Low Maintenance Fountain Grass: The Steady Eddie of Ornamental Grasses In Your Portland Garden Design

Fountain grasses planted with late flowering Italian lavender create great textural contrast and cascade down this dry hot slope showing early fall color.

Fountain Grasses: Versatile, Vibrant and Low Water

Fountain grasses are popular for a reason – their graceful, often arching foliage and feathery plumes add movement and texture to any garden. They work beautifully in both formal and informal settings and look great with a variety of plants:

• Commercial Appeal: Fountain grasses are often seen in commercial plantings, but don’t let that deter you. In residential gardens, they pair wonderfully with pollinator friendly naturalistic garden plants like heather, lavender, shrubs and many more pollinator friendly perennials that are stunning with fountain grasses.
• Crowded Beds: When your planting composition starts to look crowded, it’s time to split or thin out some of the grasses. Many grasses including fountain grass need to be split every 5 years minimum.  If you overwater they may flop and they will need splitting sooner.  Splitting or thinning out some grass plants keeps the planting composition looking the way we designed it and avoids having the plantings grow into each other.  Crowding spoils the beauty of the different plants shapes and how their distinct shapes contrast with each other. I praise the faster growth of grasses over shrubs.  Using grasses means we don’t have to wait 5 years or more for the planting scheme to come together.
• Versatility: Fountain grasses can fit into various garden styles, from modern to cottage. They’re also a great choice for adding height and interest. Last of all they can be used as temporary plantings while waiting for trees and shrubs to mature.
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  Modern front walk with grasses, heathers and lavanders in low water landscape.

  Drought Tolerant Planting:  This plant handles lots of sun, and heat in Portland.  Once established most fountain grasses will take plenty of heat with a minimal amount of water.  These past two summers we have had high temps for longer periods than usual so the grasses next to concrete may need occasional deep watering to prevent scorched leaves.

Dry garden in N.E. Portland with Fountain Grass (Pennisetum alocuroides)

Remember, even commonly used plants can create stunning effects when thoughtfully paired and integrated into your landscape.  Commercial plantings typically use one kind of plant en masse which is often kind of boring and doesn’t provide the diversity our pollinators need.  Pairing fountain grass with dark red hens and chicks and drought tolerant heather (like Calluna vulgaris ‘Mrs Ron Gray’)  is an eye catching combination.

Problems with Fountain grass are similar to fescue, overwater, fertilize, or plant in a heavy clay soil that is soaking wet in winter.  Dog pee can brown out sections of fountain grass.  This urine damaged section often dies out and it doesn’t recover.  I never set them close to the public sidewalk in city front yards with lots of dog walkers.  Some neighborhoods have a lot more dog traffic than others.

Continue reading about Portland low maintenance ornamental grasses in the garden in our upcoming Part 3.

Contact me today for a custom landscape design that brings your vision to life. Together, we can create a beautiful, sustainable garden that you’ll enjoy for years to come.