why ornamental grasses belong in the garden

ornamental grasses are one of those plants i use over and over again in landscape design. they’re incredibly hardy in our midwest winters, easy to plant and establish, and they bring a softness and movement to a garden that’s hard to get from almost anything else.

i love plants that move, and grasses do that beautifully. even the slightest breeze changes them. they sway, bend, rustle, and catch the light differently throughout the day. planted among shrubs and perennials, they loosen everything up a little and keep a landscape from feeling too stiff or overly designed.

they also work hard for a very long season. in summer, ornamental grasses add texture without needing to be covered in flowers to be interesting. their foliage can be fine and delicate or tall and architectural, depending on the variety. by fall, many turn shades of gold, bronze, orange, and burgundy, and their feathery seed heads can be some of the prettiest things in the garden.

and then there’s winter. i almost always prefer to leave ornamental grasses standing rather than cutting them back in fall. once the rest of the garden quiets down, their shape becomes even more noticeable. frost collects on the stems, snow settles onto the seed heads, and the low winter sun shines through them. suddenly a plant that was part of the background in july becomes one of the most interesting things in the january garden.

ornamental grasses are also incredibly versatile in landscape design. we use them to soften the edges of natural stone patios and walkways, create repetition through large planting beds, add movement around fire pits and outdoor living spaces, and provide screening or privacy where a taller grass makes sense. smaller grasses can be planted in groups or drifts, while larger varieties can become a substantial part of the structure of a garden.

there are so many good choices for our climate, too. prairie dropseed, switchgrass, little bluestem, feather reed grass, and other cold-hardy ornamental grasses handle our zone 5 conditions beautifully when planted in the right place. many are relatively low maintenance once established, which makes them even easier to love.

whether we’re creating a new planting design in naperville, adding grasses around a patio in glen ellyn, or designing a complete landscape in aurora, plainfield, yorkville, batavia, geneva, wheaton, downers grove, lisle, or elsewhere in the western suburbs of chicago, ornamental grasses almost always find their way into the conversation.

beautiful, tough, and flowy—pretty much everything i want in a garden.