30 Days of Beauty-Day 12: Ornamental Grasses

There is something so beautiful about ornamental grasses.  The way they wave in the breeze can be mesmerizing.  One year we took a day-long driving trip along the Wisconsin/Minnesota border.  It was fun to stop at interesting towns to wander around and explore new areas.  One such area had a large planting of grasses.  They were so beautiful with their autumn colors.  I have always remembered how peaceful and lovely it was.







I have never thought that I had a place where ornamental grasses would grow.  However, I was recently surprised when I consulted with a Bachman's representative about an area that I wasn't having any luck growing anything.  We have raised garden beds in our backyard.  I love them!  They work great for my herb garden, but we have a very large area to fill.  It was getting so expensive to fill the area; so I started buying perennials each year.  Hostas worked great, and the clematis returned after our winter.  However, most things I tried didn't winter over which is a problem with raised beds-they freeze too easily.  So, I was amazed and excited when the Bachman's grower recommended that I try hardier perennials such as ornamental grasses in one of the areas.

I had looked at the grasses available at Bachman's.  They were pretty but pricey.  Today I visited my other favorite nursery, Malmborg's, to see what perennials they carried.  Imagine my surprise and delight when I discovered that they were selling perennials at 25% off!  I quickly bought six ornamental grasses and a few other perennials.  Tonight I planted them in the raised bed, and they look beautiful!  I can't wait to enjoy them through the seasons.

Have you found your joy today?