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Often overlooked, ornamental grasses are elegant and versatile plants. They have a unique allure, both soothing and striking, adding texture, movement, and grace to any setting.
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Beyond their aesthetic appeal, ornamental grasses offer practical benefits. Tall types are popular for privacy plantings, or for hiding unsightly utility infastructure.
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Many types are drought tolerant once established, making them an effortless choice for dryland and commercial plantings.
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Their deep, fiberous roots and close-growing stems can hold soil and prevent erosion in spots that get rapid storm water runoff. Grasses are also great for birds, providing cover, food and nesting material.
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This week, we'll delve into the different types of ornamental grasses, their unique characteristics, and how to incorporate them effectively into your outdoor spaces.
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These beloved native prairie grasses feature distinctive, steel-blue blades & fantastic fall color! Little Bluestem ranges from 2-4', while Big Bluestem towers up to 8' tall.
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Pictured above: Blackhawks Big Bluestem - one of the few bluestems that isn't blue!
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Popular for their compact size and adaptability, including tolerance of clay soil. Karl Forester Feather Reed Grass is distinguished by its tawny, slender seed heads that last into winter.
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Pictured above: Karl Forester Feather Reed Grass
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Karl Forester is probably the most common landscape grass in Central Illinois, but it has some underutilized sibblings.
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Pictured above: Korean Feather Reed Grass
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Pictured above: Lemon Squeeze Fountain Grass. New at Hoerr Nursery!
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Bottlebrush plumes rise above neat tufts of slender leaves. Perennial fountain grasses tend to be low growing, making great additions to the foreground of the landscape.
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Pictured above: Miscanthus sinensis
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Maiden grass, a.k.a. Miscanthus, makes a big impression in the landscape, with stiff, gracefully arching blades and big plumes. Most varieties stand 4-6' tall when mature, making them ideal for privacy plantings. Planted at the back of the garden bed, they make an assertive backdrop for shorter shrubs and perennials.
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Pictured above: Cheyenne Sky Switch Grass
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An outstanding native prairie plant, switch grass is a medium-sized, soft-textured native that catches every little breeze, adding a fascinating sense of motion to the garden. Tolerant of road salt, deer, and boggy soil.
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Top left: Prairie Dropseed
Forms a distinctive tuft of cascading, hair-like leaves. Sends up wispy panicles in summer that have a coriander scent. Despite its name, this native prairie grass doesn’t spread by seed.
Top right: Red Baron Grass
Takes everything from drought to wet soil, and sun to partial shade. Red highlights become more pronounced until the entire plant turns crimson in fall.
Bottom left: Muhly Grass
Pink seedheads float like a delicate mist above hair-thin leaves. Extremely tough!
Bottom right: Fescue Grass
Not to be confused with the fescue on your lawn, the ornamental fescues offer striking color and exceedingly small size.
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Got shade?
There's "grass" for you, too!
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Japanese Forest Grass forms a symmetrical mound with showy golden color. Good as a specimen or a small-scale ground cover. For part or full shade and regular water.
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Pictured above: All Gold Japanese Forest Grass
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The ornamental sedges are striking color plants for shady spots. Slender blades arc from a central mound. A perfect plant for moist spots, the sedges can grow in up to 2” of water.
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Pictured above top: Blue Zinger Sedge
Pictured above bottom: Bowles Golden Sedge
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With their grace, texture, and versatility, ornamental grasses have become a staple in modern garden design. And whether your garden space is big or small, wet or dry, sunny or shady, there's a grass for you! Stop by and browse our selection of ornamental grasses, and let us help you find the perfect grass to enhance your garden.
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Hardy Bucks
is happening now!
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Don't miss out on the opportunity to put your hard-earned Hardy Bucks to good use! Hardy Bucks can be used toward up to half the cost of all retail merchandise. They're good at both the Garden Center and at Stone Market, and they never expire. The Hardy Bucks redemption period lasts from July 15th to August 15th, so mark your calendars and make sure to pay us a visit soon!
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