Ornamental Blue and Grey Grasses: A Garden Palette
If you find yourself with a picky palette for color preferences, ornamental grasses in shades ranging from bright blue to nearly gray can serve you something sweet with its many the purposes in a garden design. Some varieties harmoniously complement soft colors, while others create outstanding accents for more intensely colored plants.
Summer Elegance with Powder Blue Grasses
- Elijah Blue Fescue (Festuca glauca) pairs beautifully with soft yellow foxgloves and Rosie Cheddar pinks (Digitalis lutea and Dianthus gratianopolitanus).
- Blue Oat Grass complements the buttery blooms of Moonbeam Coreopsis (Coreopsis verticillata ‘Moonbeam’) and Pink Short Wood Fleabane (Erigeron ‘Pink Shortwood’).
- Cloud 9 Switch Grass (Panicum virgatum ‘Cloud 9’) harmonizes with light lemon yellow Lemon Queen Sunflowers (Helianthus ‘Lemon Queen’) and Pink September Charm (Antimony ‘September Charm’).
Elegant Pairings for Blue Leaves and Flowers
- Pair blue-leaved grasses with blue flowers for a wispy effect, such as Love in a Mist (Nigella damascena) with spiky Blue Oat Grass, or Magellan Wheat Grass with the steel-blue blooms of Sea Holly (Eryngium) and Globe Thistle (Echinops).
- White flowers like Gourmet Popcorn, Miniature Roses, White Rose Campion (Silene coronaria), and White Tulips also complement blue grasses.
Contrasting Colors for Dramatic Effects
- Contrast blue grasses with bright blooms in the red, orange, yellow range. For instance, Blue Switch Grasses like ‘Heavy Metal’ and ‘Dallas Blues’ provide a cool backdrop for the plum-colored new foliage and cherry red blooms of the ‘Knockout’ Floribunda Rose.
- Experiment with clear orange Classic Zinnias (Zinnia angustifolia ‘Xenia’) or pair Black-Eyed Susans (Rudbeckia hirta) with Sioux Blue Indian Grass (Sorghastrum nutans) for bold combinations.
Choosing the Right Grass for Your Garden
- Blue and gray grasses thrive in full sun, although many can tolerate light shade.
- Consider the growing needs of each grass variety, as some are drought tolerant while others prefer more moisture.
- These grasses are suitable for Zone 9 landscaping projects in Lodi, CA, and the surrounding San Joaquin County area:
- Helictotrichon sempervirens – Blue Oat Grass
- Juncus patens – California Gray Rush
- Koeleria glauca – Blue Hair Grass
- Panicum virgatum ‘Cloud 9’ – Cloud 9 Switch Grass
- Schizachyrium scoparium ‘The Blues’ – The Blues Little Bluestem
- Sorghastrum nutans – Sioux Blue Indian Grass
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Incorporating these ornamental grasses into your garden can add a touch of elegance and drama, creating a stunning landscape that changes with the seasons.
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