hedge of grasses... or other ideas? (UPDATE! this looks so stupid)

last year

last modified: last year

I am looking to plant a short hedge in the middle of my backyard to replace some wild lilies I inherited, which the deer annihilate every year. The spot is visible from my kitchen window so I would love something with movement and color/interest. Any suggestions?

Looking for 3' or taller, space gets full sun.

PS: "no" to zebra grass...

Featured Answer

NHBabs z4b-5a NH

last year

Part of the issue is that it is out of scale, too small for the large expanse of yard. It also has the issue that it is pretty much a straight line of plants in an unstructured area. I would most likely return it to mowed lawn grass and use the plants elsewhere in gardens. Otherwise I would make it much larger and not lined up in rows. Use some taller plants like large shrubs or even a couple of small trees toward the center of the bed with several layers of perennials moving out toward the outside of the bed.

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Comments (8)

laceyvail 6A, WV
last year
I'd go for one of the Panicums (switchgrass). Maybe 'Northwind'.
Lauren W. (z5b - CNY)
Original Author
last year
I need help!

This area was like this when we moved in - a patch of lilies in the middle of the yard (see original photo, above).

I thought if I pulled everything out, I could put something more appealing in its place. Attached is what I ended up with... now it just looks like randomness in the middle of the yard. Do I just need to give it time to fill in and make a hedge? The grass is panicum heavy metal and I have them with russian sage. I was going to add a groundcover for the front, but now I don't know. I don't want to go too far if it's not going to look right. Do I need to make changes, and if so, what do you suggest?
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D M PNW
last year
Why are you thinking hedge? How do you use the space? Is all of the grass yours or some of it your neighbor's? Part of the randomness is the rigid planting arrangement in an amorphous shaped bed with nothing else around. It will look totally different once everything grows big and intertwines.
KW PNW Z8
last year
last modified: last year
@Lauren W. (z5b - CNY) If I understand correctly, you want a planted area in the midst of very large expanse of grass & trees on your property. The placement of this planted area is viewable from your kitchen window(s).The daylilies, which had nice summerlong color, didn’t work because deer snacked on them. When you dug up the daylilies, you didn’t change the shape of planting bed, correct? My suggestion is that you expand the bed to at least triple the size, giving it an organic or curvilinear shape. Using the Panicum as the foundation or backbone of the bed, layer lower plantings of different types all around the bed. The panicum reaches @ 5’ & the bed should have the layered plants all around it so it looks good from any viewing angle.Chose evergreen & perennials so you don’t have the monoculture that you have now. I can’t offer deer resistant planting suggestions but a local nursery should offer great advice base on your drawing of shape, size & sun exposures.
cecily 7A
last year
If that's the usual parking space for the trailer, could you add a row of shrubs behind the panicum to screen out the trailer?
ShadyWillowFarm
last year
It looks random because it is random.
BillMN-z-2-3-4
last year
Those were along the same line of thoughts I had.

It needs to be more of a centerpiece, with something larger in the center and lower height plants cascading down to the lowest plants near the outside. And not all in a straight line, but either a 'cross' or 'star' shape or at least a bit more circular.