Garden tip: Grasses

Lush green adorns the flowerbeds, dark corners are brightened, and the wind rustles through stems, leaves, and fluffy seed heads. Just in time for the start of the gardening season, we'd like to recommend a couple of lovely plant genera to you: grasses and ferns. They are the perfect gap fillers and real eye-catchers.

"Ornamental grasses showcase a wide variety in their growth habit, size, and color. The way their leaves fall and bend also varies. With shades of blue-grey, green, yellow, brown, or silver, they are lovely to look at. And when ferns unfurl their fronds in spring, fresh green life enters the garden.

A dream of a plant: long-lasting, undemanding, easy to care for."

Grasses and ferns are just the right thing for anyone with little time (and inclination). They are almost grateful when left alone. What's more, they rarely get sick and are largely ignored by pests. Weeds don't even get a chance to spread.

There is one "but" though: they like to propagate on their own (self-seeding) and grow more extensively than desired. The only solution is to prune them back.

This leads us to general tips for planting.

Actually, there isn't just one ideal location and one ideal soil. Some prefer shade, others prefer sun. A well-draining, sandy, or stony soil is ideal for most grass species. If the soil is rather heavy, it can be mixed with sand and gravel. Or, you can plant ferns there with the addition of nutrient-rich humus. All species should be planted when temperatures are generally rising. This is when grasses and ferns actually take root best.

"Grasses and ferns as privacy screens – pay attention to the selection

Many people hope that tall-growing grasses, in particular, will provide privacy screens. But be careful! Grasses in shady locations bloom early in the year but then take a break in summer. Grasses in sunny locations, on the other hand, only appear in late spring and bloom in late summer. Most ornamental grasses also go into winter dormancy and/or are cut back in spring. So, the dense visual enjoyment is temporary.

For the desired privacy screen, we recommend pampas grass, Chinese silver grass (Miscanthus), or bamboo species.

Once everything is planted, you can lean back and sharpen your senses for the beauty of these plants – enchanting!"