For decorating your balcony or patio, don’t feel like you have to stick strictly to flowers. Ornamental grasses can be a total showstopper, and the best part? They look great long after the blooming season is over. The key is picking the right varieties that actually enjoy living in a container.
It’s All About the Light
The first thing you’ll want to consider is how much sun your outdoor space gets. A shady patio or a north-facing balcony is going to need a completely different type of grass than a sunny, south-facing spot that gets baked all afternoon.
Choosing the Right Soil
Once you’ve picked your spot, it’s time to think about the soil (or substrate). Most ornamental grasses love to stay hydrated, but they absolutely hate “wet feet.” If they sit in standing water, you’re looking at a fast track to root rot. Your best bet is a high-quality, well-draining potting mix. If you choose a nutrient-rich soil, you’ll only need to top them off with some liquid fertilizer about once every four weeks.
Great Varieties for Containers
If you’re looking for grasses that thrive in pots, here are a few of my favorites:
- Dwarf Maiden Grass
- Fescue
- Red Fountain Grass
- Lovegrass
- Japanese Blood Grass
- New Zealand Wind Grass
- Diamond Grass
- Leatherleaf Sedge
- Variegated Giant Reed
- Variegated Dwarf Sedge
- Gold-Edged Sedge
Winter Care Tips
Even if the grasses you buy are labeled as hardy, things change when they’re in a pot. In the ground, the soil acts as a natural insulator for the roots. In a container, the cold can penetrate from all sides, and the root ball can freeze solid pretty quickly. To keep them safe, wrap your pots in burlap or garden fleece once late autumn hits, and scoot them as close to the warmth of the house wall as possible.
