Grasses have many appeals and advantages.    (updated October 2007) Ornamental grasses transcend the traditional in landscape design, and create dramatically quick and satisfying results. Unlike most other perennials, which bloom only briefly, our grasses provide continuous interest, with blooms that evolve rather than die back, beautiful fall foliage colors - and grasses even last to provide form and movement in your garden through all but the worst winters. Our grasses require virtually no maintenance after the spring cutback - no fertilizers, no insecticides, and no dead-heading - EVER! After the first year in the ground, most will not even require supplemental watering except in the driest years. Even then the need is minimal and usually cosmetic (not essential to survival). Their graceful, upright foliage will sway and whisper in the breeze, providing lush movement, soothing sound, and dancing light. The blooms of grasses do not open and then die - they evolve throughout the season. The progression of colors from both their long-lasting blooms and also their foliage as the season progresses provides literally 4-season pleasure, along with the charm of change from a single plant. When the rest of the landscaping has peaked, in late summer to early fall, ornamental grasses are just coming into GLORY... with spectacular flowering plumes, soon followed by exquisite autumn-colored foliage. We have selected exclusively clumping grasses that do not run or readily self-sow in New England, so our grasses will rarely if ever spread to areas where you don't want them (and are easy to pluck out if they do). Their distinctive cut flowers can be easily brought inside. They dry beautifully in a vase or wall holder with no effort at all, and last for years. Five to seven foot stems - or shorter cut blooms - can be used in containers or just bundled in a corner, for a wonderfully natural and unique look. Grasses tolerate and readily adapt to a wide variety of soil conditions, and most do best without fertilizers, as long as there is some organic matter in the soil. Chemical fertilizing can actually weaken the plant, reduce flowering, and make stems droop. (See "Planting, watering, etc.") Grasses are virtually immune to disease and insect damage, and deer and rabbits will not eat them. Since they re-grow from ground-level every year, they can be used in problem areas where shrubs and other ornamentals might be ruined by plowed snow, falling snow and ice from the roof, severe winds, etc. They can be successfully divided year after year to create many additional plants at no additional expense.