Instead, they add life, motion and sound to plantings. In a border, grasses can be either edging or background plants while larger specimens can be accent plants or screens. Some diminutive species can be utilized in a rock garden. Combine grasses with either woody or herbaceous perennial plants, such as shrub roses or black-eyed susan, to create a low input or sustainable landscape. Unlike herbaceous perennials the foliage of most ornamental grasses don't disappear in late fall, but remain throughout the winter months.
Grasses add life to a winter scene otherwise devoid of foliage.
Although a few tolerate shade, most grasses require full sun. Some grasses or grasslike plants are adapted to wet soils, but most require a well-drained soil. To become drought and pest resistant, plants require a suitable root zone. In compacted soils, even the root systems of drought-tolerant plants will not develop. Incorporate organic matter into the root zone to improve water-holding capacity and oxygen levels.