44. FLOWERS MIX WELL WITH GRASSES

Ornamental grasses are becoming a staple in our landscapes, and for good reason—they are easy to grow, and their slender blades, with their height, grace, and movement, add an artful contrast to other plants. Best of all, grasses are deer resistant. These unique qualities make ornamental grasses a true asset in a flower garden.

Herbaceous flowers mix especially well with grasses. To choose the right grass as a companion to a flower, determine the full height of the specific grass before you plant it. That small wispy grass plant may grow to be 6 feet tall! Also check with your local cooperative extension agency to be sure that the plant is not invasive in your area. Lastly, make sure the grass is not a cool season grass that flourishes in spring but that can melt and go dormant in summer, just when heat-loving flowers planted next to it are at their best.

You have many ornamental grasses to consider growing with summer flowers. Consider planting Japanese forest grass (Hakonechloa macra ‘Aureola’), which is a compact, USDA hardiness zone 6 plant with drooping yellow leaf blades; and ‘Karl Foerster’ feather reed grass (Calamagrostis × acutiflora ‘Karl Foerster’), which is a tall, strongly vertical grass with feathery stalks that ripen to a wheat color in fall. It is rated for USDA hardiness zones 5–9. Another winner, among many, is ‘Northwind’ switchgrass (Panicum virgatum ‘Northwind’). It has wide, olive-green foliage that in September is topped with attractive narrow plumes. ‘Northwind’ grows 4 to 6 feet tall in USDA hardiness zones 5–9.

The narrow, vertical plumes of the 4- to 6-feet-tall feather reed grass (Calamagrostis × acutiflora Stricta) mix beautifully with the multicolored, airy, daisy-like blooms of ‘Sensation Mix’ cosmos (Cosmos bipinnatus ‘Sensation Mix’), an annual flower. The upright reed grass is only 18 inches wide, flowering in mid-June. ‘Karl Foerster’ is a popular variety of feather reed grass. Foliage reaches 1½ to 2 feet tall and wide; bloom stalks reach 6 feet tall. Hardy in zones 5–9.

The annual Zinnia ‘Profusion Yellow’ blooms nonstop all summer with 2-inch flowers on a vigorous 12- to 15-inch-tall plant. The bold yellow petals surround an eye-catching central cone. Here, it peeks out in front of dwarf fountain grass (Pennisetum alopecuroides ‘Hameln’). This is a great combination for a sunny summer and fall garden.

Red-tipped ‘Haense Herms’ switchgrass (Panicum virgatum ‘Haense Herms’) makes a soft contrast in front of pink coneflowers. Its green foliage has a strong red color by September and stays red until frost. It grows to 3 feet tall. Perennial ornamental grasses offer varied colors and textures, which make them a popular addition to a flower garden. Zones 2–9.

A vase-shaped grass that I often plant with flowers is ‘Morning Light’ maiden grass (Miscanthus sinensis ‘Morning Light’). It makes a lovely, free-flowing companion, and its delicate silver variegated foliage catches the light in the garden. It has silky light plumes that have a pink blush. Leave this grass standing during the winter for interest. It is suitable for USDA hardiness zones 5–9.