Ornamental grasses are not very good for screening things. You have to cut them down to the ground in late winter to early spring, and they will then take at least a few months to grow back to their mature size.

I'd look into evergreen shrubs.

I'm actually okay with that. Most of what I'm planting in the raised bed you see is perennials, so they will die down during the winter. As long as everything looks good during the summer months, I'm happy. Besides I've been dying to find a place in my yard for a grass.

Two or three medium sized Miscanthus will do a good job. Put them around the utility boxes on 3 sides. Keep them about 2-3' away from the boxes.

Keep in mind if the utility company needs to service the boxes, they will trash your grasses with wild abandon.

I've actually been looking at Miscanthus online. I seem to like the way they look more than some of the others. It's so hard to pick one based on pictures on the net, but Morning Light caught my attention. Have you grown that one? I saw Miscanthus Variegatus at Lowes, but there again it's hard to know what a full grown plant is going to look like based on a little bitty one in a pot.

'Morning Light' is perfect. It's a favorite of mine, but I tend to prefer the narrow bladed Miscanthus like 'Morning Light' and 'Gracillimus.' M.s. variegatus is a wider bladed grass.

Use Google Images to find photos of mature grasses.

Thanks for your help, donn!

Donn - Do you have any opinions on Pennisetum Foxtrot? It looks pretty also. I haven't been able to figure out if there are any major differences in Miscanthus and Pennistetum. I see Hameln around town and love it. I'm wondering if Foxtrot will look like a bigger version of it.

How about a dwarf cortaderia...evergreen grass in your area. Try a variegated dwarf cortaderia. I have one in front of several similar boxes that I leave uncut year round. Cortaderia 'Silver Comet'. Mine has been there for at least 5 yrs now and has never been more than 4 ft in foliage. Blooms are about 6 ft at tallest. Did take 3 yrs to first bloom from a 1 gallon. One year, Bellsouth trashed it to get access to underground wires, but it cam back nicely the next year.

grass_guy - Just looked it up and that's definitely another good possibility. Are the blooms the big difference in the different types of grasses? I'm assuming the pampas grass has the biggest blooms.