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10 Surprising Uses For Ornamental Grasses

Last updated Apr 28, 2021

 

An ornamental grass is a super flexible addition to your garden. Their uses are many and varied, so whether it be as a focal point, an accent or a screen, you’re sure to find a spot in your backyard that would be made a touch better by a grass’ presence.

Here are just 10 of the ways you can add to your garden using an ornamental.

Cover Ground

Low growing and mid-sized ornamentals offer a great alternative to normal turf grasses in areas that are going to be free of foot-traffic. They’ll make for a far more interesting texture and also help smother any weeds that may be lurking.

Denser ornamental grasses such as mounding varieties will make for really good cover due to their dense growing habits.

Add to your Veggie Patch

When you’re thinking of planting ornamentals, why focus on your garden proper? Your veggie patch can also be jazzed up with the use of a nicely contrasting grass. A lighter reedgrass can really pop against the darker hues of your veggie patch.

Using clumping grasses rather than running varieties will mean your produce won’t be overtaken by vigorously spreading grass.

Soften Bricks and Pavers

Retaining walls, concrete and pavers can have a cold and uninviting feel to them if left bare. Soften the look of this hardscaping by using an ornamental grass.

As a pool decoration, ornamental grasses are hard to beat. Because they don’t bloom, they won’t attract bees, nor will you have much of an issue of plant debris in the pool.

As Garden Bed Edging

If you’re looking to create an edge around a garden bed, placing a neat line of low, clumping grasses can be a beautiful, and surprisingly low maintenance, way to go. Grasses like Festuca are a great option.

Placing the grasses closer together than you otherwise might throughout the rest of your garden will allow them to meld together, creating a living wall.

Add Texture

To spice up the look of your garden, adding ornamental grasses can make the rest of your garden’s plants pop. An upright, tall grass amongst mounded, ground hugging plants, or a subtle, low lying grass near a more statement plant, can add the contrast your garden may otherwise be missing.

You can make the most of this differentiation by planting multiple varieties of ornamental in the one bed. Go wild!

Dress Up Verandas and Patios

Why stick to garden beds? Adding a potted grass to your otherwise bare deck can make all the difference to the look and feel. Choosing the right container and grass combination can really set the mood for your entertaining area.

Annual grasses that you replace every Spring are worth considering here, as the ease of transplanting is far greater in pots than in your garden bed.

For a Garden Accent

While grasses are much more subtly coloured than most other plants in your garden, using their natural hues as an accent to surrounding plants is a great way to use bare spaces without taking the focus away from your statement plants.

A light, airy variety such as fountain grass accents beautifully against a more dark and dramatically coloured flowering plant.

Make Garden Art Pop

Using an ornamental grass to complement a garden sculpture can create a brilliant yet subtle look in your patch. The minimal upkeep with this sort of setup is perfect for those look for maximum impact with minimum effort.

And feel free to let your inner Picasso out – clearing out some broken pottery from your garden shed and placing it amongst some well positioned grasses can be a super simple and beautiful addition to your garden.

Add Privacy

Whether you’re looking to stop people leering into your backyard, or covering up an unsightly view from your range of vision, a tall ornamental grass can be just the ticket to add a beautiful natural screen to your landscape.

Varieties such as Ravenna grass can grow up to four metres, so there’ll be an option no matter how tall you need your screen to be. Be aware that you’ll need to cut back your screen in Spring, so be prepared for a brief lack of privacy every year.

Attract Birdlife

Often an unexpected plus of adding ornamental grass, birdlife will love your new addition. Whether it be for building nests or finding shelter, your twitching career will come along in leaps and bounds.

For the best results, choose a grass that is native to your region.

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