Ornamental grasses have an amazing ability to blend into any landscape. With their help, you can create original and very expressive garden compositions even on poor soils. In terms of attractiveness, such plants are not inferior to many flower crops, and are often the main decoration of a garden or local area. To independently make a spectacular cereal flower bed on your site, you should learn better about the types, growing conditions and the rules for combining ornamental grasses and cereals.

Cereals, like flowers, are divided into annuals and perennials, thermophilic and frost-resistant, differ in height and growth rate. Most of these plants have small and inconspicuous flowers, and are valued for the color and shape of the leaves. The decorative effect is fully manifested after the growth of the curtain or when sowing with cereals of a certain area, but single plants cannot always boast of such attractiveness.

Stunted plants include 15 to 40 cm high. These cereals are indispensable in the design of borders, framing garden paths, look great in carpet flower beds. Most often they are planted in rocky gardens, rock gardens and rockeries, creating an imitation of natural corners.

Medium-sized cereals include plants with a height of 40 to 90 cm. Representatives of this group are very effective in group plantings, and are most often used to create multi-tiered flower beds. Graceful stems with bright panicles or spikelets give the effect of continuous flowering in mixborders, and look good when planted in separate groups in the garden.

Cereals are considered tall, reaching a height of 90 cm. They are usually used in multi-level flower beds as a background. In addition, plants planted in a row can serve as a screen or screen, hiding cozy corners in the garden from prying eyes.

The most popular garden cereals

Type of cereals	Name	Short description
Undersized		Perennial lush bush with needle-like leaves and soft gray-green panicles-inflorescences. The coloration ranges from silver and olive to blue. It is necessary to plant only in sunny places, otherwise the decorativeness of the plant is lost
		Perennial plant, forms a compact shrub up to 30 cm tall. Has sharp, long leaves of light green color with white longitudinal stripes
		An annual frost-hardy plant with incredibly spectacular inflorescences. When growing, forms small neat bushes. Sow in early spring and autumn
		An annual cold-resistant cereal with beautiful dense panicles. It is necessary to plant in open sunny places, since in the shade the plant loses its attractiveness
Medium-sized		Annual cereal, forming dense bushes about half a meter high. It is valued for its graceful spikelets with long needles-awns, which at the time of flowering have a pink-purple hue
		A perennial cereal with thin spikelets decorated with hair-like awns. When the feather grass grows, it looks like an iridescent silky carpet, silver or pinkish
		A biennial thermophilic grass that requires shelter for the winter. Prized for its long, fluffy spikelet inflorescences that can be white, pink or purple, depending on the variety
		Perennial cereal with bright colored leaves. Grows well in lighted areas, near artificial reservoirs. Blooms rarely, throwing out white-silvery panicles
Tall		Spectacular thermophilic perennial. They are planted in sunny areas, they must be covered for the winter. Large lush panicle inflorescences, white, pink and light yellow, give the plant decorativeness
		Moisture-loving annual cereal, forming a dense curtain. Decorative thanks to the flat hanging spikelets, which are green at the beginning of flowering, and then acquire a rich bronze shade
		Luxurious perennial that forms large clumps. The plant has many species, differing in color and leaf shape. Spikelet inflorescences can be white, pink, burgundy

Cereals planting rules

Plant selection

To create a composition of cereals and herbs, everything must be accurately calculated. Cereals grow better on poor soils, so you should not fertilize the site before planting. The abundance of nutrients in the soil leads to overgrowth of clumps, the bushes cease to keep their shape and fall apart. This is especially true for tall grains. Another important condition is good drainage. If water stagnates on the site, the roots of the plants will rot, which will certainly affect the appearance and growth rate.

Soil moisture is of prime importance when choosing plant species. The moisture-loving cereals include:

Poor moisture tolerance:

When choosing plants, be sure to study all the information about them. You should not buy seeds just because the cereal in the picture looks very beautiful. As you know, the decorativeness of leaves and inflorescences strongly depends on the location of the site and the composition of the soil. You need to focus on other criteria - height, ability to grow, resistance to cold and other negative influences. If you have not dealt with cereals and herbs before, get for a start 2-3 varieties of low-growing annuals that do not require special care.

Composition rules

If you decide to create a flower bed from cereal species, follow the basic rule: all plants in one area must have similar requirements for growing conditions. In addition, plants should be correctly combined in terms of color (which can vary throughout the season), height and spreading of the bushes.

On a cereal bed, catchy decorative elements are not welcome; it is better to use a few picturesque boulders or make a dump of fine gravel. For a multi-tiered flower bed and a mixborder, low borders decorated with ceramic mosaics or natural stone are suitable. Cereals look very harmonious next to conifers and rose bushes, they go well with daylilies.

When planting near a gazebo, a high fence or the wall of a house, cereals can be combined with climbing plants that will act as a background. Wild grapes, hops, ivy and discreet vines of various types are best suited for this.

The size of the plot is of great importance. If the area is small, the presence of tall plants planted in separate groups will help shade the garden and further reduce the area. In a spacious garden, on the contrary, tall cereal compositions are welcome, both in the form of flower beds and as tapeworms.

How to plant

First you need to prepare a place: the selected area is cleared of weeds and plant debris, and then dug deeply. This can be done both in autumn and early spring. It is not necessary to apply humus or other fertilizers, since ornamental grasses and grasses prefer poor soil.

Next, the land is leveled, give the site the desired shape. The next stage is marking. It is very important here not to be mistaken with the size of the bush, because if you leave little space, a neat flower bed will turn into dense thickets. The markings are done with sand, outlining a place for each plant, taking into account the width of an adult bush. After marking, you can plant seedlings of cereals or sow directly with seeds.

Most cereals tend to grow strongly, oppressing weaker plants in the vicinity. To prevent this from happening, you should think about ways to curb growth in advance. For example, you can dig in strips of slate or plastic, setting the desired boundaries for each of these cereals. Particularly aggressive species are best planted in plastic containers of the appropriate size.

Some cereals at the germination stage can be oppressed by neighboring plants, so it is not recommended to sow them directly into the ground. You can arrange a small temporary bed nearby and sow seeds there. Seedlings of cereals are also planted there until they are sufficiently strong. When the plant develops well and begins to form a bush, it can be safely planted in a permanent place.

Video - Ornamental cereals and herbs in landscape design

Cereals in landscaping are an easy way to transform your garden into a cozy setting. The variety of types, shapes, heights and shades of cereals allows every gardener to make an interesting choice. Today there are more than 11 thousand species of them.

Cereals are chosen for the decorativeness of their leaves; rare varieties have beautiful flowering. Such plants do not require special care, they take root on poor soils, therefore they are ideal for cold regions. Most varieties are resistant to diseases and pests.

What compositions can be made using cereals? This can be a garden path decoration, a multi-tiered flower bed or a mixborder. From tall species, you can create a shaded place in the garden, hidden from prying eyes. Decorative grasses and herbs in landscape design are used quite widely.

Cereals used for decoration are classified by height:

• undersized;
• medium-sized;
• tall.

Plants are considered undersized 15-40 cm in height. Such cereals are indispensable for decorating garden paths, single-tier flower beds. Small, lush shrubs blend in with rocky areas and can be used to create an image of wildlife in the garden. They fill well the space between ornamental shrubs in mixborders.

Medium-sized varieties reach from 40 to 90 cm. They are planted in multi-tiered flower beds or in separate groups in the garden, they are decorated with artificial reservoirs. Plants over 90 cm tall are called tall. They are used much less often than undersized ones and are used as a background in composite compositions. They create a great screen effect.

Ordinary cereals are not inferior in beauty to flowers and shrubs. Their advantage is that they fit harmoniously into any ensemble. They are good on their own or in groups. The most popular types of undersized varieties:

1. 1 Fescue is a perennial fluffy plant. It has needle-like leaves and original olive, blue and blue coloration.
2. 2 Gray Keleria is a dwarf annual herb up to 10 cm high. It has hard gray-green leaves, suitable for stony areas. It tolerates cold well, but does not like excessive moisture.
3. 3 Golden Lamarckia is an annual with dense panicles, resistant to cold.
4. 4 Bulbous ryegrass is found in every garden. It is a bush with sharp leaves of light green color and white longitudinal stripes on them.
5. 5 Foxtail is an aesthetic grain with golden foliage and silky spikelets. Good for combining with other plants in a flower bed, as its root system does not spread and does not interfere with neighbors.

Medium-sized varieties used in landscape design:

1. 1 Maned barley is an annual growing up to 0.5 m. Its graceful spikelets will create the necessary background for flowering plants in a mixborder.
2. 2 Feather grass is a guest from the steppe who loves warmth and light. Feather grass is planted in a group so that the spikelets form a smooth, silky surface.
3. 3 Imperata is the owner of bright leaves. This perennial cereal will take root well near an artificial reservoir.
4. 4 Falyaris Canary is also used to decorate a reservoir. A decorative grass with narrow leaves will be an excellent neighbor in a multi-tiered flower garden.

Tall varieties:

1. 1 Chinese miscanthus is the most popular specimen of tall grains. Panicle inflorescences have a wide color palette (from white to maroon).
2. 2 Cortaderia - the owner of spectacular inflorescences of light yellow and pink shades. This cereal is thermophilic and requires shelter for the winter.
3. 3 Tall barley is a juicy green plant with purple inflorescences, reaches a height of up to 1.5 m. This tall cereal is unpretentious, takes root on almost any soil, tolerates moisture and shade well. Will be a great neighbor for yellow and orange flowers.

What to choose for flower bed decoration?

Most cereals take root better in poor soils. In fertile soil, plants grow too much and lose their shape. When choosing a grain, one should take into account its moisture resistance. Most do not tolerate excess water in the soil, therefore, a drainage layer must be equipped when planting. There are also moisture-loving grasses - sedge, miscanthus, falaris, calamus. Combinations of water-loving specimens and plants that do not tolerate moisture are best avoided.

Cold resistance is another important consideration when choosing. Many cereals show their decorative effect only with good lighting and warmth. If a group of cereals is planted, then all plants should have similar care requirements. The choice of plant depends on the type of composition. To create an ensemble of cereals, you need to pick up plants with different heights and leaf colors.

Planting cereals and herbs in a flower garden should follow a clear pattern so that they do not shade each other, neighboring flowers and shrubs. When drawing up a scheme for a multi-tiered flower garden, you need to take into account the flowering time of the cereal and its neighbors. This will help create the effect of a continuously blooming flower bed.

Some varieties can overwhelm neighboring plants, so be familiar with their properties before planting.

For beginner gardeners, it is better to choose low-growing annual varieties that are easier to care for.

Cereals can be planted both in spring and autumn. Landing takes place in several stages:

1. 1 The soil must be well loosened before planting. It is not necessary to use special fertilizers, since cereals are more comfortable in poor soils.
2. 2 The plot is marked taking into account the width of an adult plant. It is necessary to leave enough space between the cereals so that they do not interfere with each other and do not turn into dense thickets.
3. 3 If species are planted that are prone to suppress the growth of neighbors, it is necessary to limit their growth in advance with the help of partitions made of plastic or slate.
4. 4 To ensure that the cereal plant takes root, you can plant it on a separate bed. There the seedling will get stronger, then it can be transplanted into a flower bed or mixborder.

You can decorate the cereal composition with gravel filling. For flower beds and mixborders, a low border with ceramic blotches is suitable. Cereals are ideally combined with climbing plants, roses, chamomiles, yarrow, and some conifers.

The use of cereals in landscape design allows gardeners to easily turn an ordinary garden into an exemplary cozy place without much effort and expense.

They are less whimsical to care for and create a feeling of lightness and airiness.

Care features

You can plant cereals at almost any time convenient for you. The main thing is that there is no heat outside or winter comes. The cereals planted before winter tolerate frost perfectly and will instantly turn green with the arrival of spring.

We have already said that decorative grains do not need special care. It will be enough for them if, after the snow melts, you clean the area: remove dry branches, cut off diseased and dried shoots, dried inflorescences and leaves.

Self-seeding is characteristic of cereals. Therefore, in the spring, inspect carefully and remove excess shoots. They are practically not attacked. The only enemies for them are and.

To cope with such a misfortune, you can use plain water. Douse the affected bush with a powerful jet of water. If the pests are persistent, spray with soapy water.

Decorative cereals with photos and descriptions

It grows in height up to 30-60 centimeters. Its leaves are narrow and flat. Spikelets are usually golden in color and thick. The flowering period is late summer.

Seeds are planted in the ground in late February - early March by pressing a couple of millimeters into the ground. The sown area should be in a warm place with a temperature of 22-25 degrees. Then the first shoots will appear in three to six days.

Two or three weeks after germination, diving and transplanting into small pots can be carried out. With the onset of cold weather, it is better to hide the plant indoors or cover it with dry leaves and spruce branches.
With the help of pinnacle, they decorate the banks of reservoirs, terraces, create or a background in the background.

Miscanthus

Ornamental grass from the family of cereals. An unpretentious plant that grows in the subtropics and tropics. Very high. Some bushes grow up to two meters in height. The leaves are wide, tough. The spikelet looks like a fan, open to one side.

The genus of miscanthus has 16 species. Each of them has its own distinctive features.

All miscanthus species reproduce both by seed and seedling. They are unpretentious and do not like very much when they are transplanted. And this procedure must be periodically carried out, especially if the central part of the bush begins to dry out. Pruned in early spring.

Unusual cereal plant, representing one species - ovate hare tail. Most likely, it was so named due to the fact that the spikelet is egg-shaped, and from a distance it resembles a hare's tail.

Straight stems grow up to 95 centimeters long. Grows in Mediterranean countries. It is also found in Ukraine. The habitat halo shows that the plant needs a mild climate. It does not tolerate frosty winters.

To grow a haretail on the site, you need to collect seeds in the fall. By this time, they are fully ripe and dry out. Planting begins in April in greenhouses or small pots. After two weeks, you can transplant to a prepared place in the garden.
With the arrival of warm sunny days (May month), you can sow seeds in open soil. It is best to mix the seed with sand and press it into the soil a couple of centimeters. The distance between the holes is 10-15 centimeters. Shoots appear 10-12 days after sowing.

Haretail is an unpretentious plant. It feels equally good in open spaces and in pots on. It tolerates dry seasons well, provided that abundant watering is provided.

A beautiful herbaceous plant of the cereal family with bluish leaves. The bush resembles a bump of the correct hemispherical shape. Leaves are thin, long, arrow-shaped. Inflorescences are small and thin, stick to a long, up to 150 centimeters, stem.

Ideal for dry, depleted areas. In shady areas and on fertilized soil, it begins to actively turn green. Dislikes damp earth. If the climate is hot and humid, it blooms poorly.

It is recommended to plant in the spring. When the plant has faded (July), the spikelets need to be cut off, and the next year in the spring, the stems must be cut off completely. It tolerates winters well, but after severe frosts it loses its attractiveness.
Propagated by both seeds and planting a bush. Seedlings should be grown in pots. It is better to separate the shrub in early spring, so that by autumn the plant will take root in a new place and get stronger.

Blue fescue is an unusual decorative plant of light blue color. Just like the sheep, it has the shape of a regular bump 35-40 centimeters high. It will perfectly complement the design of a plot planted with low grass. Can be used for decoration, ponds, park areas.

Doesn't need any special care. For an unusual plant to please the eye with a blue color, plant it in sunny places. With a lack of sun, the leaves turn to their usual green color.

The soil may be depleted, but it must be drained. The flowering period is from June to late autumn. Spikelets are thin, gray-green on a long stem.

If the plant has been growing on your site for three years now, it's time to start planting it. From that moment on, such a procedure should be carried out every two years. This will preserve the attractive appearance and rich color of the fescue.

Important!It does not need special preparation for winter. You don't even need to cover him.

The plant is propagated by seed, seedling methods and by dividing the bush. The seeds are bought in stores or harvested from their own at the end of the flowering period. Sowing the soil is easy.

It is enough just to scatter the seeds over the area. They themselves will catch on to the soil. They also sow seedlings in boxes. Require abundant and greenhouse effect using film. This only applies to seedlings in boxes.

It is placed in a warm, sunny place, and after the first shoots appear, it is transferred to a cooler one. If a young shoot has at least two leaves, it is possible to plant the plant in pots, and from May to the garden.

A perennial herb, whose name comes from the word cut, due to the fact that it has very thin and sharp leaf tips. High, up to three meters, densely growing ornamental plant.
Foliage is concentrated at the base. Spikelets with a female flower are lush, with long silky hairs, drooping down. Men are bald. The flowering period is August - October.

The plant is characterized by vegetative and seed reproduction. Seedlings are first grown from seeds. They are sown in March - April. The sowing feature is cold. This is necessary in order for the seeds to ripen.

The finished seed is planted in sandy-peat soil in boxes. They are stored in a ventilated area at room temperature. The first shoots appear after two weeks.

From the second half of May, seedlings can be planted in open ground. Only adult cortaderia, over five years old, bloom. With the onset of warm, fine spring days, those planted before can be seated.

The cortaderia is unpretentious in leaving. Perfectly takes root in open spaces with poor soil. If rainfall is minimal in your area, water once every two weeks. Fertilize and feed the soil near the cortaderia in the spring. With the arrival of autumn, in order for the plant to survive the winter better, it is recommended to tie the stems into bunches and press them to the ground. Young shoots are covered with dry leaves.

Important!When decorating the site, plant the cortaderia in heaps.

The most beautiful (Graff's feather grass) is a flowering herb of the cereal family. There are more than three hundred species. It grows up to one meter in height and has thin, long, arrow-shaped leaves. Small spikelets no more than seven centimeters long gather in graceful panicles.

No wonder the plant was named beautiful. During the flowering period, the panicles slightly lower to the ground, fluff, and it seems that air feathers have been scattered in heaps over the green field.

To grow a cereal of extraordinary beauty, you need to stock up on seeds. First, the seedlings are prepared, which germinate for one to two months. When the sprouts have matured, they can be planted in open ground (May - June).
The best soil for feather grass is dry and limestone soil. If the groundwater passes close to the surface on the site, it is recommended to drain before planting feather grass. Water the plant only before germination.

Did you know?The most beautiful feather grass is listed in the Red Book of Ukraine and Russia.

Does not tolerate moisture accumulation in the root zone. All he needs is regular weeding in the area. For the winter, it is recommended to cut off dry leaves and flowers.

Features of creating a composition from cereals

The main principle in decorating a garden area is correctly selected plants. That is, in one place only lovers of the sun and moisture should grow, in the second - only lovers of arid rocky soil, in the third - those that cannot tolerate drafts, etc.

It should also be borne in mind that each type of cereal must be in harmony with its own kind and other plants. For example, low-growing cereals are perfectly combined with flowers, suitable for decorating paths, for creating compositions in a rocky garden.
Fescue works best with this role. Sow large open areas. Tall cereals, on the other hand, will serve well as a green hedge. They can divide the site into zones.

Suitable also as a background. Most representatives of this species are very fond of moist soil. Therefore, if there is a body of water in the garden area, feel free to plant miscanthus, shaggy or gray pennisetum around it.

Write in the comments which questions you have not received an answer to, we will definitely respond!

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The choice of decorative cereals is great, there are more than 200 different types. They act as tapeworms or can complement other plants. They decorate rockeries and alpine slides, look spectacular by water bodies, frame the edges of flower beds. In the autumn and winter, the garden will not be empty. Unpretentious panicles grow to frost and even retain their decorative effect when dry. They will give a special charm to a country house, a chalet-style house, and a cottage made in a modern style.

They hibernate in the middle lane (with or without shelter)

One of the medium-sized, very decorative cereals, involuntarily attracting the eye with its airiness. Leaves of a bluish tint, narrow, tough, 35-40 cm, form a hemispherical dense bush already in the second year after sowing with seeds.

Effective in a rocky garden, in rockeries, rock gardens, as a curb plant, it can serve as a tamping to conifers with single plantings, repeating groups, while it is a completely independent plant that will not get bored even in single plantings.

Blue fescue is unpretentious, frost-hardy. It can be transplanted to

throughout the growing season. After flowering, it is recommended to remove the peduncles, and comb out the bush with a hoe-three-armed.

It is a perennial, sown with seeds in spring or before winter. He feels calm without shelter, it grows very strongly and quickly, therefore, once every 2 years, the tufts of blue fescue should be divided to renew the plant.

Cortaderia, also known as pampas grass, forms a bright, spreading bush with bushy buds at the ends. This cereal plant is very tall. Under favorable conditions, it grows up to 3 m, but its undersized species are no less good. The main condition for perfect flowering is a lot of sun.

Here is another pinnate bristle, completely different from its American counterpart, but no less beautiful. This perennial grows strongly and quickly, so it's worth limiting it with something. Its height can vary from 30 to 60 cm. The leaves are thin and flat, and the panicles are spike-shaped (up to 10 cm). Golden spikelets are surrounded by pinnate-hairy bristles, which is why it seems "hairy".

Miscanthus

Miscanthus forms lush tall bushes up to 2 m high. Long leaves hide playful golden, golden-pink or silvery paniculate inflorescences in their axils.

Miscanthus - Miscanthus sinensis "Zebrina". Very andan interesting decorative shape with transverse golden stripes on the leaves.

Feather grass as steppe grass is loved by many, they happily plant it in mixborders or breaking flower arrangements. The most beautiful gentle feather grass (Stipa pulcherrima) looks especially unusual in plantings.

Unusual pubescence from a distance looks like silvery crystal threads enveloping the plant. It grows no more than 80 cm high, and long thin awns reach a length of 50 cm.

Spectacular perennial grass 50-90 cm tall. Impressive with the color of the leaves, which, like a chameleon, changes during the season. Dark green in May-June, leathery leaves are painted in gold, pink, orange, red and brown tones by August. Openwork greenish-purple spikelets form a light picturesque "fog" over the bush from June to September. Created for the role of a soloist, he is so beautiful and unusual. It is ideal for voluminous garden pots, the center of a raised flower bed, an alpine slide. A single plant or small groups look good against a lawn background. The inflorescences are used in cutting for live and dry flower arrangements.

Nicknamed the fox tail, it is an exclusively ornamental cereal plant up to 1.5 m in height. It tolerates frost perfectly.

Can be used for planting in shady gardens to create a background in combination with other flowering perennial plants. Prefers shaded areas and moist soil.

The seeds are good for human consumption.

Other names are mosquito grass, bison grass, pasture grass - an elegant ornamental plant. It is most effective in large masses or in large groups, especially against a contrasting background: pure black earth or dark gravel.

The name is related to the position of the spikelets, which hang on one side of the stem, although they are located on opposite sides. It grows in height only from 10 to 40 cm. In the process of growth, it changes color from bright red to brownish brown, and in autumn it acquires a straw yellow color.

Prefers bright, sunny places. For the greatest decorative effect, the plant must be mowed periodically.

According to the folk it is called "pike".An amazingly ornamental garden plant, represented by a huge number of varieties that differ in leaf length, stem height and shades of spikelets.

The best place for a pike is a mixborder, the edge of the lawn or the edge of the forest, where it will look very impressive against the background of shrubs or in combination with broad-leaved plants. It can be used in a garden in the style of a natural landscape or in a rockery in combination with large boulders. Used as an accent, specimen on the lawn, great in mass when it forms huge wide clouds of flowers that change color depending on the season. A spectacular pike against the background of dark earth, various types of mulch: bark, gravel, pine nut shells. Do not forget that it self-seeds, and there is a possibility that sprouted young plants will have to be picked out of the gravel.

Forms clumps of green leaves with thin stems with one-sided cyst-like paniculate inflorescences with shiny drooping spikelets. Spikelets are often purple in color. The plant is quite frost-resistant, provided the soil is well waterproof.

Another name for canary cane is distinguished by very decorative variegated leaves with green stripes on a white background.

Tall, fast-growing plant. Blooms in August with straight, rigid panicles.

Perennials 40-150 cm tall, usually forming rather loose turf, with short creeping rhizomes.

Groups of lightning bolts look exceptionally beautiful in naturgardens, near trees or bushes. As accent plants, they are very decorative in low mixborders, near lawns or in heather gardens.

Hakonehloya

Or hakonechloa (Hakonechloa). The plant is the most graceful member of the family of cereals and deserves a special place in every shady corner of the garden. There is only one species in the Hakonehloya family.

The height of the bush is about 40 cm. It grows rather slowly and in a distinctive way: a dense bush produces shoots that grow in one direction, forming an interesting cascade. Hakonehloa is distinguished by its large green foliage, reminiscent of bamboo, which becomes pink in autumn.

Loves a warm, wind-protected place. With good soil moisture, you can grow in a sunny place.

Or downy flowers, the absolute giant of the world of ornamental grasses. Tall ornamental grass is the best decoration for autumn and winter landscapes. Downy flowers can reach a height of 3-3.5 meters. At the end of summer, silvery panicles, bursting upward from the base of gray-green leaves, reach just such impressive heights. Eriantus, with its tall, thin stems and bushy panicles, adds a touch of charm to the harsh winter landscape.

A perennial dense-soddy grass with gray-blue hard foliage. The "blueness" of foliage depends on the light intensity. The length of the leaves of the root rosette is about 5-7 cm. The diameter of the rosette is 10-12 cm. The foliage of the rosette is wintering. The height of the curtain during the flowering period is up to 40 cm (depending on the fertility of the soil). The spikelet is light green in contrast to the foliage. The inflorescence stems are quite tough and do not fall apart (keep their shape well). The green coloration of the spikelet remains until the beginning of August, then the spikelet turns yellow. Requires well-drained soils with a neutral or alkaline reaction. With age, the center of the curtain falls out and the plant requires division. Propagated by dividing the bush or seeds. In the conditions of the northwest, it is frost-resistant (does not require shelter for the winter), but there is a possibility of a winter attack from waterlogging. A decorative rosette in early spring during the period of re-growth of leaves and in the second half of summer during the period of re-growth of leaves after flowering. During flowering, wheatgrass is decorative due to spikelets. Suitable for decoration of alpine slides and gravel gardens.

Many types are used in landscape design for the design of reservoirs. Fuzzies during fruiting (about 1.5 months) are very decorative thanks to pure white or bright red puffs. Suitable for growing at the edges of water bodies, especially Broad-leaved Fuzzy.

Great plants for decorating rockeries, heather gardens and the shores of water bodies, where they should be planted in groups or massifs. Fading inflorescences of cotton grass are often used in cutting to compose live and dry flower arrangements.

It has dark green, rather thick stems 10-50 cm high. A perennial plant with numerous filamentous stems from 5 to 50 cm in height, at the ends of which are tiny cone-shaped inflorescences. Leaves on plants are absent or reduced to barely visible scales. Location: light-requiring and very moisture-loving. They prefer slightly acidic soil. They are planted directly into the ground on a sunny swampy shore or in small containers that can be submerged up to 10 cm under water.

When grown in containers, they need monthly feeding with complex fertilizers. For the winter, containers with dangling marsh are removed to a bright, cool room. Swamps are a wonderful decoration for small ponds and streams. Cold-hardy species can be planted on low, well-humid shores or in shallow waters. More thermophilic species are grown in containers.

The grayish-bluish foliage forms a neat straight hummock 60-120 cm high. The shape changes from strictly straight at the beginning of growth to free arched in adulthood. Summer color of foliage is different: some plants are bright green, others are gray or slightly bluish, often with a noticeable purple tint. In autumn, the plant color changes from yellow-brown to copper-orange. The flowers - elongated spikelets located at the top of the stem - are invisible until they dry, then they become silvery and especially attractive when illuminated by the autumn or winter sun. They are good all winter, even when it snows.

Frost resistant. It requires full sun and good drainage to grow successfully. Tolerates even extremely dry soils, grows on both acidic and alkaline, but, of course, does not mind fertile and good moisture. Propagated by seed or dividing in spring.

Or Indian forest grass, tall prairie grass - Sorghastrum nutans. Indian grass was originally used as a high-quality forage, and several cultivars were obtained for this purpose, but among them were quite decorative. Panicles are good for cutting.

Gives abundant self-seeding. Thanks to this, it is used to restore prairies and create natural gardens. In small gardens, the merch is unpleasant due to self-seeding. An annual effort is required to remove annual seedlings, this is best done in late fall or early spring.

Herbaceous perennial shoots, 60-90 cm high and 30-60 cm wide. Dark green, glossy, needle-thin, tough leaves. The flowers are pinkish; in the fall they turn the plant into a pink or purple cloud. This cloud turns light brownish in late autumn. One of the most beautiful herbaceous perennials. Average winter hardiness - up to (-18). In the southern regions it winters without shelter, in the north-west with shelter.

Perennial. Height up to 60 cm. Rich, copper-bronze, thin leaves are formed on a bush of sedge "Red Rooster" - one of the most popular series of ornamental grasses. A crested and erect form at the beginning of growth, eventually turning into a more drooping one. Linear leaves curl as they grow older, the tips are thin, gracefully bend in the wind.

Sedge "Mists of the Amazon" (Carex albula Amazon Mist)

Perennial. Height 25-30 cm. Lush, drooping bush. The foliage is silvery green on the top and green on the bottom, slightly curling. Great offer for retaining walls, mixborders and container compositions.

It hibernates in the southern regions, in the northern regions it is used as a tub, or an annual plant.

At this place, many may be surprised, because it is believed that millet pogonatherum (Pogonatherum paniceum) is a house plant, it is often even called "indoor bamboo" or "indoor reed". But in fact, this is a cereal, it belongs to the bluegrass family and is used for planting in tubs and large containers. In the summer, it is quite possible to decorate the vastness of the garden with pots with pogonaterum, and in a warmer area, and leave it to overwinter in the ground.

In our latitudes, it can be cultivated in the south of Russia, although the summer of 2014 was hot in the middle lane. With such a temperature regime, the pogonaterum feels good not only during the day, but also at night.

One of the varieties of the Setaria (Setaria italica) is a plague, known to many, which is grown in some regions as a fodder plant. But not everyone knows that it is also very decorative. Chumiza has large yellowish or green drooping panicles that look great in plant ensemble and solo.

The second variety of setaria is known to us as mohar, or bristle, it has smaller brownish panicles, growing straight.

Setaria bushes are large, sometimes even higher than 1 m. This decorative cereal loves warm and fertile soil. Resistant to drought, but loves watering just as much sun and fertility. The plant has won the love of designers of dry bouquets, as it dries perfectly and does not crumble. And in a cut with other plants it will look no less original.

Maned barley

Maned barley (Hordeum jubatum) is said to be dignified and playful. In my opinion, it is more than self-sufficient in the world not only of cereals, but also of many ornamental plants. It is a perennial, but more often it is cultivated as an annual because of its property to freeze in winter. This ornamental cereal forms dense bushes up to 50 cm tall with a scattering of shoots, on which spikelets with very long awns are located.

At the time of flowering, the awns are pink-purple, and when they dry up, they become white. Under good conditions, maned barley not only does not freeze, but also gives excellent self-seeding.

Pennisetum bristly forms bushes up to 1.5 m, depending on the subspecies. The long stems have bright inflorescences that resemble fireworks.This plant is very effective in combination with evergreen spruces or pines.

Another handsome man from the pennisetum family is gray-gray pennisetum, aka American pinnate, aka African millet. The decorative appearance has a straight, dense panicle and leaves of brown-purple or bluish color. African millet is thermophilic, but tolerates lower temperatures well. It can be used both in mixborders and in group plantings.It is very beautiful when cut, and the dried plant perfectly retains its shape and color.

This cute cereal truly lives up to its name: its small fluffy inflorescences really look like the tail of a bunny. A haretail, aka ovoid lagurus (Lagurus ovatus), can reach a height of just over 50 cm, the spike-shaped inflorescences themselves are about 3-4 cm long.

We are loved by many gardeners not only for elegance, but also for high decorative qualities in dry compositions. This plant can grow in partial shade, which makes it possible to plant it in places where other ornamental grasses cannot grow.

A very original annual cereal has inflorescences in the form of an unusual dark brown loose spike with round grains. Sorghum leaves are wide, dark green, their spacing also gives some unusualness to the plant.

It is used both in group plantings and singly, as a background and for spectacular winter compositions. Sorghum tolerates cold well and is not demanding on the soil.

Viviparous oat (Helictotrichon sempervirens) is often confused with blue fescue. The color and somewhat similar shape are confusing, but the tussocks of the sheep are much higher and more spreading. Tthis cereal not only perfectly frames flower beds, but also goes well with all kinds of stones.

Hasmantium broadleaf

Hasmantium broadleaf (Chasmanthium latifolium), or wild oats, or flatgrass, despite its apparent simplicity, looks very original with many plants and in single plantings. Inflorescences and spikelets of this cereal are flattened and located in the same plane. They hang from the stem like outlandish wrought-iron earrings.

With good humidity and sufficient sunlight, it grows about 1.2 m in height. It begins to bloom in autumn, in September - October.

The brightness of this cereal will not leave indifferent even the most picky gardener. The leaves of the Imperata cylindrica are thin, with bright red tips. By autumn, it reaches the peak of its decorative effect and is completely painted in crimson tones.

The most decorative species of the genus, has long been cultivated in Western Europe as a curb or lawn plant, but is especially suitable for dry bouquets. Reaches the greatest decorative effect in full sun.

Winter annual, usually highly branched from the base, 20-60 cm tall.

Zoisia thin-leaved(Zoisia tenuifolia)

Perennial, but in Russia often dying for the winter plants 5 - 20 cm tall, with creeping and rooting in the nodes of aerial shoots, bearing very numerous leaves with very narrow, folded along the plates.

Cultivated in the USA and many other countries as a lawn plant. It usually does not bloom in Russia.A promising ornamental plant for the south of Russia.

Zubrovka southern (Hierochloe australis (Swartz))

A plant with beautiful silvery panicles and a pleasant smell due to the presence of coumarin. Deserves to be grown for dry bouquets in temperate zones. Prefers light sandy and sandy loam soils.

Plants 20-50 cm in height, forming loose turf, with short creeping rhizomes.

Forest short-legged (Brachypodium sylvaticum)

It grows in height from 40 to 180 cm, depending on the shape. Forms sod. The stems are straight, shaggy at the nodes, the leaves are dark green, dense, flat. The inflorescence is spicate, 7-15 cm long. Grows in shady places. It is used as a groundcover in landscape compositions. Propagated by seeds.

A perennial, but we grow it as an annual ornamental grass.Forms a compact bush 50-60 cm high.

The ideal location for this plant is sunny, the soil is fertile and well-drained. The bustennik looks best in group plantings or as a border plant.

Ornamental grasses can be selected for all tastes, for all styles of gardens and for any location. The game of different heights, different inflorescences and shades encourages new ideas for garden design. Cushion-like, overhanging or growing grasses - if you wish, you can find the desired type and variety of any shape. Ornamental grasses are surprisingly hardy and easy to care for. They grow well even in an environment where other plants simply cannot exist due to harsh conditions.

The garden does not always have to consist exclusively of brightly flowering plants. Decorative grains help to create unique garden compositions, add interesting touches, and create a complete image. In addition, they are decorative almost at any time of the year.
Today we have collected for you a selection of the most beautiful, in our opinion, decorative cereals.

Reed reed (Calamagrostis acutiflora) or Fox tail (popularly) - really reminds me of a lot of fluffy reddish-yellow tails. The plant develops well both in the sun and in partial shade. Lush bloom begins in July. Plant height up to one and a half meters.

Two-source reed (Phalaris arundinacea) - chic variegated cereal (there are also monophonic forms, but they have not taken root in gardening), revives any flower garden, looks great near decorative reservoirs, on alpine hills. There is only one problem, but a big one - a two-source plant grows with lightning speed, destroying any plants it encounters on its way and turning the garden into a continuous motley carpet. Height from 40cm to 1.2m.

Imperata cylindrica - one of the brightest and most interesting cereals, ready to compete for superiority with the noblest flowers in a flower bed. Unlike many of its relatives, the impera does not form a weeping bush, its long, bright leaves always tend upward. The closer autumn approaches, the more red they become. But it blooms rarely, and not at all so bright. Plant height up to 1 meter. The Emperor prefers sunny places.

Beautiful feather grass (Stipa pulcherrima) - the most delicate steppe plant, resembling a light haze from a distance. Long feather grass inflorescences (up to 50 cm) simply dissolve in the air, and when the wind blows, they shimmer with waves. Very soothes the nervous system, gives rest to the eyes. Plant height up to 80 cm. Feather grass is listed in the Red Book.

Cortaderia selloana or Pampas grass - the most famous and popular cereal in horticulture. Today, it is most often found in the gardens of summer residents of Central Russia. And the flowering of Cortaderia is the brightest of all ornamental cereals: large metecae of white, yellow or pink shades do not leave anyone indifferent. Best of all, Cortaderia looks alone, not fighting for superiority with other plants. Height from 40cm to 3 meters.

Chinese Miscanthus (Miscanthus sinensis) - more loved by landscape designers than ordinary summer residents. Often used to create lush garden compositions, especially those involving water bodies. Very picky about light. It has many varieties. Plant height up to 2 meters.

Blue fescue (Festuca glauca) - Lush low bushes of this type of fescue have a grayish-blue tint. The cereal looks very neat and decorative, it sets off other plants well. Great for compositions with stones. Height from 20 to 60 cm. Flowering in June.