THERE'S PLENTY OF TIME LEFT
IN THE SEASON TO CONTINUE
ADDING TO YOUR GARDEN.
WITH ALL THE TIME WE ARE AT
HOME, WHY NOT?
MAKE THE YARD LOOK GREAT.
WE SKYPED WITH KEEP WILLIAMS A
LITTLE EARLIER THIS MORNING TO
SHARE WHY PERENNIAL GRASSES
MIGHT BE THE PERFECT CHOICE TO
ENHANCE YOUR LANDSCAPE.
GOOD MORNING, KEITH.
THANKS SO MUCH FOR BEING WITH
US TODAY.
THE GRASSES YOU HAVE THERE ARE
JUST BEAUTIFUL.
TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT
WE ARE SEEING HERE.
SURE, SO, THANKS FOR HAVING
ME.
I'M EXCITED TO TALK ABOUT
GRASSES.
WE HAVE A WIDE VARIETY HERE.
THESE ARE MOSTLY ORNAMENTAL
THAT HAVE BEEN DEVELOPED FOR
YOUR LANDSCAPE.
REALLY, IF YOU HAVEN'T WORKED
WITH GRASSES, THEY ARE A
FANTASTIC THING IN YOUR
PERENNIAL GARDEN FOR NUMBER OF
REASONS.
FIRST IS THAT, THEY ARE REALLY
LOW-MAINTENANCE.
KIND OF ANYTHING IN YOUR
GARDEN, ONCE THEY ARE
ESTABLISHED, PARTICULARLY
MIDSUMMER WHEN IT'S HOT AND YOU
MIGHT NOT WANT TO BE AT HOME
EVERY WEEKEND WATERING.
THEY ARE ALSO REALLY GREAT, YOU
COULD LAY OUT A LOT OF TEXTURE,
THEY CAN ADD HEIGHT.
MANY GRASSES ARE QUITE TALL
ONCE ESTABLISHED.
THEY HAVE A LOT OF MOVEMENT AND
SOUND TO YOUR GARDEN, SO THE
KIND OF RUSSELL AS THE WIND
BLOWS, WHICH IS NICE.
THEY ARE ALSO GREAT FOR THE
ENVIRONMENT FOR A NUMBER OF
REASONS.
WE'VE KIND OF CREATED A
NATURAL FENCE IN OUR YARD OF
THESE ORNAMENTAL TALL GRASSES,
AND I JUST LOVE IT.
IT IS GREAT ALL SUMMER.
THE KIND OF BEES AND
BUTTERFLIES AND INSECTS LIKE TO
HANG OUT IN THEIR.
I THINK IT'S JUST, IT'S AN
UNDERUTILIZED AND GREAT THING
TO HAVE IN YOUR LANDSCAPE.
YEAH, THAT IS GREAT TO HEAR.
I THINK WHAT YOU ARE SAYING IS
VERY FAMILIAR TO MANY GARDENERS
THAT HAVE GRASSES IN THEIR
LANDSCAPE.
THEY HAD MOVEMENT OF WIND.
YOU KNOW, YOU GET A SLIGHT
BREEZE COMING KIND OF SEE THAT
COMING THROUGH A LINE OF GRASS,
WHICH IS REALLY NICE TO YOUR
POINT ABOUT INSECTS AND NATIVE
POLLINATORS, GRASSES ARE REALLY
THOUGHT OF MUCH FOR THEIR
FLOWERS, BUT THEY ARE VERY
IMPORTANT FOR THE NATIVE INSECT
AND POLLINATORS, BECAUSE THEY
OFTEN FORM NESTING SITES AND
HABITATS IN THEM, EVEN THOUGH
THEY MAY NOT HAVE FLOWERS THAT
YOU TYPICALLY THINK OF FOR
POLLINATORS.
WHEN IT COMES TO GRASSES,
KEITH, IS THERE A DIFFERENCE
WITH YOUR GARDEN IN THE SUN OR
THE SHADE, IS THERE ONE SPOT
THAT'S BETTER THAN THE OTHER?
YEAH, SO, IN GENERAL,
GRASSES LIKE FULL SON, THEY
REALLY LIKE SUNNYSIDE.
SO THAT IS WHAT THEY ARE BEST
SUITED TO.
IF YOU HAVE A SHADY SPOT,
SOMETHING THAT IS A LITTLE BIT
LESS WELL DRAINED, MOISTURE,
THERE ARE SOME GRASSES THAT YOU
CAN WORK WITH. THERE IS
JAPANESE FORCE GRASS, WHICH IS
REALLY POPULAR.
THIS IS ONE, ONE SEES FILL IN,
THEY FORM NICE, SOFT, LOW
FOLIAGE.
IF YOU HAVE THESE, WHAT YOU
MIGHT NEED TO SWITCH TO OUR NOT
TECHNICALLY A GRAPH, THEY ARE
SORT OF A COUSIN OF GRASS, BUT
THEY HAVE THAT LOOK AND THEY
COME FROM SWAMPS AND FOREST,
PLACES THAT ARE DARK AND MOIST,
SO THEY CAN GIVE YOU THAT GRASS
LOOK EVEN IN A HIGHLY SHADED
LANDSCAPE.
DO YOU HAVE A RECOMMENDATION
ON HOW PEOPLE MAINTAIN IT?
I PERSONALLY LIKE TO LEAVE IT
IN THE FALL AND THE WINTER.
EVEN THOUGH IT TURNS BROWN, I
LIKE TO LEAVE THAT VISUAL
IMPACT, BUT SOMETIMES, THE
FIRST SNOW, YOU KNOW?
THE WHOLE THING GETS SMASHED
DOWN TO THE GROUND.
YEAH, SO, I THINK THAT
WHETHER YOU LEAVE THEM FOR
WINTER IS A MATTER OF PERSONAL
TASTE.
I KNOW MANY GARDENERS THAT CUT
THEM DOWN AND KIND OF LIKE A
CLEAN LOOK AND TAKE THEM OUT
FOR THE WINTER.
OTHER FOLKS LEAVE THEM.
I PERSONALLY LIKE TO LEAVE
THEM, BECAUSE UNLIKE YOU, I SEE
THEM AS ADDING A LOT OF REALLY
GREAT WINTER INTEREST.
SO THAT IS SOMETHING THAT WE
DEFINITELY NEED IN OUR LONG
WINTERS HERE IN MINNESOTA.
KEITH, YOU AND I ARE RIGHT,
I THINK WE ARE RIGHT, THAT'S
HOW I FEEL.
ALWAYS.
SMACKED YEAH, AS FAR AS WHAT
YOU SAID ABOUT THE SNOW
KNOCKING THEM DOWN, MANY NEWER
CULTIVARS HAVE BEEN SELECTED
PARTICULARLY FOR STANDING AND
KIND OF COMPACT UPRIGHT
FASHION, NOT FALLING OVER LIKE
THE OLDER MATERIALS PIERCED SO
IF YOU HAD THAT EXPERIENCE IN
THE PAST AND THINK IT'S KIND
OF, YOU KNOW, THE GRASSES WERE
MESSY, TRY NEW ONES.
THEY ARE MUCH BETTER AND STAND
MUCH MORE SOLIDLY THROUGH
WINTER NOW.
KEITH, THANK YOU SO MUCH.
DID YOU GET KEITH TO AGREE
THAT YOU ARE RIGHT?
IT'S NOT CLEAR TO ME.
YOU KNOW WHAT, WHEN IT COMES
TO NATURAL GRASSES IN YOUR
LANDSCAPE, KEITH IS NOT GOING
TO JOKE AROUND ABOUT IT, OKAY?
THIS IS SERIOUS BUSINESS,
HEATHER.