Working outside in my garden today, I noticed how the sun sat lower in the sky, casting long shadows through the trees onto the lawn and down the driveway. Long shadows can only mean one thing. Summer is in its homestretch. Autumn is around the corner.

Panicum virgatum 'Northwind'

The weather has finally decided to stop showing off its prowess, and is becoming more amenable. Temperatures are no longer oppressive, at least not today. And while most of the garden is starting to look a little fizzled out, some other plants are just beginning their performance on the garden stage. Of all other plants, no one would argue that the ornamental grass in bloom is the harbinger of autumn.

Of course, ornamental grasses do not really bloom in the sense of a flower as we know it. But they do have what is called an inflorescence, that magical, smoky puff that seems to dance at the slightest hint of a breeze. In general, ornamental grasses have much to offer a gardener. Ornamental grasses are hardy, distasteful to deer, and drought tolerant.

They are also captivating by offering an element of movement, softness, and grace to the garden. Ornamental grasses engage different senses; they are enchanting to watch as they move, their soft inflorescences are irresistible to touch, and when the wind blows, the rustling of the grass is at once captivating and comforting, whispering its secrets to all who venture by.

In general, you cannot go wrong with planting a native grass. As with any plant, be sure to water newly planted grasses weekly until they are established. But once your grasses are established go ahead and get yourself a glass of iced tea, because there will be little or no care on your part. You will not need to fertilize or worry about pests. Supplemental water will probably not be necessary (I have not watered any of my grasses so far this year). You will only have to remember to cut the grass in late winter about six inches from the ground, before the new grass blades begin to grow.

Although some of the most widely used grasses in gardens today are not native, there are many native grasses to choose from. Unlike grasses that are not native to our region (such as Miscanthus and Pennisetum), native grasses are beneficial to wildlife. Many seed-eating birds, such as song sparrows, purple finches, and American goldfinches, love to perch on the thin strands of grasses, plucking away at the seeds. Ground-feeding birds, such as dark-eyed juncos, white-throated sparrows, and Eastern towhees, will happily flock to your yard to scratch the ground in garden beds filled with native grasses.

In fact, more than 20 species of birds rely on the seeds of native grasses to provide them with nourishment throughout the winter months. In addition, non-cultivated varieties of our native grasses are host plants to the skipper type butterflies. Without native grasses, our skippers would simply vanish.

There are so many beautiful native grasses to choose from. Ranging from less than ten inches tall to over six feet tall, there are native grasses that would suit nearly any gardener. Here are some that I enjoy growing in my garden.

Switchgrass (Panicum virgatum)

By far, the most popular native grass is switchgrass, Panicum virgatum. This grass is popular for good reason. It begins blooming early in August and continues to look fabulous through most of the winter. Its inflorescences consist of numerous tiny seed heads that look like puffs of tawny smoke. Its grass blades tend to stay upright and the entire grass gives an appealing softness to the flower border. The native species is quite beautiful and needs no embellishment, but why stop there. Breeders have introduced many varieties of switchgrass that offer different colors, sizes, or even structures.

Panicum virgatum ‘Heavy Metal’

Some of my favorites include the following. ‘Dallas Blues’ and ‘Heavy Metal’ both have steely blue grass blades. ‘Dallas Blues’ has maroon seed heads and can grow to five feet, while ‘Heavy Metal’ is more compact and grows to about 4 feet tall with tan seed heads. By contrast, ‘Red Ribbons’ and ‘Shenandoah’ sport reddish grass blades with either maroon or tan seed heads. Both are lovely and would look stunning with other maroon flowers to bring out their reddish foliage. Other cultivated varieties include names like ‘Northwind’, which can handle strong winds and stay upright, and ‘Cloud Nine’, which has extra long seed panicles.

Panicum virgatum 'Dallas Blues'

Whichever variety you choose, you cannot go wrong. All are magnificent border specimens. So why not go ahead and try a few of them. Switchgrass looks great mixed with other grasses and with late blooming flowers, such as asters, black-eyed Susans, and Joe Pye weed. Try a combination of ‘Dallas Blues’ with goldenrod, New York ironweed and black-eyed Susan

Little Bluestem and Indian Grass

Two other tall native grasses worth mentioning and that are great additions to the autumn garden are Indian grass, Sorghastrum nutans, and big bluestem, Andropogon gerardii. Indian grass is a beautiful plant with wide green foliage. Its inflorescences are exquisite, its bronze seed heads intermingle with golden dangling seeds that look like petals, or to me resemble tiny dangling gold earrings. The combination of the fluttering yellow ‘petals’ with the feathery bronze seeds is stunning.

Schizachyrium scoparium, Little Bluestem

Give Indian grass some room, as it will spread and form a clump about three feet in diameter. Its foliage does not stand quite as tall as other grasses, and does not stand straight up, but rather weeps in soft flowing arches. However, when in bloom, its seed heads stand straight up and can grow to over five feet tall.

Big bluestem is also a winner of a grass and a superb addition to the easy care garden. This grass boasts silvery blue foliage and can grow from three feet tall to an astounding nine feet tall. However, big bluestem does not display its full splendor until autumn, when the seed heads and the grass blades turn a brilliant coppery orange. This grass forms a clump that can grow to more than three feet in width, so be sure to place this beauty toward the back and give it some room. In addition, its seed heads turn into a silvery fluff, which adds to the dramatic effect of this captivating grass.

Moving toward the shorter end of the spectrum, another native grass that is a favorite of mine is little bluestem. Although its botanical name is a mouthful, Schizachirium scoparium, little bluestem is a bit more diminutive than the typical ornamental grass, staying a petite 24 to 30 inches tall without trying to overrun its neighbors. However, its mannerly behavior belies its character, for in autumn the diminutive little bluestem turns from a light blue to a warm nectarine before finally turning a soft dusky tan in winter.

This grass is truly beautiful in all seasons of its growth. Emerging late in spring, its foliage stays a silvery blue through summer. Sometimes the tips of the leaves are marked with shades of maroon or purple. In autumn, it sends up shoots of tan seed heads which, just like its cousin the big bluestem, turn into puffs of silvery fluff that glow against the backdrop of its apricot foliage.

Throughout winter, the entire plant mellows into a warm beige and holds its foliage upright through snow and sleet until finally laying down for a rest in late winter. Since little bluestem is such a stunning plant, I recommend planting it in groups of three, five or more. This plant really adds interest to the autumn garden when grouped with other native grasses and late blooming flowers, such as goldenrods, blazing stars, and asters. There are a number of cultivated varieties of this grass as well, with names like ‘The Blues’, ‘Prairie Blues’ and ‘Carousel’. All are great additions to the late season border.

Purple Love Grass

Another short native grass is called purple love grass, Eragrostis spectabilis. This grass is unusual in that it is very compact, only growing to a foot tall and wide. I typically use this grass in the front of the border, and since it does form a neat mound, I have used it as an edging plant. Its foliage is also a little different than most grasses, being that it has wide green fronds that stand erect, making the plant look like a little, round, green porcupine.

However, in fall, there is no longer any reason to poke fun at this little grass. By September, purple love grass sends up numerous tiny purple seed heads that completely envelope the plant in a purple cloud. No wonder it has a name like purple love grass. You simply can not help but fall in love with it. This little wonder looks fantastic in a border with some New York ironweed in the background, where it will bring out the purple hues throughout the garden bed.

Sporobolus heterolepis, Prairie Dropseed

There are many more native grasses to choose from. All are unique and offer exciting and appealing characteristics to the fall garden. Be sure to check out the Baysafe tags when shopping and pick out a variety of native grasses. They are all worthwhile garden plants which are easy to care for. But most of all, these grasses care for our native wildlife and will bring you new butterflies and birds to your yard.

Natalie Brewer
Master Gardener

By: Constance Cleveland, Behnke Nurseries’ Perennial Department

Do you have a dark side? You know, that part of your world where the light is slight, the shimmer is dimmer, and where nothing seems of interest?

I cannot tell you how often I hear people say that they would love to have a beautiful garden but all they have is shade. My suggestion is always the same – add height, texture, movement, and stronger variations of leaf color. Trust me, with a few new additions, you will never see shade as a dark, lifeless place again.

Heucheras 'Marmalade' and 'Citronelle'

To spice up the predominantly green hues typically found in shade gardens, add a spot or two of intense color. If you have a bit of dappled sunlight during parts of the day, you could easily throw a few brightly colored Heucheras into the mix. The greatest rewards come from the most vibrant colors – more bang for your buck, you might say. Some of the brightest are: ‘Citronelle,’ ‘Georgia Peach,’ ‘Lime Rickey,’ ‘Lime Marmalade,’ and just plain ‘Marmalade’ with its fantastic bi-colored leaves – a surface of light orange with purple undersides.

Another great color option is the St. John’s wort (Hypericum moserianum), ‘Tricolor.’ It boldly offers small leaves of green, edged in cream and pink and eventually gives you a yellow flower at the end of each sprig. In addition, it has a beautiful, fountain-like growth habit that make it truly unforgettable.

Jacob's Ladder

For movement, leaf color, and delicate texture, consider a variegated Jacob’s Ladder (Polemonium reptans, a native) like ‘Stairway to Heaven’ or ‘Touch of Class.’ The clusters of small leaves seem to move in the tiniest breath and their variegation catch your eye immediately.

Grasses are another good source of movement and texture. Northern Sea Oats (Chasmanthium latifolium) is not only native to this area, but is shade tolerant. There is also a breathtaking variegated variety, ‘River Mist,’ that I consider a must-have for anyone looking for an instant knock out.

Japanese Forest Grass

Another rewarding choice is Japanese Forest Grass (Hakonechloa). If their graceful blade shape and vibrant range of greens aren’t enough, Japanese forest grasses move in such a way as to make them appear as fluid as water rolling over rocks in a stream. There is nothing more mesmerizing.

Bugbane

Enough cannot be said about the importance of height, which adds form and visual interest to your site. There are cultivars of Black Bugbane (Actaea simplex) that have a wonderful, reddish-black, deeply-cut leaf, and eventually a tall stalk of white flowers, that grows strikingly large. Cultivars include: ‘Brunette,’ ‘Hillside Black Beauty,’ and ‘Black Negligee.’ On average these plants can range from 4 to 7 feet, depending on whether they are in flower. Another tall beauty is Goat’s Beard (Aruncus). Goat’s Beard is a wonderful native alternative to Astilbe and is much more captivating due to its size. Its clusters of fine, white flowers brighten up any shady spot effortlessly.

Don’t ignore your light-deprived spots, hopelessly filling the spaces with fern and hosta. Embrace the shade and explore your options. Look for the shade cloth in our Perennials section at either store, and in Beltsville, make your way back to the covered area in Woody Plants for our native plant section for shade. Just a few bright choices will make a world of difference in how you manage your dark side.

Editor’s Note: Availability of perennials varies seasonally, with the best availability in late spring. Not all of the recommendations of the author are available at all times.

Natalie Brewer

Hello, fellow gardeners. My name is Natalie Brewer and I am a Master Gardener. I have been a customer of Behnke Nurseries for the past ten years. Like many of you, I am an avid gardener and have tried many different plants and gardening styles throughout the years. In my experiences, I have come to realize that there are some tricks that make gardening easier, less time-consuming, and also beautiful. One of these tricks is to use native plants.

Many native plants are easy to grow and perform well in the home landscape. You will still need to consider the light and moisture requirements of individual plants, but once they are established, most native plants do not need additional care in the form of fertilizers and pest control. So they can save you time and money. Behnke Nurseries carries a wide selection of native plants that are part of their BaySafe collection. In order to make it easier for you to choose plants from the BaySafe collection, I will be writing about the special attributes and cultural requirements of these native plants.

There are some contradictory definitions of what a native plant is. However, I like to use the definition that a native plant is a plant that naturally grew in an area prior to human intervention. Native plants are carefree, attractive and important to our ecology. Plants and wildlife evolved and thrived together for millions of years.

Native plants provide wildlife, such as birds and butterflies, with what they need at exactly when they need it. Unfortunately, most home landscapes contain very few native plants, so our wildlife does not have enough of what they need in order to survive. If you ever take a look at a list of all the endangered and threatened species in our area, then you will find a very long list of animals, birds, and insects that will probably disappear within most of our lifetimes. But we have the power to change that, simply by planting more native plants in our home gardens!

In addition to helping wildlife, native plants add value and beauty to your landscape. Some of the most attractive and unique plants are indigenous to our area. Trees, shrubs, perennials and vines are all available as native plants. Some native plants have been cultivated in the nursery industry and have been bred to be a different size or have a different flower color. Although cultivated native plants may not be as beneficial to wildlife as the original species of native plants, they still have a positive impact on our environment and ought to be considered when adding plants for your garden.

I hope that you will find these articles helpful when choosing which plants to buy at Behnke Nurseries. Perhaps they will inspire you to try new plants that you would not have otherwise ventured to try before.

Natalie Brewer
Master Gardener

Creeping Phlox, Phlox subulata, is one of our most popular species of perennials. It’s a Behnke Baysafe Native Plant, native to sandy and rocky areas of Maryland.

Growing low to the ground, it’s a nice ground cover for small-scale situations in sunny, well-drained locations. It’s particularly effective when it can drape over the edge of stone walls or the sides of raised beds.

The foliage can be lightly sheared after blooming to keep it neat.  The cultivars ‘Emerald Cushion Blue’ and ‘Emerald Cushion Pink’ have the best foliage when the plants are out of bloom.

Creeping phlox is in bloom now (late April) in the landscape and in our pots, in many colors, including blue, white, pink, red, and a bicolor white/pink.

by Larry Hurley, Behnke’s Perennial Buyer

Perennial season is well under way, with both of our garden centers continuing to bring in plants as the weather warms.

We know that for many of our customers, browsing by Deer is a problem. To address that, we have dedicated an area in each garden center to the most deer-resistant perennials to make it easier for you to shop. At our garden center in Beltsville during the coming weeks, we will be setting a large display of our Baysafe Plants–species and horticultural selections of species (sorry for the jargon, I just can’t help myself) that are native to Maryland for gardeners that would like to plant native plants. This will be a display that will include our offerings in woody plants, again to make your shopping easier. Combining woody plants and perennials in a display may seem like a natural, but for us it’s like mixing oil and water, or Rush Limbaugh going to lunch with Nancy Pelosi.

Both garden centers have Stepables in stock. This is a perennial ground cover program that offers interesting choices for planting between flagstones, and so on. For more information on the plants offered, a “how many do I need calculator” and so on, visit their website at www.stepables.com We carry the best of the varieties offered, and the selection varies from week to week. If you have questions on whether we have the Stepable in stock that you need, email me at  Behnkes@behnkes.net with “perennial” somewhere in the header.

It’s a good time to plant, with the soil a little drier than usual, it’s easier to dig than it normally is at this time of year. Get your perennials off to an early start with a visit to Behnke Nurseries this weekend.