I've got some Chinese Silver Grass (miscanthus sinensis), some ornamental millet and several clumps of Ribbon Grass

The Ribbon Grass I divide each spring. And I'm now planting it in buried containers with the bottoms cut off to keep it from taking over my flower beds.

The silver grass is in a shady spot and does ok but I think it needs more sun as it seems to grow very slowly.

Pete in Iowa Falls

pete, does your ribbon grass get brown and ugly pretty early? Mine might have to end up taking a long walk on a short dock, if you know what i mean!!!

cream

Cream, Just take the grass shears & whack off the Ribbon Grass. It will come up fresh.
Doris

doris, is it too late in the season to do this or would i be fine. not that i care...as it looks awful!

do i cut it down to ground level or a third? what do you think? thanks

Hiya fellow Iowans !,

Over here around the CR area and am into the grasses big time.

I added 15 new varieties this year alone to bring my total to 40 different ornamentals.

Favs are the miscanthuses and pennisetums, but close behind are the calamogrosis's, switch grasses, molinias and carex's.

This year I created a huge boomerang shaped bed roughly 100' long in the back and around 20' deep at the narrowest areas. This area was previously where 6 medium sized blue spruces were that were dying off.

Wisht I could post pics, but I dont have a website to post them from.

Anyone going to Longs Garden in Clinton ? Their grasses will be blooming soon......

Scott

I join the fan club! :) I find ornamental grasses mesmerizing and would love to see them used more in the rural areas of Iowa.

I'm still in the "playing around with them" stage--my oldest ones are five or so years old. Most of the others are still maturing. I'm growing miscanthus sinensis (with one, I lost the plant tag & don't know which it is; the other is Flame Grass), pennisetum 'Hameln' (gorgeous), festuca glauca (rabbits love them), ribbon grass (behaves very well on the east side of the house under the eave where it's dry--no maintenance needed ever), helictotrichon sempervirens, calamagrostis x acutiflora 'Overdam' and 'Karl Foerster' (Overdam is splendid for part shade!), and carex 'Curly Hairs' (still trying to figure out good companions for it).

Any companion suggestions for Carex that looks dead?

i'm with you on the rural areas of iowa. that would be sooo awesome to see.

would love to go to clinton, but a little far for just a day! heard wonderful things about it.

hey, scott, thought you might be interested in pic posting, so here's a thread you might check out. i use photobucket to upload mine, and it's free and works great.

Here is a link that might be useful: http://ths.gardenweb.com/forums/load/comphelp/msg0807590123993.html?7