Could anyone suggest some perennial planting combinations using ornamental grasses?
Question:I am particularly interested in prarie dropseed and feather reed grasses. I live in easterm KS and love the way the grasses sway in the breeze, and prairie dropseed sounds like a great fall accent. Ideas anyone?
Answers:
If you like the feather grasses (stipa), I'll be you'd love sedge (carex) which comes in bronze, green, lime, and some are variegated; also fountain grass (red & green); mondo grasses- green & some black;
I'd stay away from Pampas grass-considered a noxious weed in some states due to invasiveness.
Ever think about flax? Many beautiful colors of flax- green, burgundy, variegated, green w/coral and bronze. They go great with grasses; and so do pygmy barberries.
Are you wanting to use only grasses? If so, I'd suggest a combination of sizes and colors. The only grasses I have now are Pink pampas which grows 12'x12' , liriope, and spikes which grows to be about 12" There are so many different varieties out there. I would suggest that you go to Lowes or another nursery and just start putting the grasses you like together and see what you come up with. Have you seen the Zebra grass? I think that will be my next grass purchase.
Your combinations sound great. A lot like a Cottage Garden...one of my favs. Anyhow, other perennials I've seen accompanied with grasses are crepe myrtle, Artemisia (powis castle) which forms a big silvery mound and it is incredible soft to the touch. Silver mound Artemisia is really nice too. Spirea would look really good paired with the grasses as well as your other flowers.
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