Ornamental grass in garden decor

You can combine it with flowering plants to beautify your outdoor spaces

For those of us who have gardens that are beautifully maintained, a lawn that is well-manicured and looking like a luscious green carpet, sometimes there is also a need for change in the way it looks. There are many ways of making your garden look different and varied from the usual.

Planting ornamental grass is a practical and charming option to give a facelift to your garden. Ornamental grass is very different from regularly grown grass. It works great as a vertical design element and adds an additional charm to the existing green patch in your garden. Another objective is that it can be planted so as to provide privacy for the rooms at the ground floor level. Its dried foliage can be used to create a bonfire for those special evenings. The swaying and dancing of ornamental grass in the gentle breeze creates a beautiful and picturesque view of the garden. It also attracts less pests and gentle watering can easily shoo away insects, if any.

Use

Ornamental grass is used in combination with flowers and shrubs to fill planting beds, to create new forms and textures. It can be used to differentiate spaces in the garden and also can act as a crowning rim for a lawn or a lotus pond. You should carefully decide on the amount and quality of grass used. Too much ornamental grass could even spoil the neat look. Use it with a minimalist theme in mind and co-ordinate the hues of the grass along with the other flora for a refreshing and rejuvenating pattern.

Types

There are different varieties of ornamental grass depending on the height, foliage, hue, and type of climate to which it is suited. Tall grass like bamboo and plume grass is best suited to demark easily exposed rooms. Plant it alongside large windows. Its tall, thin shafts lend a touch of exquisite charm to the overall landscape.

Intermediate or moderately tall ones of the blue oat grass variety are loose clumps of green foliage and work great to break the monotony of a huge lawn. This can be planted to demarcate areas in the garden and is useful during an open-air party.

Short ornamental grass is the ultimate option for small plots of land. So, in case you have a barren area in the backyard and you do not know what to do with it, plant small shrubs like Pennisetum to pep it up.

Vetiveria zizanioides, better known as 'lavancha' or khus grass is a wonderful way of keeping your pond clean from toxins. This grass absorbs the toxins in the water and lends a fragrant smell to the surroundings.

Care

Ornamental grass is not supposed to be mowed or tread upon, thus making it simple and easy to maintain. It is easily adaptable and can grow in poor soil, better than any other garden plant. Care should be taken to remove the dried leaves to maintain the aesthetics of the garden.