Not too late to plant grasses in zone 6. I think fall is the best time to establish grasses.

How about a few Miscanthus as a backdrop or corner specimen grasses. Maybe Calamagrostis Karl Foerster as a mid-height sweep, planted a bit closer so they grow as a sweep. Pennisetums, maybe dwarf varieties like Hameln or Little Bunny. Try a row of Fescue or Carex sedges to border. Just some ideas.

My thanks to grass guy. Thank you so much for your suggestions and info. I will be looking for these plants for my yard. Again, thanks. Maw3

Not an argument gg, just zone differences.
Yes, it is still ok to plant grasses in zone 6 BUT, it is getting close to the line for the warm season grasses ~ especially if the grasses are root-bound bargins.
In zone 5 spring is the 'best' time to plant grasses rather than fall.
I envy you, your long autumns in zone 8!
A.

lol...year round gardening doesn't provide any breaks. You're right, it is borderline and spring is certainly the better choice for zone 5 growers at this time.

BTW, my wife and I visited Niagara CA this summer and I was amazeed at the number of grasses in use commercially and in the local gardens. The Niagara Parks Botanical Garden was very nice.

Here is a pic of Strictus at the garden this summer...

{{gwi:870950}}

Grass Guy,
Grasses have really 'taken off' in Ontario! Excuse the pun ~
When I started out giving slide presentations at local hort. societies 12+ years ago people looked at grasses as something quite foriegn. Now, I see them in lots and lots of landscapes. They even turn up in retirement communities :o) Unfortunately landscapers are still uninformed and are doing things like,planting too close and planting Pennisetum rubrum as a hardy perennial .... not!

How could people help but like them ~ they are such a delightful addition to the landscape!
A.

i guess they find out quickly enough that their rubrum isn't coming back...lol

re: rubrum
Surprisingly enough I have actually heard of a couple of landscapers that have replaced the dead plants the next year with ......... the same thing!! Crazy eh?

a.

re: rubrum

Not crazy if they grow it as an annual, but if they continue to pursue as a hardy perennial, they are in denial...lol

me again...

interesting comment on landscapers planting too close. I bet that's in the top 3 of design errors with OG's.

Landscapers rarely take the mature size seriously when looking at a 1 gallon or even a quart size grass.

In my area it's Cortaderia (pampas) that gets landscapers in trouble. They use them at driveway corners or alongside a home, planted from a 1 gallon. Several years later the homeowner is desperately trying to trim back a 12 ft monster arching into the driveway. ;) No fun to dig these guys up!

Someone gave me some kind of grass, that had the feathery things on top, and I just planted the just a month ago. Do you think they will grow ? I live in Cleveland, Tn. I love the ornamental grasses, they are very pretty ....

Hi Carolyn,

If you can post a photo, we can probably get an id and hardiness zone on the grass you have in your garden. As a zone 7, most grasses will be hardy as long as they are perennial (and not a tender perennial).

Is it to late to plant Pennisetum? My lanndscaping Co is coming next week to replace my Yaku Jima, with Pennisetum Hamlin.