Growing Together: A Gardening Podcast · Forum Communications Co.

Ornamental grasses: easy on the eye, great for the soil

·53 min·5 clips

The season is winding down. John Lamb and Don Kinsler open with late-fall chores, including the last lawn mowing, the two-inch cut, and whether to wait for maple leaves to drop before mulching them back in. Late fall still has work to do. They also talk about mulching the perennial garden and using the cooler weather to finish a few practical jobs before winter settles in. Then the grasses take over. Don explains that ornamental grasses are judged by how they grow, whether they stay in a neat clump, whether they self-seed into a nuisance, and whether they keep their shape and interest through winter. A tidy clump matters. If a grass spreads seed all over the perennial bed, that becomes a problem, while sterile selections or controlled seeding can make the plant easier to live with. Winter texture counts, too. That is part of why the conversation keeps circling back to plants that look good after frost, hold seed heads, or leave enough structure to carry the garden into the dormant season. The University of Minnesota comes up. The hosts describe the Landscape Arboretum's testing work, where about 200 kinds of grasses are evaluated for growth habit, self-seeding, winter value, and other qualities that help separate useful plants from nuisance ones. No-mow options get airtime. Some of those tested grasses are low-growing types that can grow without mowing or a lot of inputs, which makes them interesting for people who want a lighter maintenance yard. They also talk breeding. One named selection is Blue Heaven Blue Stem, a tall, upright big bluestem with dark blue foliage that turns burgundy in summer and showy seed heads that hold through winter. Another name surfaces. Don mentions Golden Sunset Yellow Prairie Grass as another cultivar they developed. The mood stays grounded. John takes away the sense that next spring can build on what this one taught, and Don closes by inviting listeners to send photos or questions by email.

As heard by us

A steady, practical listen for choosing ornamental grasses that still matter after frost.

John Lamb and Don Kinsler keep the focus on what ornamental grasses do in a real yard, starting with late-fall cleanup, a final mowing, and the ordinary question of how much leaf material should stay in place before winter. That angle helps the episode stay practical.

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Why you'd press play

You're choosing grasses that keep their shape into winter and still earn their place in the border.

Read the full recommendation in PlayNext →

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