NO PLACE LIKE HOME

Karen Wight

Ornamental grasses are here, there and everywhere. The garden

varieties are enjoying a comeback. Grass cloths and natural fiber shades

have returned with a vengeance, and florists have found a new, dramatic

addition to arrangements or a stand-on-its-own interior display.

Visit any garden nursery and you will find a wide variety of the

versatile and hardy foliage. Decorative grasses come in a variety of

colors, sizes and growing habitats. These grasses are easy to grow. They

are offered in a wide assortment of colors -- purples, greens, golds and

grays -- and come in a multitude of heights from the diminutive to the

gigantic.

There are grasses that thrive in or around water, drought-tolerant

grasses that are at home in xeriscape, grasses that are perfect container

plants, grass ground covers, grass hedges and grasses that provide the

garden with a dramatic focal point.

Move over pampas grass, there are dozens of new no-brainer varieties

that add visual interest to your landscape.

Thirty years ago, grass cloth was hot, hot, hot. As they say

“everything old is new again,” and this certainly applies to the relaxed

Tommy Bahama style that has become so popular.

Grass cloths add texture and interest to a room without overwhelming

it. Want something with more oomph than a neutral? Many grass cloths are

dyed vivid colors and provide both visual and textural punches.

Anyone who has received a catalog in the past couple of years, has

noticed that natural finer shades are o7 de rigeurf7 . Anything from

bamboo to reeds to woven grasses are great additions to a window. Whether

you use them alone or as a layering piece, natural fiber shades are a

cost-effective, high-style item.

Catalogs such as Smith & Noble and Great Windows have a large

selection of styles and colors. Valances, Roman shades, top-down shades,

roll-up shades, see-through shades and privacy shades are as easy to

order as two simple measurements.

If you are looking for an easy floral arrangement for the Thanksgiving

table or sideboard, look no further. A healthy handful of tall grass from

the garden will add drama to any spot in the house.

Cut a bunch of grass, secure the ends with a rubber band, find a deep

vase, ice bucket or pitcher and set the grass in far enough to stabilize

it. Don’t add water unless you are using clippings from a pond. The

ornamental grasses look as good dried as they do in their natural

habitat. Your display will last for weeks (at least through Thanksgiving)

and be a beautiful, eye-catching display -- and the price is right.

Take a fresh look at an old standard. Decorative grasses and natural

fibers will add subtle color, interesting texture and visual interest to

your home.

* KAREN WIGHT is a Newport Beach resident. Her column runs Sundays.