How to grow ornamental grass

Ornamental grasses are used extensively in modern landscape design for a good reason. The effect created as tall grasses sway gracefully in a light breeze can never be reproduced any other way. It is also interesting how grasses transform across different times of the year: changing their colours, texture and form and keeping you interested throughout.

Yet grasses are exceptionally hardy and require very little maintenance to thrive. This makes them irresistible to the busy home owner who has little time to tend a fussy garden. Here are some tips to help you incorporate ornamental grasses into your yard:

Grasses are as diverse as they are versatile. Some like the white feather pampas grass and reed grass grow as tall as two metres; others like the Chinese forest grass varieties barely manage a foot.

They also come in a wide range of colours - from different shades of green, blue, purple or a combination of colours. Whatever your preferences, you can be sure to find something that just suits you.

Choosing the right grass for the right place is an important decision. While some are excellent for wet areas, others handle the heat and drought of rock gardens and pavement with amazing grace.

Grasses that naturally grow in the hot and dry savannah will struggle in cold and wet environments. Others may become invasive and overrun other varieties. Hence a safe place to start is with grasses that are native to your area or areas with similar conditions as yours.

Cultivation

With a few exceptions such as the switch grass, most grasses like full sun. It is therefore advisable to plant them in an open area where they will get at least half a day of full sun. They will also appreciate slightly moist but well-drained grounds and moderately fertile soils.

Most grasses are generally hardy and easy to cultivate. Many will actually seed themselves and grow new ones around the parent stock to the point that you have to control them. You can start new grass by splitting these from the base of the parent stock and replanting them elsewhere. You can also harvest seeds from well-developed flower heads, dry them and germinate them in a new location.

You can also plant grasses in containers. Just make sure you use the right size of container, knowing that some grasses will grow and multiply infinitely. Also ensure that the growing mix has good drainage by adding lots of loamy compost.

Special effects

Ornamental grasses have some unique qualities worth exploiting in the garden. Their fountain-like growth habit, the graceful way they move and rustle in the wind and the way the morning and afternoon light settles in the foliage can produce some breathtaking effects.

Golden or grey grasses planted to the West of a bench or patio, for instance, will produce a wonderful back-lit sunset show. The showy blooms or seed heads of some grasses can also be used in some of the most beautiful flower arrangements. Yet others can be planted singly to create an eye catching focal point in the garden.

— The writer is a landscape architect

Photo: Hosea Omole/Standard