Ferns and Ornamental Grasses

Ferns and Ornamental Grasses

These plants have an informal appearance and are among our favorites to use within a natural flower garden idea. They're an attractive habitat for birds, butterflies and other wildlife.

Ferns

A fern is a perennial without flowers or fruit. Its leaves provide wonderful texture to garden palettes and can be found in an array of sizes and forms. Some prefer dry, sunny, places, while others prefer their homes to be in shady swamps.

Ferns usually adapt well to a variety of environments; however, it's not a good idea to take plants from their wild habitat and try to grow them at home - there are many endangered species that are getting wiped out by people digging them up and taking them home.

Keep ferns in mind for your flower garden idea and use them where flowers won’t grow:

• in exposed northern spots


• along walkways


• along walls or banks

Ornamental Grasses

Grasses can be either annuals or perennials:

• Annual grasses are grown for their variety and the color of their flowers and seed heads.



• Perennial grasses are grown mainly for their feathery flowers and foliage.

If deer are an issue for you, be sure to include grasses on the list for your garden.

Annual grasses can be grown from seed, either sown directly into your garden or transplanted from flats that you've started in a greenhouse.

Perennial grasses can be grown from seed, but you can speed up the process by buying established plants.

Home Garden Tip: We often use perennial grasses for the interest they add in winter. Frost coated spikes and icy feathers on grasses rank high on our list of winter’s most beautiful works of art.

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