Ornamental Grasses in the Garden

Looking for a low maintenance easy care plant with year long beauty? Try ornamental grasses. They come in all shapes and sizes, making it easy to find one suitable for any spot.

Some of my favorite grasses are:

Hakonechloa macra 'Aureola' — Golden Japanese forest grass, the 2009 Perennial Plant of the Year This is a good grass for the front of the garden since it only reaches 1-2 tall. It likes part shade and rich, moist but well drained soil. They combine well with hosta, astilbe of heuchera.

Sporobolus heterolepis 'Tara' — Prairie dropseed Tara is a dense mound growing to 24" tall. The seed heads stand another 1' above the plant. It works well in mass plantings. The seed heads have the subtle aroma of buttered popcorn. The leaves turn golden to orange in fall. Best in full sun to light shade it also tolerates heat and drought once established

Panicum virgatum 'Shenadoah' — Switch Grass This grass grows 3-4' tall and makes a nice 2' clump. The seed heads are light and airy. In the summer the leaves are green with red tips. As the temperatures decrease the red color intensifies. Best in full sun.

Miscanthus sinensis 'Purpurascens' — Flame Grass. Another 3-4' tall grass with magenta colored foliage in late summer. It is an upright grower with ¾" wide leaves that color to red-orange in the fall. Best in full sun.

The list does not stop here. Experiment and find out what you like best. Remember to find a grass that fits your needs. Is it a clump grass or a runner? Does it prefer sun or shade? Will it fit in to the garden when it is fully grown? When you are ready to plant, stop by the garden center and check out the ornamental grass section.

Staff Pick: Fothergilla gardenii

Dena, our retail store manager, loves Fothergilla gardenii as an addition to your outdoor landscape. Not a familiar shrub to many, but definitely one to consider. In mid-spring white bottle brush fragrant flowers appear before the blue green leaves form.  When fall arrives, the leaves  take on hues of red, yellow and orange. A great addition to shrub and perennial borders or foundation plantings.

Oxo Good Grips Pour and Store Watering Can

Many gardeners have tried a variety of watering cans in different sizes and materials, searching for that perfect one for their needs. The Oxo Good Grips Pour and Store watering cans will finally end the search, and the old can can be retired!
 
A unique feature of the Oxo Pour and Store is the clear plastic spout with detachable fine spray rose. The spout can be rotated back toward the body, allowing for easier filling and making the can more compact for storage. The non-slip handle is another great feature, and is incredibly comfortable for carrying and pouring at all heights. Handy measurement lines are also on the body of the can.
 
The bright colored Oxo Pour and Store watering cans are available in three sizes for all your home, office, and gardening needs. Also makes a great gift for the gardener, new neighbor, birthday, etc.—alone or in combination with a pair of new gardening gloves and Iowa City Landscaping & Garden Center Gift card!

The Natural Radius Grip Pro Weeder

A bit odd looking but so multi-functional you'll wonder why you didn't have this tool sooner! Great for removing dandelions, thistles, and other deep rooted weeds. Can also be useful for planting small perennials. Stainless steel head with non-latex thermoplastic handle for high performance and comfort.

Many of our staff own this tool and love it!

OXO Good Grips Garden Knife

Two of the most common gardening chores are transplanting and weeding. Wouldn't it be nice to have just one tool for these tasks? The versatile OXO Good Grips Garden Knife combines the best features of a trowel and knife making it the perfect solution for these tasks as well as many more!
 
The 7" blade is made of durable, high quality stainless steel, with measurement markings helpful in determining planting depths. Another great feature of the blade is the serrated edge great for cutting roots, sawing through turf, opening bags of mulch, and cutting twine. Along with these tasks this tool is also great for propagating, transplanting, and removing deep rooted weeds. A durable vinyl sheath with belt clip is included with the knife for safe storage.
 
Chuck Porto, our Retail Manager loves this tool. "I use it for planting annual and vegetable seedlings, installing sod, and dividing perennials. It's like a 21st century version of the Japanese Hori-Hori knife, only in stainless steel—so it won't ever rust!"
 
The OXO Good Grips Garden Knife would make a great addition to any gardener's tool collection—perhaps even replace a few! Stop in the Garden Center for this great tool!

Natural Radius Grip PRO Spade

This spade has become a favorite tool for Rosanne, Garden Center Staff Horticulturist. She has owned this tool for two years and has used it for many tasks—most recently to remove an 8 year old Oak Leaf Hydrangea. The spacious round handle allows for a better grip. Both hands can be used, unlike a D handle with limited space. This shovel cuts through roots and tough soil easily. It also cleans up well due to the stainless steel blade. Rosanne is very glad she owns this tool and recommends it to every gardener!