Freshen Your Garden With Fall Grasses

Days are shorter, temperatures are cooler, and the kids are back in school. What does that mean for your garden? The new season brings new possibilities for the garden. This is a time when grasses and grass-like plants can really stand out. With more and more varieties showing up on nursery shelves, your grassland garden is within reach.

Varieties Of Grasses

There are quite a wide variety of grass and grass-like plants, ranging in size from one-foot dwarfs to 8-foot giants.

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Phormium. One favorite variety is the flax or phormium family. No longer just green and bronze, these grasses are now available in stripes of white, cream, pink, and yellow.

Pennisetum. Another easy-to-grow member of the grass family is the pennisetum. These durable grasses will stand out in any garden, especially the new variety called "Red Bunny Tails."

Phalaris and Acorus. Other types to look for are the phalaris or ribbon grass family, and the acorus family.

Pairing these grasses with traditional fall flowers can make for a truly beautiful garden.

Fall Gardening Tips

Fall triggers new activities in the garden. The following gardening tips will help keep your fall garden in tiptop shape.

  • Feed warm season grasses with a high nitrogen fertilizer to delay dormancy.
  • Plant winter vegetables--broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, brussels sprouts, carrots, beets, and more.
  • Leave your roses alone. No more fertilizer, less water, and no more trimmings.
  • Reduce frequency of watering.
  • Plant cool season grasses, available in either seed or sod.

Following these fall gardening tips and adding showier plants and grasses can turn a ho-hum garden into a magnificent garden. And while the fall may make most gardens look like they've moved off to the compost pile, your grasses will make your garden shine throughout the season. Staged as great uprights in containers or in the ground, grasses will help you enjoy a beautiful, healthy, colorful fall garden.