The lawn may be gone, but we've still got grass.

Back in February of this year we removed the remaining lawn in our yard and I haven't missed it for a second.  I've been putting more grass back in though lately, although this grass is much easier, no mowing required.  I've always loved ornamental grasses, but just had no idea on how to incorporate them into my garden.  I've learned lots from looking at blogs and also have noticed how much they are being used in newer landscaping around here.  I slowly started by adding them to containers a few years ago.  Then added just one to an area near my pond a couple years later.  Now during this fall I've added even more and am just in love with how they look.

 Japanese Blood Grass (Imperata cylindrica) by the pond.  I'm hoping one day it will spread more.  This has been here at least two years.

 Mexican Feather Grass (Nasella tenuissima) has been in this container for about  two years.  I keep starting to plant it in the garden, but just love how I can see it from inside blowing in the breeze.

 A bronze Sedge mixed in this container planting.

 Sedge (Carex testacea) 'Prairie Fire' in another container.

 Golden Acorus in the water garden.  I've also got it growing in my pond.  I made the mistake of cutting it back one year not realizing it's evergreen.  Now I just trim back the dead leaves.

 Another Carex mixed in with a perennial gold fuchsia, Campanula and Heuchera.  Look how mossy the stones have already gotten!

 New Zealand Sedge (Carex comans) 'Frosted Curls'.

 It was pretty shady when I took this picture, but here you can see it growing with Lonicera 'Lemon Beauty' (evergreen shrub on right), Lamb's Ear, Spanish Poppy and Rudbeckia 'Cherry Brandy'.  The combination is really pretty.

 I've added a few Feather Reed Grasses (Calamangrostis acutiflora) 'Karl Foerster'.  It's a bit floppy and has no blooms, but that is because it was just planted.  On the right is my new favorite shrub, a Ninebark 'Little Devil'.

 This is probably my favorite new grass and area that I've been working on.  Behind the pond I pulled up Penstemon 'Mystic' because it was reseeding into everything and becoming a nuisance.  I moved a few other plants around to add a Lonicera 'Lemon Beauty' (small shrub in front of the little conifer) and this Purple Moor Grass (Molinia caerulea) 'Sky Racer'.  It looks beautiful in front of the Ninebark 'Coppertina'.  I can't wait until it really fills out and those seed heads are swaying in the breeze.

I love how different all the seedheads are on the different ornamental grasses.

I hope this might inspire others who, like me, are a little afraid or confused about what to do with ornamental grasses.  They really can look pretty just about anywhere.  I was pretty good about being sure that I didn't add any that will become invasive in my garden.  I know some grasses can be a real problem.  The Mexican Feather grass has reseeded a very small amount, but it has been easy to just pull up.

We are having a gorgeous fall day here, I've already been out to clean the pond.  The screen door is allowing the sounds of the kids in the school playground to drift in.  This is the fall weather I love to work out in the garden in and a good day for seeing how the fall light makes the garden look.

All words and photos in this post are property of A Gardener in Progress.