Ornamental grasses bring movement, texture and softness to the garden, creating a natural, flowing look that works beautifully in both modern and cottage style planting. Their fine foliage and airy seed heads catch the light, add gentle sound in the breeze and provide structure from spring right through to winter. Whether you need height, ground cover or something to soften hard landscaping, ornamental grasses are incredibly versatile and easy to grow.
There are many beautiful varieties to choose from. Compact grasses like Festuca glauca Elijah Blue bring neat blue tufts of foliage, while Carex oshimensis Evergold adds bright, arching leaves for year round colour. For more height and summer movement, Stipa tenuissima, Calamagrostis Karl Foerster and Miscanthus Morning Light are reliable and elegant. If you prefer warm tones, Pennisetum alopecuroides Hameln and Pennisetum Fireworks offer soft plumes that glow in late summer light.
Ornamental grasses thrive in full sun or light shade and are generally low maintenance, drought tolerant and long lived. Most varieties only need a tidy up in late winter to encourage fresh new growth. Their versatility makes them ideal for borders, gravel gardens, containers and prairie style planting.
These grasses pair beautifully with a wide range of perennials. Try mixing them with salvia, echinacea, verbena, gaura or rudbeckia for a relaxed meadow feel, or combine them with hosta, heuchera and ferns for a softer, woodland inspired look. Their natural elegance also works well alongside architectural shrubs such as photinia or pittosporum, adding contrast and movement.
For more inspiration, explore our collections of perennials, prairie style plants, cottage garden plants and low maintenance plants.
