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.
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