Well, if you ask me Karl Foerster is a beautiful grass and it did win plant of the year a while ago. We've had one clump growing in the back of our veggie garden for about 6 years. It is very well behaved and tough once established.

So I personally would be fine with the row of Karl Foerster. But then again I like variety, so i would maybe pick a different edge plant if you have distinct segments or lines. If it's all one flowing border, then the whole thing lined with Karl Foerster would look beautiful in my opinion.

Chris

One more thought on this, Rory.

As you know, we see Karl Foerster used extensively in commercial landscapes now. I assume these "pro" landscapers use it because Karl Foerster is such a versatile and durable plant. I also think most of these commercial landscapes loaded with KF look fantastic.

So again, if the pros are installing KF at businesses everywhere, to me it is now a proven commodity and you can't go wrong using it at your home.

Chris

See now lacey is more of an expert than me on these grasses. And if it were me, I would look beyond Karl Foerster to a more improved variety or something in the same family as lacey suggests. Mostly because KF is so common it's to the point of overuse now and I like having quirkier plants. And as lacey says, if there is a better variety that's similar go with that one.

Thanks so much for the info!

I went to the nursery yesterday to get the Karl Forester but ended up getting 2 other grasses instead. The Karl Forester was not as pretty as the 2 that I ended up getting. I hope they are right for the spot that I plan to use them in.

Plan on working on this project this morning before it get too hot.

I'm betting they will be fine. Your site looks like it gets nearly all-day sun, which is always my first concern with grasses because too shaded and they hollow out in the center and eventually die (in my experience). Anyway, nice selections, let us know how they do.

Chris

I do love how these look. As long as you plant it in the right spot youll have no issues.

Unfortunately, you have chosen two grasses that are not native and will seed about, the Pennisetum more prolifically than the Miscanthus, though I am seeing Miscanthus seedlings more and more in the natural environment. Also, "Hameln' is quite small and the Miscanthus is quite large.

I still encourage you to choose natives--Panicums or Andropogons, and not use the two you've purchased.

Darn! I specifically picked the Gracillimus because the sign said it would not self-seed. I have Switch Grass in the back yard and it habit is not uniform, it is not clump form. I want something in the front that is clump forming. If I return what I bought this is what I have to choose from at the nursery.

Calamagrostis x acutiflora 'Karl Foerster' Feather Reed Grass

Carex morrowii 'Ice Dance' Variegated Sedge

Festuca glauca 'Beyond Blue'

Hakonechloa macra 'All Gold' Hakon

Aureola' Hakone Grass

Imperata cylindrica 'Red Baron' Japanese Blood Grass

Miscanthus sinensis 'Gracillimus' Maiden Grass

Sinensis 'High Frequency' Japanese Silver Grass

Sinensis 'Variegatus' Variegated Maiden

Sinensis 'Zebrinus' Zebra Grass

Panicum virgatum 'Shenandoah' Switch Grass

Pennisetum alopecuroides 'Hameln' Dwarf Fountain Grass

Schizachyrium scoparium 'Little Red Fox' Little Bluestem

Hope you have ALOT of room for 3 dawn redwoods. They get big very fast.

The Dawn Redwoods are doing very well. The area that is turf grass now was originally all wooded. The previous owner took out all of the trees and put the lawn in. This resulted in the area being constantly wet with lots of run-off. We still have run-off but it's much better now. We put a French drain in and added the Dawn Redwoods and Spruces to soak up the water.

My goal is to go back to no lawn so we are slowly converting small portions of turf to trees and understory shrubs. Would love to donate the mower.