While many plants lose their leaves in autumn and the garden looks bare, evergreen decorative grasses remain a true feast for the eyes. They defy frost, wind and snow and offer an appealing sight even in the cold season. They are also versatile - as a ground cover, in beds or as decorative solitaire plants.
A great advantage of evergreen decorative grasses is their low care effort. Most varieties also needno annual pruning. If some stalks become brown in spring, a careful shape cut is enough.
Popular evergreen ornamental grass species
Schwingel (Festuca) - play of colors in blue and green
Schwingel grasses impress with their fine, often blue or green -shimmering stalks and their compact growth shape. They are particularly resistant to dryness and prefer sunny locations.
Blauschwingel (Festuca glauca)
- Location:Sunny, permeable soil
- Wuchshöhe:20-30 cm
- Flowering:June to July
- Special features:His intensive shades of blue provide exciting contrasts in stone gardens or gravel beds.
Atlas-Schwingel (Festuca Mairei)
- Location:Sunny, well permeable earth
- Wuchshöhe:40-60 cm
- Flowering:June to August
- Special features:Ideal for natural gardens.
Schwingel Barren (Christma
- Location:Sunny to partially shaded, dry soil
- Wuchshöhe:10-15 cm
- Flowering:June to July
- HardyBus Ca. -15 ° C.
- Special features:Forms density, green cushions that are reminiscent of a lawn carpet and are perfectly suitable as ground cover.
Seggen (Carex) - structural provider for every corner
Suspons are particularly versatile and robust. This genus comprises numerous winter green species and varieties with an impressive color palette, which ranges from lush green over green-white and green-yellow panasted variants. They come into their own in both sunny and partially shaded areas.
The Belandy Japan Segge (Carex Morrowii 'Ice Dance') and the Goldrand-Japan Segge (Carex Morrowii 'Aureovariegata') with their yellow-green leaves are particularly attractive. They bring brightness to shady areas and are an ideal under plantation for leaf -absorbing trees.
- Location:Half -shaded to shady, humosic soil
- Wuchshöhe:30-40 cm
- Flowering:April to May
Blaßrahlhafer (Helictotrichon Sempervirens)
Blaßrahlhafer is one of the most impressive winter green decorative grasses and is often confused with the fan. In contrast to this, however, it reaches an impressive height and is particularly resistant. The panicles can be up to 20 cm long and hang in the wind, similar to the oats.
- Location:Sunny to partially shaded, well -permeable soils.
- Wuchshöhe:60 – 100 cm
- Flowering:June to August
- Special features:Perfect for steppe gardens or as a structural provider in modern gardens.
Lilientrauben (Liriope)
These evergreen perennials are not only known for their grassy leaves, but also for their attractive flowers. They ensure a special color contrast in autumn.
Liriope muscari ‘Moneymaker’
This evergreen perennial looks like a grass and even offers a spectacular flower in late summer.
- Location:Half -shaded to shady.
- Wuchshöhe:About 30-40 cm
- Flowering:August to October with purple flowers.
- Special features:Ideal for shady beds or as a ground cover under trees.
LiIiope Spica ('Creeneping LentlyTurf')
- Location: Partially shaded to sunny
- Growth: 25-35 cm
- Heyday: August to October
- Growth form: Creeping, spreads quickly and forms dense carpets
- Leaves: Narrower than with Liriope Muscari
- Winter hardness: Resistant to frost and remains green even at low temperatures.
Examples of a harmonious garden design
Winter green ornamental grasses in a stone bed
A private garden in Berlin shows how harmoniously evergreen decorative grasses can be combined with stone islands. This is where the high, slightly yellowish panicum virgatum (rod deer) rises, while the hardy carex morrowii ('Japan-Segge') fills the bed with its compact, elegantly curved leaves. The rod's deer keeps its structure over the winter, but fades in color. It is advisable to grow high -growing ornamental grass (and also bushes) together with binding threadsto protect the root area.
Carex Morrowii along a sidewalk
Another winter scene unfolds in front of a Berlin residential building: Carex Morrowii ('Japan-Segge') forms a dense, symmetrical limitation along the sidewalk. Even under a light layer of snow, the overhanging leaves keep their green color. To the right of the railing, there is a faded Miscanthus sinensis ('Chinaschilf'), which preserves its structure while it is slowly drying.
Rose bushes in the background are cut back to avoid frost damage. This combination of evergreen and drying plants creates a natural, harmonious winter landscape.
Seasonal comparison: winter vs. spring
Here is another example of a well -planned front garden that remains attractive all year round. A minimalist, easy -care garden with wooden trunks as a design element, combined with stones, bark mulch and a mixture of evergreen trees, ornamental grass and hardy perennials.
spring:
- The combination of stones, wood and mulch ensures a modern and natural look.
- The structure of the garden is supported by the compact, bluish blush swing (Festuca Glauca), which sets color contrasts.
- ThePampasgras (Sellian courteria)was cut back to about 15 cm. This promotes new shoots and ensures a dense, strong growth form in summer.
Winter:
- A light layer of snow covers the floor, but the structure of the garden is preserved.
- The stalks of the pampas grass are now straw colors, but the inflorescences continue to ensure an interesting eye -catcher. However, the impressive design element should be tied together in late autumn to minimize frost damage.
- The blue ring remains winter green and sets with its fine stalks in the snowy bed.
Notes on the bucket planting
The evergreen decorative grasses are not only suitable for the garden, but are also a wonderful choice forModern gardens, terraces and balconies in the bucket. In particular, the varieties with a compact growth shape mentioned in the article fit perfectly into small planters and can also look very attractive in group planting. Some important care instructions must be observed so that you can stay healthy in pots:
Winter protection with mulch:Grasses in the bucket are less resistant than in the field. A layer of mulch on the surface of the earth helps to store moisture and protect the roots from extreme cold.
Avoidance of waterlogging:Do not put the pots directly on the cold balcony floor, but use clay feet to ensure better water outflow.Styrofoam can also protect against frost.
Do not forget:Also in winter, evergreen grasses occasionally need water, otherwise they dry out. However, make sure that the soil does not get too wet, since many grasses are more likely to be drought -resistant than moisture.
