Not just a gap filler and an attractive background - colorful, hardy ornamental grasses create some of the most beautiful garden images in the autumn garden and can easily keep up with the perennials and late bloomers when it comes to splashes of color. At the same time, the existing variety of shapes allows a certain degree of design freedom - they are used both as accents in the flower bed and as soloists in the rock garden. The delicate Texas grass Muhlenbergia capillaris is particularly popular these days, turning pink in autumn and thus providing a splash of color in the garden. In the USA, the easy-care plant has proven to be an all-round talent. You can find out in the article what to pay attention to when planting and caring for it, as well as which arrangements are suitable.
Frost-hardy ornamental grasses as an accent in the garden
Hardy ornamental grasses are a popular addition to the garden scene in the USA - they can be stylishly staged together with perennials and trees, form the perfect background for creative flower bed designs and give a fresh touch to both the discreet and simple minimalist garden as well as the maritime garden design. They also spice up the rock garden and add the finishing touches to the cottage garden. The wide range of uses depends on the large variety of types that can be found on the market. Hobby gardeners differentiate between annuals andperennial ornamental grasses– the annual plants only need one year from germination to training and seed formation and then die. The perennial ornamental grasses, on the other hand, are extremely persistent - they easily withstand wind, rain and frost, and provide splashes of color outdoors for many years.
Texas grass Muhlenbergia capillaris impresses with its attractive pink color
The Texas grass Muhlenbergia capillaris (still called pink hair grass) also belongs to the second group - as the name suggests, the plant comes from the USA (but is now also widespread in Mexico) and was later brought to Europe. It requires a sunny location, but can be placed underCircumstances can also grow in partial shade. The planting time begins in January and ends in April; the ornamental grass is delivered in pot bales. The plant then propagates later by sowing. A slightly loamy, evenly wet soil with neutral pH values and a topsoil thickness of approx. 25 cm provides the perfect conditions for rapid growth. The Texas grass is planted in groups of 4-5 plants, the distance between the individual plants should be around 100 cm.
The fact that the pink hair grass forms runners and can spread quickly in this way plays a particularly important role in planting. That's why the experts recommend keeping a certain distance from other plants and neighbors and checking them annually for runners. The arched, overhanging, vase-shaped growth habit enables both planting directly in the flower bed and an arrangement in a flower pot. The ornamental grass has a growing season between April and the end of July and reaches a maximum height of 100 cm, but is usually around 80 cm high - and can therefore also be used as a privacy screen for the terrace or balcony. The appearance is simply spectacular, especially in autumn - the hair-thin ears impress with a bright pink shade that automatically attracts attention. The pink color can be seen from mid-August, in spring and at the beginning of the summer season the ornamental grass with elongated leaf shape is green - and can therefore easily be combined with early-blooming flowers. The flowering period begins at the end of September and can last until the beginning of December.
The pink hair grass is extremely easy to care for
When it comes to care, hair grass is considered extremely easy to care for. Basically, it can be one year after planting in the springCan tolerate pruning without any problems. In winter, the plant can survive temperatures down to -20 degrees Celsius, but it can only withstand frost to a limited extent - in order for Muhlenbergia capillaris to grow, it needs at least 15 frost-free weeks a year. That's why the plant is considered hardy, but overwintering in a greenhouse would make sense under certain circumstances.
Optionally, the plant can be wrapped with fleece in the winter months, provided that this allows air to pass through. In the northern parts of Germany, for example, ornamental grass can be planted in flower pots - for this purpose you need pots with a capacity of at least 50 liters. The plants should also be fertilized every three weeks with special fertilizer for grasses. The hobby gardener should avoid waterlogging - because the ornamental grass will not tolerate it. Otherwise, the pink hair grass is considered to be quite tolerant of the city climate and is therefore the perfect choice for the city villa, the roof terrace or forsouth facing balcony.
Stage the plants correctly
In spring and summer, ornamental grasses are considered more of a structural plant - they create contrasts with blooming flowers and trees and form the perfect backdrop for imaginative flower arrangements. They also look good around the garden pond - provided that the pond basin is well sealed to prevent waterlogging. Only later, at the end of summer, hairy grasses such as Muhlenbergia capillaris come to the fore and become the highlight in the outdoor area. By this point, the plant has usually already reached its maximum height and is best staged as a soloist, surrounded by stones and gravel.
Late-blooming flowers can be present in the flower bed, but their color must be coordinated with the pink-purple nuance of the delicate plant. In the USA, Texas grass can often be found in rock gardens (it looks particularly good against a dark background such as granite gravel), in Italy and Portugal it replaces lavender in cottage gardens and adds an exotic touchCountry style gardenIn addition, in Mexico it is the only plant used in minimalist gardens because of its sculptural design language. The possibilities are practically endless and depend closely on your own preferences, the garden orientation and the other design elements.
