Although we’re ready for spring, we pause now to appreciate how valuable grasses are in the winter landscape. Throughout the season, we’ve enjoyed cruising the nursery and seeing how the grasses have fared.
We love the colors, the textures, and the habits grasses bring when the rest of the landscape is taking a visual rest. Take a quick tour through one of our border plantings…
A dense border of grasses and other perennials runs along the front of the nursery. The grasses stand tall and beautiful at the end of February.The neat habit and fluffy plumes of Pennisetum alopecuroides ‘Cassian.’The spent plumes of Pennisetum alopecuroides ‘Cassian’ catch sleet pellets as they fall.Panicum virgatum ‘Northwind’ stands upright with dense plumes.We love the intense copper color and tall blooms of Andropogon ternarius.Muhlenbergia lindheimeri is an under-used grass. It’s drought-tolerant and tough. And it looks great in this winter landscape.Our perennial border provides cover and food for wildlife. This robin isn’t so happy with the cold but finds a sheltered spot among the grasses and shrubs.All the Miscanthus in the border have tall, wispy plumes and catch the slightest breeze. Miscanthus sinensis ‘Little Zebra’ is compact and fits easily into many garden spots.Panicum virgatum ‘Dallas Blues’ is tall, with a vase-like habit and dense plumes. The border has an array of copper, rust, and toast shades.Andropogon glomeratus (to the right) towers over the Pennisetum alopecuroides ‘Red Head.’ Andropogon glomeratus stands out for its showy seedheads, linearity, and deep, rich copper color.The red and burgundy fall colors of Panicum virgatum ‘Rotstrahlbusch’ mellow to toasty shades in winter. The delicate foliage and seedheads provide interest throughout winter.
Now that spring is almost here, we’ve started cutting back and readying the border for the growing season. Learn more about cutting back grasses and sedges.
See full plant profiles for the grasses mentioned above via these links:
If you receive liners during winter or early spring, we’ll probably ask where you’re putting the plants. We want the liners you receive to grow and thrive.
