Grass bed

I've never been to this forum before but I've had thoughts of making a "Grass Bed" somewhere on my farm lawn. Any suggestions on what would make a cool display? I know it would have to be a project for next summer.

If I can find the pic of part of my yard that doesn't have alot of stuff in it, that might give you an idea of what I'd have to work with.

Oops, can't add a photo to an edit. I'll look and see what I can find re: photo.

Looking for a photo...........

And another large area.........

I suppose I should add that I'm 4a zone.



This message was edited Oct 8, 2011 10:15 PM

This is an old picture (2006), but I was trying to do exactly what you are trying to do, and I filled the area with miscanthus of several kinds.

Well, I am just wanting 1 area, and not a hellish big one either, as I have heard that they can kinda get "out of hand". LOL

OK, here is an single grass, Miscanthus sinensis gracillimus. This is 8. You can do fewer. Very reliable, blooms in October.

The area you showed me was very large, which gave me the idea you wanted more.

The getting out of hand thing applies to Florida and California, not my zone 5a and certainly not 4b. These grasses have been in since 1998.

DonnaMack

Your grasses are beautiful and well placed.

AnnaZ

When I lived in Cleveland, my grasses never got out of hand. I left mine up during the winter for seed head for the birds to eat and they would get down in the center of my grasses for warmth..... Then in mid spring ( or when I saw the first signs of new growth) I would use a hedge trimmer and cut them down.

I love the grasses so much that now that I'm living in central Florida, I'm growning bamboo....

Jan

I just love them. Here are bigger ones. These are two grasses, miscanthus sinensis Silberfeder and Miscanthus sinensis Bluttenwunder. They give our yard wonderful privacy.

And the plumes of Bluttenwunder are wonderful!

Anna, I love, love, love the ornamental grasses. But keep in mind some of those get huge, like the Miscanthus, and you have to cut them down in the spring. I use a hedge trimmer and a very strong teenager. Just something to keep in mind, not trying to discourage you from getting them, as I really love them and have quite a few, but it's my hardest spring chore.

I use duct tape and a trimmer. I actually do it myself., and I'm no spring chicken. The ones with a large circumference (Bluttenwunder and silberfeder at 60 inches across) are far more of a challenge than gracillimus (30 inches across).

And there are shorter, beautiful choices like calamagrostis and chasmanthium latifolium. Here they are in late October.

I am just rather undecided as to WHERE I would put one so it wouldn't be "annoying"...........LOL

What a lovely problem - having enough space so that your problem is exactly WHERE to put it - sigh...

LOL

I have about 15 different varieties of grasses in this bed. Pic taken in June 2010.

Doug

Very pretty! What do you use to cut the grasses down?

I used a chainsaw this past March but the chain kept getting tangled in the stalks and fell off. I just bought a new weedeater this summer with a brush cutting blade attachment. It should be perfect for this. I think I'm going to cut them down this year after the first hard freeze. They make such a mess by the time spring rolls around.

Doug

Hi Anna, I love ornamental grasses. They are so showy! I prefer the variegated ones myself. Along my driveway, I have rows of tall Zebra grass and guests frequently ooh and ahh over it. Over time, it does get massive and dividing is a royal pain. I bent two steel Fiskars unbreakable shovels by digging/prying up the original clump that I divided to line the driveway. Just digging into it to cut out a section couldn't be done. The whole clump had to be dug up and then I used a sawzall to cut it into sections. But it's just gorgeous.

I also have the miniature Zebra grass, which gets about 3 ft tall and is easy to divide. It's quite manageable and very showy.

DonnaMack, I love your gardens!!!

Thanks Doug, please let us know how that works out, the brush cutting blade. I've been using a hedge trimmer, which works really good on most of them, but some are just too much for it. I think I have way too many, it gets daunting each spring.

I have decided where I am going to put my grass bed (with my Spousal Units blessing). I will post a pic soon.....need to get them off the camera. And it is a BIG area. LOL. One he will not have to weed-eat anymore, hence his go-ahead.

Here is the area.........I didn't measure it but stepped it off. It is triangular in shape, the long side being over 30 feet and the end part about 20.

Another view.

And the last view.

You think I have some possibilities as to a cool grass bed??

Absolutely! It's not going to block anything you need to see though, is it? Cars coming, or whatever?

I have miscanthus sinensis Strictus (left). It takes a long time to mature, but it is very upright and it rocks!

Watch out for Silberfeder. Very popular, but it flops (beautifully, however!)

It's a sensational grass.

No, this is not along the road. It is just driveway areas where the Spousal Unit drives machinery.

It will look really good in there, then.

Spousal unit? LOL!

Hencefore referred to as the SU. :>)

2nding Spousal unit? LOL! ROFLOL

Jan

I prefer it to DH..........because sometimes he is not D. SU takes care of all attitudes.

I've seen people use the D in DH to mean another word that starts with D and isn't nearly as nice...so DH can take care of other attitudes as well! LOL

:>)