When most think of adding flavor to their landscape, the first thing they turn to is flowers. However, ornamental grass is an easy way to add color and texture to your garden. There are a variety of types, and they’re perfect for the chaotic weather patterns in New England. In this blog, we’ll discuss more of the benefits of applying ornamental grass to your landscape and steps to maintaining it.

The Benefits of Ornamental Grass

A notable advantage of ornamental grass is it’ll add character to your landscape, growing foliage long before and after perennials bloom. They even come in different shades of green, red, purple, and blue. Beyond their aesthetic, they also offer such benefits as:

• Low Maintenance: Besides cutting back the spent foliage, there’s hardly any maintenance that goes into ornamental grass. They’re extremely hardy and resistant to pests and disease.
• Eco-Friendly: There are several species of ornamental grasses native to New England. They grow on slopes to prevent erosion and provide shelter for insects and small animals.
• Cost-Effective: Native varieties of ornamental grass save you money as they’re more tolerant of drought and rarely need watering. They also don’t require pesticides or fertilizers, as they’re resistant to pests and disease.

Furthermore, these grasses come in warm-season and cool-season and evergreen varieties. Warm-season grasses grow from summer to fall, cool-season grasses grow from late winter to early summer, and evergreen grasses grow year-round.

Maintaining Ornamental Grass

Though ornamental grass needs little maintenance, it’s important to know when to cut back the grass so it remains healthy and active – much like deadheading. The rules for cutting the blades depends on the type of ornamental grass:

• Warm-Season: Cut the blades a few inches from the ground to tidy your garden for winter. Otherwise, wait until mid-spring if you like the aesthetic of the grass through winter.
• Cool-Season: Cut the blades two-thirds of the way down in late winter or early spring. It’s usually best to leave the blades intact until the last snowfall.
• Evergreen: There’s no need to cut back evergreen grasses, as they live through the winter.

If you’re interested in spreading the grass to other areas in your yard, you can also divide the plants and spread them out.

Applying ornamental grass to your landscape is a great way to achieve a unique curbside appeal while saving money and effort. If you’re interested in ornamental grass for your property or to liven up your hardscapes, Dolan Landscaping can help. Not only can we plant these grasses, but we can also assist with the maintenance of your landscape. If you would like to know more about our services, don’t hesitate to contact us.