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Landscaping With Ornamental Grasses: Design Principles and Plant Pairings
Learn how to design with ornamental grasses: layering by height, choosing architectural forms, grouping plants, and pairing grasses with shrubs and perennials.
Design and Care
Grass Design
Borders, screens and combinations with grasses.
Best Ornamental Grasses as Specimen Plants and Focal Points
Which ornamental grasses make good specimen plants? Compare Miscanthus, fountain grass, switchgrass, feather reed grass and Hakone grass, plus placement tips.
Can I grow grass in 100% shade?
Turf grass rarely thrives in 100% shade. Learn why, what true shade means, and which shade-tolerant ornamental grasses and ground covers can fill the space.
Growing Ornamental Grasses in Containers
How to grow ornamental grasses in pots: choosing containers and potting mix, best sun and shade grasses, watering, feeding, winter care and dividing.
How to Replace a Lawn With Ornamental Grasses
A step-by-step approach to replacing lawn with ornamental grasses: planning the bed, removing turf, choosing plants, spacing, mulching and first-year care.
Modern and Minimalist Landscaping With Ornamental Grasses
Use ornamental grasses in modern, minimalist landscapes: repetition, mass planting, restrained palettes, clean hardscape pairings and the best upright or mounded grasses.
Ornamental Grasses and Bamboo for Pool Landscaping
Plan poolside planting with ornamental grasses and clumping bamboo: what shallow-rooted means, debris and chemical splash, setback distances and plants to avoid.
Ornamental Grasses for Cutting and Dried Arrangements
Which ornamental grasses make good cut and dried flowers? Learn about fountain grass, Miscanthus, feather reed grass and others, plus when to cut and how to dry.
Ornamental Grasses for Fall Color
Ornamental grasses that shine in fall: pink muhly's cotton candy bloom and its zones, red switchgrass and bluestem, golden plumes, plus cut-back and planting tips.
Ornamental Grasses for the Front of the House
Choose ornamental grasses for your front yard: sizes that suit windows and walkways, shade options, shrub pairings and simple upkeep tips for curb appeal.
Pairing Ornamental Grasses With Hydrangeas and Flowering Shrubs
How to combine ornamental grasses with hydrangeas, spirea, butterfly bush and other flowering shrubs: matching light and water, good pairs and layout tips.
Perennials to Plant With Ornamental Grasses: Coneflower, Sedum and More
Perennials that pair well with ornamental grasses include coneflower, sedum, black-eyed Susan, salvia and asters. See combinations, spacing and care tips.
Small Ornamental Grasses for Borders and Edging
Compact ornamental grasses for borders and edging, including Hameln dwarf fountain grass, blue fescue, Hakone grass and sedges, with size, care and spacing tips.
Tall Ornamental Grasses for Privacy Screens and Fence Lines
Tall ornamental grasses can screen a view or soften a fence. Compare narrow and wide options, clumping bamboo, spacing, winter gaps and species to be careful with.
What are some good ornamental grasses that can grow in shade?
Good shade ornamental grasses include sedges, Hakone grass, mondo grass and northern sea oats. Learn which suit light or part shade and how to care for them.
What are the major landscaping trends for 2026?
Landscaping themes expected to stay popular in 2026 include naturalistic planting, smaller lawns, water-wise design, native plants and low-maintenance ornamental grasses.
What is the best low maintenance ornamental grass?
There is no single best low maintenance ornamental grass, but feather reed grass, Hameln fountain grass, blue fescue, switchgrass and sedges are easy choices.
What is the difference between shrubs and grasses?
Shrubs are woody plants with permanent stems, while grasses are herbaceous with leaves from a crown. See how they differ in structure, care and landscape use.
What shrubs look good together?
Shrubs that look good together share growing conditions and contrast in leaf, form and bloom time. See pairing principles, example combinations and tips on layering.
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