INTRODUCTION Grasses are a varied group. There are tall ones, short ones, ones that grow in water, and those that prefer dry land. Those that we walk on and those that we eat. Some are bulbs and most are not. Some have what we instantly recognize as flowers, but most do not. In short, they are as diverse a group as you could hope for. Grasses serve many purposes in natural ecosystems and in our gardens. They provide habitat and food for wildlife and insects, and, in some cases, places to reproduce and raise young. Grasses can help with erosion control by providing a living cover. They beautify our spaces. Many grass species can tolerate drought in landscapes where water use is restricted. In The Prairie Gardener's Go-To for Grasses , we explore the fascinating and complex world of grasses, from the turf (or turf alternatives) that make up your lawn to annual and perennial ornamental grasses that make statements in your garden as focal points, in borders, or planted in containers to showstopping effect. We even give you some ideas about grasses that you can eat! Confidently designing a landscape that incorporates grasses takes a little inspiration and know-how, and we're here to guide you through the whole process. And when it comes to caring for and maintaining your garden grasses, we offer useful tips that will lead you to success. Most importantly, we encourage you to have fun growing this exciting group of plants and experimenting with different varieties in your garden. Let's get started! --SN&JM SIDEBAR Botanically speaking, as well as strictly speaking, grasses are relatively low, green, non-woody plants that belong to the 10,000-species strong grass family (Poaceae). Many definitions of what grasses are include members of the rushes (Juncaceae) and sedges (Cyperaceae) families as they are closer botanically to Poaceae than other plant families. The reason is because members of these families are all monocots, with distinct morphological differences from dicots, those plant families we usually favour for our gardens. A monocot seed contains an embryo with one cotyledon (seed leaf) instead of the two that dicot species have. Hence the names, monocotyledon and dicotyledon, or monocot and dicot for short. Monocots also have roots that are adventitious, developing from nodes, whereas dicot roots develop from a radicle root and branch out from there. Monocots are all fibrous rooted, but dicots have a taproot. Monocots have stamens and petals in groups of three; dicots have stamens and petals in groups of four or more. Leaves in monocots have parallel veins whereas dicots have leaves arranged in a network. Monocots seldom have secondary growth (widening of stems and roots, especially in woody species) but dicots usually do. There are other differences, but these are ones we can easily see and recognize. By the way, there are other monocots, ranging from orchids to lilies, palms to bananas, and asparagus to onions, but these plant families are not considered to be grasses. All in all, about one quarter of all plant species are monocots. Not an insignificant number, and they are major contributors to the world's biomass, not to mention sources of food for us humans as well as the rest of the animal kingdom. So, for the purposes of this book, we have had to make some hard choices as to where to draw the line when talking about monocots, or the book would be twice as large! For us, as a definition, grasses (as an arbitrary line in the botanical sand) include those families and species that belong to the true grasses, along with rushes and sedges. We apologize to those monocots left behind (at least in this book).--JM Excerpted from The Prairie Gardener's Go-To for Grasses by Janet Melrose, Janet Melrose, Sheryl Normandeau All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.
