Hurricane Irene promises to flatten thousands of ornamental grasses, from the Outer Banks to New England.

Is there anything you can do to minimize the damages?

There is, but it may or may not be worth the time and effort.

The storm won't kill most grasses, unless they are submerged for hours in flooding salt water. There's nothing you can do about that, and unless you have only salt-tolerant grasses in flooded areas, you'll lose some.

High winds and heavy rains will flatten large grasses, but won't kill them. If you're anal about their appearance, you can simply tie them up with stout twine, and avoid most of the damage. Take a few circling wraps from halfway up to 2/3 up, and tighten the twine so the grass becomes a snug column. If you have early-blooming Miscanthus or Panicum, heavy rain will triple the weight of the flowers, so you might want to add a tall stake to the bundling process.

Most cool season grasses will be fine, and if you really want to, you could give them a haircut before the storm hits. They'll send up fresh foliage in the fall.

Move container grasses into the most wind-protected area of the garden. You might consider tying several together, to present a larger and more stable foot print.

Be safe! If you are in the path of Irene, take all necessary precautions.