GUIDE TO ORNAMENTAL GRASS Grasses are perennials that offer fast growth and very low maintenance. Black Pine Nursery offers highly decorative, ornamental grasses which can be used in the landscape as screens, ground covers, accents or in mass plantings. Grasses add interesting color and texture to the landscape with blooming beginning in mid-summer and often persisting with the old foliage into winter. Trim back old growth in the spring, just as new foliage appears. The following guide will help you select the perfect accent. If you don't have an abundance of time to maintain your garden, ornamental grasses are a perfect plant choice. Most species are not picky about soil, though they appreciate good drainage, as do most plants. Once they're established, grasses tend to be fairly drought tolerant, and are susceptible to few pests. Even deer don't find most of them palatable. Watch my ebay store for Ornamental Grasses to be listed soon. Black Pine Nursery . See below for a few of the grasses listed. PLANTING GRASS The best time for planting grasses is in the spring or fall. Choose a site with well-drained soil and a sunny exposure. Plant a clump-forming ornamental grass as you would any perennial, giving it a boost of compost or fertilizer and a deep watering. Use 2 to 4 inches of shredded bark as mulch around your plants to help maintain soil moisture. ANNUAL CHORES Leave your grasses standing through winter, then when new growth starts in the Spring, cut them back to about 6" to 8". A sturdy pair of handheld shears makes easy work of pruning smaller grasses. Use hedge trimmers for larger grasses or where the clumps have grown dense. Shear off the foliage so that you have at least 6 inches of the clump remaining for smaller grasses, 8 inches for larger grasses. EVERY 3 OR 4 YEARS After a few years in the garden, even the slower-growing grasses may grow out of their intended home. By spading off pieces of the parent plant, you can whittle it down to a more manageable size. Plus, you now have additional plants to spread around the garden or give to neighbors. Divide grasses in early spring before the plant has put on much new growth. Start by shearing off last year's growth, if you haven't already. Using your spade, make a cut in the soil about an inch or so away from the clump. Then make several cuts straight down through the clump to portion off a piece. Lift out the new portion of grass, roots and all. Plant the new piece as soon as possible and fill in the hole you left by the parent plant with a mix of compost and soil. Grass clumps may die out in the center as the plant ages. Periodic division, as described above, may prevent this, but if not, dig up the clump (in early spring before growth begins) and divide it. Split off a healthy piece of the clump and replant in the original growing site. The remainder of the clump can be broken up and planted elsewhere. MAIDEN GRASS MISCANTHUS The graceful, 'Gracillimus' - Fine textured foliage, delicate flowers begin to appear in late summer on an upright arching plant, making this grass useful for screening, naturalizing or as a feathery pink specimen in the landscape. Silky plumes that begin in September and last until mid-winter, turning beige with age. Tolerates wet soils. Height 4'; Spread 3-4' VERY DWARF FOUNTAIN GRASS Pennisetum alopecuroides (Little Bunny) Dwarf ornamental grass adds interest to garden edges: plums are good in floral arrangements. Blooms June to September. Height 11" Spread 18" BLUE FESCUE ('Elijah Blue') The best true blue fescue on the market. Coarse blue foliage maintains its deep blue color through late fall. Use for rock gardens, ground cover, accent, edging. Height 8-10"; Spread 10-15". DWARF FOUNTAIN GRASS (Pennisetum alopecuroide 'Hameln') Silvery-rose flower plumes on graceful narrow leaves bloom from July to September. Use for accent, or tall border. Excellent combined with many plants in low maintenance natural gardens, as a border, in containers, or massed ground cover . Very easy and tolerant when established. Height 24"; Spread 1-2'. RIBBON GRASS (Phalaris arundinacea 'Picta') Attractive variegated foliage, spreads by rhizomes, very hardy. Excellent for mass plantings or as a ground-cover. Early summer blooming, tolerates wet or dry soils. Height 24"; Spread 1-2'. PORCUPINE GRASS (Miscanthus sinensis Strictus) A 5-7' tall ornamental grass. Long, slender upright leaves have prominent horizontal golden-yellow bands. Silver blooms up to 9' tall are held from fall into winter. Space 3-4' apart. Drought tolerant. BLUE OAT GRASS HeLictotrichon. sempervirens Sapphire A clump-forming cool season grass that has beautiful deep blue foliage. This cultivar of Blue Grass is reported to have improved resistance to rust fungus. Prefers full sun and well-drained location and can be grown in containers. Two feet tall, flowers in May. MORNING LIGHT GRASS The best all-around garden plant among the Miscanthus species and cultivars. It has narrow foliage, fine texture, and rounded form of 'Gracillimus', with leaf margins uniformly white-variegated. Blooms late with reddish flowers and is not inclined to self-sowing, although it may do so in warm moist parts of the southeastern United States. It never flops over. This grass is especially beautiful near water or grown in a container. Tolerates light shade and grows to 6 ft. KARL FORESTER REED GRASS (Calamagrostis x acutiflora Karl forester has a wheat-like look that makes it one of the showiest and most popular grasses. It grows in upright clumps lending a vertical accent. The straight, greenish flower spikes form in May to June, turn golden, then bleach tan and persist into the winter. JAPANESE BLOOD GRASS Red Baron Japanese Blood Grass ' Imperata cylindrica, grows about 1 1/2 feet high with a nice open habit, and brilliant blood red leaves all year. Upright and open and slow spreading. Makes a gorgeous groundcover, for best look should plant in groups 3-5. Grows well, but not in any way invasive. Reported hardy in zones 6-9. MISCANTHUS PURPLE FLAME Flame grass provides outstanding foliage year-round and makes a dramatic addition to your landscape. 4 - 5 feet tall with broad dark purple leaf blades. Narrowly upright; never needs staking. One of the best of the Miscanthus, very hardy and will rebound form drought, fire, and abuse. With good moisture, leaves will have reddish to bluish (Depending on color), cast by mid-summer; fall color is tan to orange, again depending upon color being grown. 4 to 5 feet tall, clumping, growing in diameter each season unless divided. (Will grow taller with application of compost or fertilizer) MISCANTHUS VARIEGATED Variegated Miscanthus ' miscanthus varigatus, is long a classic for good reason. Neither rare or hard to find as some suggest, but truly wonderful. Wonderful green striped white leaves that makes the plant great to lighten a dark area, are beautiful up close, or in a vase with flowers. A large plant suitable as a specimen, for a massed planting, or as a focal point in a large garden, 6-7 ft. tall. It has a beautiful arching habit that looks particulary attractive around water or hillsides, and in late summer early fall it produces pale pink plumes. PLUME GRASS Hardy Pampas Grass Erianthus ravennae Hardy Pampas Grass has an upright to open habit with large, white plumed flowers. Flowers appear in fall from late September to late October. Because of its large size it is very effective as a specimen plant or screen. It forms large clumps up to about five feet in diameter. It is often used as a substitute for pampas grass in northern growing areas. The stems are weaker than pampas grass and have a tendency to break in high winds. It performs best in as sunny site in moist, well-drained soils. Wet sites shorten its life considerably and leads to extensive winter injury. Zone: 5-9 Height: 8-12 feet STRAWBERRY & CREAM Strawberries & Cream Ribbon Grass' also known as Phalaris arundinacea 'Feesey', is a stunningly colored variegated grass, cooler weather brings out strong pink coloration in addition to the white and green. It comes with warning however. It should only be planted where it has room to roam, it is very vigourous, think mint! (A real weed for new gardeners). Its perfect to cover hills you do not want to mow, patches in natural plantings, or for erosion control! My experience here is that it will grow, thrive in almost bog like conditions in addition to well, anywhere but the mojave desert. In looks incredible in Spring, then gets dog eared by August in our hot summers. Cut back, yes feel free to mow or weed-wack it back to 4-6 inches, it will send out new fresh foliage. Excellent in wet areas, pondside, natural gardens where they can run, or as a groundcover. Reported hardy in zones 4-9.