Ornamental Grasses in the Garden

By Jos Van Hage

Blue Oat grass  offers colour, movement and interest to the garden

Ornamental grasses are another choice if you are looking to add full season color to the landscape. They also add other dimensions such as texture, form and motion. They are tough durable plants often growing where other plants may not grow and are rarely bothered by disease and pests. Their beautiful foliage lasts throughout the season and well into the fall, until the snow falls.  They do not bloom similar to many other plants, but they do have flowers known as inflorescence which are the spikes that rise above the foliage and have attractive seed heads at the top that sway in the wind. They can also be used in fresh floral arrangements or dried. 

There are many different varieties and types of ornamental grasses and some of these are hardy enough to grow in our Prince George area.

For the past few years we have had ‘Blue Oat Grass’ growing in our landscape at the house and it has done very well. The long, wiry leaves are an intense steel blue in color and remain blue throughout the year as it is an evergreen. During the summer the tall, tan, graceful spikes rise above the foliage to a height of 6 feet and make a beautiful display. The dome shaped plant is clump forming and grows 2-3 feet high and 2 feet wide. Because it is clump forming it does not spread or become invasive.

Another blue ornamental grass is ‘Blue Fescue’ and this one is smaller and has finer textured foliage than the oat grass. It grows 6-10 inches tall and wide and is equally as pretty. It is also clump forming and an evergreen. Plant these in full sun in a well drained soil. They will tolerate poor, sandy or clay soil but it must have good drainage. The Blue Fescue is drought tolerant and grows well in hot, dry, or windy conditions.

You can use ornamental grasses for mass planting, lining a walkway, or mixed in a perennial or flowerbed. They are low maintenance, easy to grow, and add another element to the landscape!

-Jos

Jos Van Hage owns and operates two Art Knapp Garden Centres in Prince George:

• Highway 16 West at Kimball Road
• Highway 97 North at Northwood Pulpmill Road

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