Solutions for Landscaping

Ornamental grasses are growing popular these days and they are commonly used in home gardens and landscaping projects. They bring color, movement and texture to your garden which makes them versatile for many gardeners.

These grasses can easily adapt to any type of soil and they require little maintenance. They simply are perfect for your garden. You can even plant them with perennials since they complement each other. They bring beauty and appeal to your garden.

So here are some gardening tips you should know about when you plan to grow ornamental grasses to your yard:

Select the Right Type

There are two major types of ornamental grasses – warm season grasses and cool season grasses. Warm season grasses do well with the warm weather and they grow slowly. Japanese silver grass, maiden grass, fountain grass and hardy pampas grass are warm season grasses.

Cool season grasses grow best during spring when the temperature is low and there is moisture in the air. Blue fescue grass and feather red grass survive the cold temperature.

So you must consider what type and when you will plant your ornamental grass. This is to maintain the green color in your garden.

Plan your landscape

Ornamental grasses are perfect addition to your landscape project but make sure to plan it well. When you have a sketch of your landscape, you must consider where to put the greenery in order to beautify your garden. You can have vertical and long grasses along your perennials or clump ones in the corners.

Spreaders could be a good choice for groundcovers but the only problem is they spread rapidly. So make sure you know what you want to achieve with your landscape. You can consult an expert if necessary.

Prepare the area

Make sure you choose a spot that has fertile soil and receives a generous amount of sunlight. You can plant your grass from seeds or set them in divisions.

Make sure that you create gaps between the plants so there is movement when they grow. Water them regularly especially in growth period so they can grow healthy and strong.

Maintenance

Ornamental grasses require little attention once they have matured and they are low-maintenance plants. They can tolerate plant diseases and drought so you don’t have to worry much.

But during the growing season, make sure to give them their necessities. You must prune them annually to maintain a clean and beautiful garden.

You can start planting your grasses at early spring, so they are strong and healthy once winter arrives. Make sure to add mulch to your soil in order to protect them from frost and cold in winter days. With these grasses you can attract beneficial animals such as bees, butterflies and birds to your yard.

Ornamental grasses play different roles in your garden – ground covers, borders and even fillers. They easily adapt to soils and climates which makes them one of the favorite choices of gardeners.

You can also choose from a wide variety of ornamental grasses in your local nursery. So when you are planning to have a garden in your yard, make sure to include ornamental grasses to your list.

Do you know that according to some recent polls having a walk in a botanical garden can improve your memory and concentration? Moreover, there are some studies that have proved that a mind of a person captured by the “green magic” grip may fall into a state of meditation.

And now, imagine that you are in the middle of the unimaginable splendour of an enchanting garden. There is a birdsong floating in the air and wherever you look there are fabulous colours, exquisite statues and marvellous fountains, which make the place truly amazing and magical, in other words – a place you don’t want to leave. A marvellous, fascinating and inspiring place, which is so close to perfection that it can be described as a contemporary oasis of harmony and timelessness and recreates the garden of Eden.

Well, we can’t exactly take you there, but we will try to make you feel better with the splendour of ten of the most beautiful gardens in the world.

1. The Kirstenbosch National Botanic Garden in Cape Town, South Africa

Situated in the shadow of the Table Mountain, the famous Kirstenbosch National Botanic Garden is considered to be one of the fifty most beautiful gardens on the planet Earth. In the park there are more than 22,000 different plants – trees, shrubs and flowers coming from all over the world. Most of them also have some healing properties.

2. The Claude Monet’s Garden in Giverny, France

The garden of the French impressionist Claude Monet is considered to be one of the most fascinating places in the world. It combines both the grandeur of nature and the artist’s genius and is hidden in a small French town near Vernon, where Claude Monet lived for 43 years with his family and created a little piece of paradise. There are 100,000 plants filling the air with thousands of scents and colours. Can you believe that this “garden of light” as it is called by some, was created in six months?

3. The Majorelle Garden in Marrakech, Morocco

The overwhelming presence of cobalt blue architectural accents can’t be left unnoticed and makes this garden unique and much different than any other botanical garden in the world. Created in 1920 by the painter Jaques Majorelle, the garden is one of the fifty most beautiful gardens in the world and is also one of the most popular tourist destinations in Morocco.

4. The Gardens of Versailles in Paris, France

The historical gardens of the Palace of Versailles are one of the most impressive gardens in Europe. In the place of the hunting lodge of his predecessor, Louis XIV of France, also known as the Sun King, he made a gorgeous palace and around it one of the most magnificent gardens of all times. The visitors of the garden may now spend their time there enjoying the flowers, fountains, and the winding paths that reveal magnificent views.

5. The Kenroku-en Garden in Ishikawa, Japan

The Kenroku-en Garden in Ishikawa is recognized as one of the loveliest gardens not only in Japan, but also worldwide. It is a heavenly piece of peace and tranquillity. You can find great variety of trees there, but the forty species of cherry trees are one of the most stunning attractions there. The name of the garden also describes the six aspects of the perfect garden – space, privacy, antiquity, artificial construction, plenty of water and beautiful views.

6. The Desert Botanical Garden in Phoenix, Arizona

The Desert Botanical Garden in Phoenix is remarkable for its exceptional variety of desert flora plants. Visitors should be prepared with special equipment for the typical dry and hot desert climate but the experience is really worth it.

7. La Paz Waterfall Gardens in Alajuela, Costa Rica

The Waterfall Gardens are located in a breath-taking and truly magical part of the jungle where there are five majestic waterfalls situated on a relatively small area. The gardens are well-known for the great variety of rare plants, including many different and rare orchids, but also for being a habitat of more than 100 animal species.

8. The Roberto Burle Marx Gardens in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Named after the famous Brazilian architect and park designer Roberto Burle Marx, these gardens are a unique with their 3,500 plant species. The visitors of the gardens can see the house, the personal possessions of the architect and even the chapel built by him.

9. The Royal Botanic Gardens in Melbourne, Australia

The Royal Botanic Gardens are one of the most popular destinations in Melbourne, Australia. Situated on nearly 100 acres of land, the gardens include extraordinary beautiful children playgrounds, picnic areas and resting places. The garden is maintained by professional gardeners very carefully. This is a real piece of heaven right in the very heard of the city created by the first governor of the state Victoria in 1846.

10. The Mirabell Gardens in Salzburg, Austria

The Mirabell Gardens are just another example of the classical European gardens designed in the spirit of Versailles and Tuileries. The gardens are made around the Mirabell Palace by Prince Archbishop Wolf Dietrich von Rotenau in 1606. You can enjoy a lot of beautiful sculptures, fountains, flowers, stone dwarfs and marble mythical creatures that will make your stay there unforgettable.