schizachyrium scoparium
panicum varieties
check highcountrygardens.com for some o.g. ideas for your area.

What is the exposure of the flower bed? Schizachyrium will be en excellent choice IF you have nearly full sun and can provide excellent drainage for them. There must be no mulch against their crowns. I also agree with the Panicum suggestion -- Hanse Herms is good for color. Miscanthus 'Purpurascens' is also a possible choice. Another, and probably hard to find, is Spodiopogon Sibericus or Siberian Greybeard -- a very interesting and attractive grass.

I second the Panicum and Schizachyrium, but even thinking of varieties like Miscanthus "Rotsilber", Miscanthus "Flamingo", Misc. "Grazielle", Misc. "Ferner Osten", Sorghastrum nutans "Sioux Blue" ( yellows, marbled orange, and tans), Eragrostis trichodes ( soft pink airy panicles, red, orange, and yellow fall color),lower varieties like Eragrostis spectabilis (great lower grass with bright purple flowers and fall color), Holcus lanatus, Boetuloua gracilis( red tinge to the stalks and then fades) and varieties of Panicum like Dallas Blues, Cloud Nine, Heavy Metal, Rostralbusch, and Shenandoah. And don't forget the other great cultivar of Schizachyrium. Most people forget about "Blaze", which has better fall color than "The Blues". "The Blues" is a great plant for the blue growth and magenta highlights on the seed stalks, but if you want a plant that is on fire, try "Blaze" if you can find it. Oh ya, don't forget your Carex family for borders, filling, and add textures.

Thanks for the suggestions. I checked High Country Gardens online catalog. The Shenandoah had some nice color. The "Blaze" will probably be too short. Needs to be at least 3' to show up behind the other plants in the bed. Some of the varieties suggested were not in their catalog. Where can I go to see them? Also, how late can I plant?

Use Google images [search: "Schizachyrium 'Blaze'" etc.] or Froogle to get images. Or get a good book; one which is very enjoyable to read (and hard to put down once opened) is, "Color Encyclopedia of Ornamental Grasses" by Rick Darke. Then check out gardenwatchdog.com for mail-order grasses.

Plant NOW or in Spring. EARLY spring (as soon as the ground is workable) for cool-season grasses; mid-to-late Spring for warm-season growers (like Panicum or Eragrostis, et.al.). Get the book.