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For centuries, if not millennia, Andropogon gerardii, dominated America’s tallgrass prairies. It’s largely been replaced there by other grasses like Zeamays and Triticumaestivum, a.k.a. corn and wheat.But “big bluestem” is adaptable. It found new homes. Tough and self-reliant, Andropogon became a go-to plant for reclaiming damaged soils. And thanks to modern breeding, it’s increasingly welcome as an ornamental, especially in gardens dedicated to indigenous plants. Here are some of our faves.&nb

Most ornamental grasses thrive in full sun. But most gardens include spots the sun never finds. Must those places remain grassless? Fortunately, no!The shaded landscape can also enjoy the graceful form and movement that only grasses bring. The go-to genus: Hakonechloa, Japanese forest grass.This sinuous beauty grows as water flows, welling up and cascading down in layers of pendant bamboo-like leaves. It’s happiest in shade, dappled or full. Northern growers can get away with brighter plantings,

About the Rock Star AwardOur Rock Star award honors ECG employees who demonstrate a sustained high level of performance and inspire others. Let’s hear it for our latest recipient, Beverly Matheny! Beverly joined ECG in 2015 and spent three years as a production supervisor. That production background became a strong foundation for her current position as Inventory/Fulfillment Specialist. Here’s what her peers and colleagues had to say:“Numbers, thank goodness someone loves them! It is so valuabl

The world’s premier genus of ornamental grasses includes lots of stunning varieties. We offer three that have a unique advantage: They’re infertile. They can’t self-sow and pop up where they’re not welcome.We’re spotlighting them all, one at a time. We’ve told you about Scout™ and My Fair Maiden™, so let’s wrap up the series with a look at Bandwidth™. You’ll have to set your sights a little lower for this one, as it’s the shortest of the three.Despite its name, B

The world’s premier genus of ornamental grasses includes lots of stunning varieties. We offer three that have a unique advantage: They’re infertile. They can’t self-sow and pop up where they’re not welcome.We’re spotlighting them all, one at a time. We’ve seen Scout™, so now let’s look at My Fair Maiden™. This is a large, impressive grass, tall and broad. Vigorous yet graceful upright/arching clumps are composed of broad blades, bright rich green with clean white midribs. In la