Feather reed grass, a favorite because it retains its neat clump habit and has a straight upright form, grows about 4 to 5 feet tall. It makes a tidy screen or background plant when several are planted in a row. In early summer, its flowers are pink and gradually darken; by late August, the flowers are beige with a wheat-like appearance. They stand tall throughout the winter, lending a beauty to the garden even when covered with frost and snow.
Tropical-looking zebra grass miscanthus and maiden grass miscanthus also make great screens with flowering plumes.
A shorter variety called fountain grass is a standout as its leaves rise and cascade out from the center; its large bristly flower spikes, which last long into the winter, shoot out of the mound like a spray of water emerging from a fountain. Crimson fountain grass, with its greenish-burgundy foliage and dark red flowers, complements the flowers and foliage of many different annuals.
Another ornamental grass with red foliage is Japanese bloodgrass, which will grow only 8 inches tall and slowly spread to fill a small area.
Blue fescue provides neat mounded clumps reaching only 8 to 10 inches tall. It requires no maintenance and tolerates dry soil. Some varieties have silvery foliage, others are tinted blue. Northern sea oats grows 1 to 2 feet tall and has a narrow, upright growth.
Caring for Ornamental Grasses
Most ornamental grasses require full sun and well-drained soil. Unlike most perennials, their summer beauty lasts through the winter. The brown, dried foliage glistens with a dusting of snow and is still upright and strong in the spring when other flowers are blooming. In the spring before the new growth begins, cut the plants back close to the ground. Every few years, you may need to divide them if the clumps get large and overgrown, or if they need to be rejuvenated.
How to Divide Ornamental Grasses: In the spring, just as the growth resumes, cut down around the clump with a sharp spade and lift the clump out of the ground. Cut through the clump and divide it into sections that have strong root systems. Discard the old parts of the clump that don't show new growth. Repot or replant the divisions promptly so they don't dry out.
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