You may have worked hard to make your garden look appealing, but that doesn't mean you want everyone who walks past to look into it. Privacy is important in gardens, but how can you achieve it without building an unattractive structure that takes away from your garden's natural appeal? One option is to use ornamental grasses. These grasses grow upwards and outwards to create a natural privacy screen that stops prying eyes from peering into your yard. Here's a simple guide to selecting, planting and maintaining ornamental-grass privacy screens.
Choose Your Grass
The best ornamental grass for you will depend on which part of your garden you're trying to shield from prying eyes. For example, if you're looking for an ornamental grass to plant around your pool, your best option is an evergreen variety like Northwind grass. If you want a screening grass for your whole garden, on the other hand, you may prefer to opt for a very tall variety that will completely block your land from the public's view. Take a thorough look at all the grasses available to you before making your choice, focusing on where your grass will be placed, how tall it needs to be, whether it needs a climbing structure and your seasonal privacy requirements.
Plant Your Grass
Once you've chosen and purchased the best ornamental grass for you, it's time to plant it. Transplanting grasses from their pots to your soil needn't be too difficult, but make sure you're gentle during the process; otherwise your plants could fail to thrive. Start by digging a large hole where your grass will go. The hole should be as deep as the pot your grass is currently in and twice as wide. If you're transplanting multiple grass pots at once, make sure to dig a hole big enough to leave space around each separate plant. Creating a sizeable hole is key to making sure your ornamental grasses don't die after they're planted, so make sure you purchase a sturdy and efficient trowel from a landscaping supplies store if you don't already have one. Once your hole is ready, remove your grass from its pot and use your hand or an old toothbrush to gently rough up the soil around the roots. This will ensure the roots take hold well in the ground. Next, place your plant in the ground and half-fill the hole around it with soil. The rest of the hole should be filled with water to help push the soil down around the roots of the grass. Finally, once that water has drained, all you need to do is fill the rest of the hole with soil.
Prune Your Grass
To keep your ornamental grass privacy screen in good condition, you'll need to prune it throughout the year. For most grass varieties, this pruning should take place during spring. Before attempting to prune, make sure you have all the right tools. Most pruning can be done with a type of landscaping scissor called secateurs, but it's a good idea to have tough loppers to hand for more stubborn parts of the plant. If you've chosen an evergreen grass, you should only prune away the dead material. If you prune too hard, you could end up killing a healthy plant. For deciduous grasses, on the other hand, pruning more aggressively can actually help the plant thrive. Exactly how you prune your ornamental grass will depend on which species you're dealing with, so make sure you look for a guide specifically aimed at your variety.
Share2 October 2018
As the parent of five children, I've picked up some tips over the years when it comes to childproofing the garden and creating an outdoor space that's safe and can be enjoyed by everyone. I started focussing on safety in the garden after my first child had an accident that could have been prevented. Thankfully, they recovered pretty quickly, but I realised how easy it is for young children to get hurt when playing outdoors. I started this blog to share what I've learned as a parent, and topics I post about include creating safe swimming pools, identifying toxic garden plants, choosing child-safe gates and maintaining outdoor play equipment. I hope you find my blog interesting and useful.
