of the variegation, but still remains attractive.  

            My favorite ornamental grass is the switchgrass, Panicum v. 'Heavy Metal'. This beautiful powder blue grass grows to about 5 feet tall and is a good choice for any area of your landscape.  The pink flowers appear in late summer and seem to hover over the bright blue foliage like an airy cloud.  

            Another blue grass that I've used over and over in my own landscape is little bluestem or (Schizachyrium scoparium). I first heard about little bluestem during my master gardener training classes where we learned that it once was abundant in the North American tall grass prairies.  In fact, at one time it was the most prevalent grass in the midlands of America.  After seeing a slide  shown by Mary Meyer--I knew I had to have it. Little bluestem grows about 2-3 feet tall and is a beautiful sky blue color for the first half of the season. In August, the stems start to turn pink and by fall the plant has turned a beautiful bronze to copper color.  The ripening seed heads have a fluffy, feathery appearance.  What's not to like?            

There are also many good shorter, mounding grasses. I've seen some very effective plantings using the smaller blue grasses as edging around flower beds or used by themselves, en mass. I've tried blue fescue, but found it to be short-lived with a tendency to die out in the center. I've had much better luck with blue oatgrass (Helictotrichon semperivrens 'Sapphire'), however, my soil is a sandy loam and good drainage is a must for this steel blue ornamental.  If the perennial blue ornamental grasses don't survive in your garden, you might want to try the new annual grass Melinis nerviglumis 'Savannah'.  It has lovely blue-green fine leaves and silky seed heads that start a deep rose and gradually turn a soft pink as the season progresses.

            Tufted hair grass (Deschampsia c.) is another mounding grass that works well as a planting around ponds to soften the rock edges. The narrow foliage forms an attractive mound that for some reason reminds me of a Chia pet (go figure!). The 2-3 ft. green to gold flowers last well into winter.   I also like the native prairie grass, prairie dropseed (Sporobolus heterolepis) that is the only ornamental grass that has fragrant flowerheads.  In fact, the flowers have a fragrance reminiscent of coriander or Juicy Fruit gum.                     

            You may think that it sounds strange when I describe the "flowers" of each grass, but ornamental grasses do bloom. The florescence is made up of many tiny flowers which as the season progresses turn into the attractive seed heads good for dried arrangements.             

            As I've said before, ornamental grass maintenance is minimal. Each spring, cut down the previous year's growth to ground level before the new leaves begin to appear.  The only exception is blue oatgrass. It is semi-evergreen, so remove the dead foliage from the thriving blades by combing it with your fingers as you pull up from the crown.  

 Spring is also the best time for propagating.  Dig up the entire clump with a sharp spade, discard the center and cut the remaining parts into smaller sections.  Replant the divisions and keep them watered until they are well established. Newly planted grasses appreciate the regular watering, but once established, they are very drought tolerant. 

            That's pretty much it. No wonder Calamagrostis a. 'Karl Foerster' was named Perennial Plant of the Year for 2001! 

Tying up Ornamental Grass Video
Before cutting down ornamental grasses in the spring, use this technique to keep the grasses from falling over.

For more information on ornamental grasses:

• Ornamental grass care,  K-State Research & Extension
• Ornamental Grasses OSU
• Ornamental Grass Evaluations OSU
• Perry's (Vermont) Photos and Files
• 1997-98 Vermont Ornamental Grass Trials
• Bachmans Varieties of Ornamental Grass
• Miscanthus
• Ornamental Grasses in Nebraska Landscapes
• Grasses in the Home Landscape