Tips on Lawn Care and Ornamental Grasses

Formal lawns and ornamental grasses have been cultivated and greatly admired as far back as the Renaissance period. Today, most homeowners have lawns, and many discover the pleasure of planting ornamental grasses. To properly care for your greenery, you'll need to address a few lawn care considerations.

Make Sure You Have the Right Grass

There are many types of grasses to plant in your yard, and before throwing grass seed everywhere, you'll need to know which grass will grow best in your area. Knowing your hardiness zone will help guide you to the best plants, grass included, to keep in your yard. Consider testing your soil as well. Soil health and makeup and provide clues to the direction of planting. Aside from zone determination and soil health, make sure the grasses you plant pair up with the amount of shade or sun your yard receives.

Keep It Strictly Grass

Just because a plant looks like grass does not mean that it is grass. Pesky nuisances like weeds, thatch, and moss can grow in a lawn right alongside grass. These intruders block air and nutrients from reaching the root system and can harm the grass. Weeds have to be killed and can be removed by hand or, if they are growing in abundance, by weed killer. There are tons of weed killers on the market, many of which are safe for pets. You can also choose to make your own DIY vinegar weed killer and treat your lawn.

Drain Your Grass Properly

A healthy lawn is a drained lawn. Grassy areas that have water sitting atop of the soil cannot grow to their maximum ability. When resolving this issue, consider why it may be happening in the first place. If too much clay is present in the soil, this can create an issue with your lawn drainage, as can an abundance of thatch and soil compaction. The best way to remedy this soggy issue is to aerate the lawn properly and often.

Overseed Your Lawn

Overseeding your lawn sounds like a negative thing, but it is actually quite crucial to lawn care. The overseeding process aims to fill in bare spots and help create a monochromatic look in your lawn, remedying patchiness.

Feed Your Grass

Like all living things, grass needs food, and this comes in the form of fertilizer. Understanding fertilizer is crucial to anyone wanting to care for their lawn properly. When misused, fertilizer can become more foe than friend. Knowing what kind of fertilizer best meets your needs and how and when to fertilize will help lawn owners maintain a beautiful lawn.

Ornamental Grasses: Adding Flair to the Common Grass

True, there are several different lawn grass types, but they don't vary much in aesthetics.

Ornamental grasses, however?

Well, aren't you all fancy with your grass selection!

Ornamental grasses give beauty and interest to a yard, adding flair, color, and texture to outdoor spaces. Choose ornamental grasses that flow with your yard. Use them for pops of color, border creation, or fill in spaces of a garden that need a bit of TLC. Ornamental grasses are generally low maintenance plants and easy to care for.

Types of Ornamental Grasses

There are so many types of ornamental grasses to use in your landscape.

• Reed grass
• New Zealand wind grass
• Tuft hair grass
• Fountain grass
• Prairie drop grass
• Indian grass

Different grasses serve different purposes, and varying ornamental grasses thrive in specific soils and climates. Choose a grass that meets your needs and has the ability to reach its potential.

Reasons to Use Ornamental Grasses

There are several reasons to incorporate ornamental grasses into a landscape.

• To add color and texture to an outdoor space
• To create natural borders between elements
• To provide groundcover
• Gives outdoor space a pop of vibrance in the offseason
• Diversifies gardens and lawns

Before settling on an ornamental grass type, think about why you are adding them to your yard or lawn in the first place.

Gorgeous Grasses Change Your Space

You can have the world's most beautiful home, but if your lawn and grass space don't make the grade, then the overall picture of your property will take a nosedive. Your yard is the frame of your home. It needs to be attended to and cared for in the same manner that you would care for other aspects of your home. Gorgeous grasses can really transform your entire space, so give them the love and care that they so deserve.