In case you haven't met, please allow me to introduce you to ornamental grasses. These plants come in many varieties, and when they are native and planted in the correct microclimates, they can be very low maintenance. Grasses not only add groundcover and interesting shapes to a landscape; when you add wind they provide movement and sound. To find the variety that is best for your project, I highly recommend visiting your local botanical garden and taking notes, and asking for recommended varieties at an independent nursery in your area.
Wallace Group
Planted at regular intervals, Mexican feather grasses provide some low amber waves of grain right next to the patio.
Shades Of Green Landscape Architecture
I admit, I just picked this photo of Bunny Tail grasses mixed with Kangaroo Paw because I love the composition of the photographs. You can see the whole front yard in the next photo.
Shades Of Green Landscape Architecture
Here grasses have replaced a typical American front lawn. This is an eco-friendly choice, as one of the biggest sources of non-point source pollution in the United States is our lawns (i.e. fertilizer runoff during a storm).
Blasen Landscape Architecture
This entire site plays with mixing vernacular and modern architecture. Case in point: This Mexican feather grass looks as though it could have been plucked from a large field of agricultural wheat, and pokes out from a crisp rectangle cut into the decking. It's a really clever move that helps set the tone of the modern barn-inspired building.
Mark English Architects, AIA
Another way to keep the wild shape of grasses in line is with planters. Here the planters and grasses are scaled so that they create a strong line and provide a screen that separates two outdoor rooms.
Giulietti Schouten Architects
Here another strong line is created using grasslike sedges contained in planters. The shape of each clump of grass is a good contrast to all of those straight lines, yet they still add vertical elements that punctuate the wall.
Huettl Landscape Architecture
Here grasses lend a very different geometry, rounded mounds, as well as an unexpected silver-green color. Huettl Landscape Architecture used Festuca 'Elijah blue' in the foreground with Blue Oat Grass and Berkeley sedge beyond the gravel oval.
Zack|de Vito Architecture + Construction
This container full of grasses creates a great view from above.
Jeffrey Gordon Smith Landscape Architecture
This landscape architect has gained inspiration from the surrounding marsh grasses and brought grasses into the his plant palette. They connect the built part of the landscape to its natural surroundings.
Huettl Landscape Architecture
This yard is absolutely stunning and functional, yet has none of that typical American lawn in sight. Tall feather reed grasses add height and color to this built landscape.
Randy Thueme Design Inc. - Landscape Architecture
Here Mexican feather grass was chosen for its architectural simplicity and easy maintenance.
Arterra Landscape Architects
The built part of this landscape is nestled into a beautiful meadow of undulating grasses and wildflowers.
Shades Of Green Landscape Architecture
Using big wild grasses just beyond the edge provided by this low stone wall increases the drama, as it makes the wall look like it's the only thing between the patio and the plants completely taking over.
Wallace Group
Planted at regular intervals, Mexican feather grasses provide some low amber waves of grain right next to the patio.
Shades Of Green Landscape Architecture
I admit, I just picked this photo of Bunny Tail grasses mixed with Kangaroo Paw because I love the composition of the photographs. You can see the whole front yard in the next photo.
Shades Of Green Landscape Architecture
Here grasses have replaced a typical American front lawn. This is an eco-friendly choice, as one of the biggest sources of non-point source pollution in the United States is our lawns (i.e. fertilizer runoff during a storm).
Blasen Landscape Architecture
This entire site plays with mixing vernacular and modern architecture. Case in point: This Mexican feather grass looks as though it could have been plucked from a large field of agricultural wheat, and pokes out from a crisp rectangle cut into the decking. It's a really clever move that helps set the tone of the modern barn-inspired building.
Mark English Architects, AIA
Another way to keep the wild shape of grasses in line is with planters. Here the planters and grasses are scaled so that they create a strong line and provide a screen that separates two outdoor rooms.
Giulietti Schouten Architects
Here another strong line is created using grasslike sedges contained in planters. The shape of each clump of grass is a good contrast to all of those straight lines, yet they still add vertical elements that punctuate the wall.
Huettl Landscape Architecture
Here grasses lend a very different geometry, rounded mounds, as well as an unexpected silver-green color. Huettl Landscape Architecture used Festuca 'Elijah blue' in the foreground with Blue Oat Grass and Berkeley sedge beyond the gravel oval.
Zack|de Vito Architecture + Construction
This container full of grasses creates a great view from above.
Jeffrey Gordon Smith Landscape Architecture
This landscape architect has gained inspiration from the surrounding marsh grasses and brought grasses into the his plant palette. They connect the built part of the landscape to its natural surroundings.
Huettl Landscape Architecture
This yard is absolutely stunning and functional, yet has none of that typical American lawn in sight. Tall feather reed grasses add height and color to this built landscape.
Randy Thueme Design Inc. - Landscape Architecture
Here Mexican feather grass was chosen for its architectural simplicity and easy maintenance.
Arterra Landscape Architects
The built part of this landscape is nestled into a beautiful meadow of undulating grasses and wildflowers.
Shades Of Green Landscape Architecture
Using big wild grasses just beyond the edge provided by this low stone wall increases the drama, as it makes the wall look like it's the only thing between the patio and the plants completely taking over.