Green infrastructure (GI) uses natural features to manage stormwater. Grasses, sedges, and a multitude of other plants play a significant role in GI. Their use in GI measures like rain gardens, green roofs, and meadow plantings promote biodiversity, enhance resilience to climate change, and help create cleaner, healthier places to live. They also hold a key to broader industry trends: low-maintenance landscaping, problem-solving with plants, and planting with a purpose beyond the visual.

Finding the right plants can sometimes be tricky. That’s where our Plants for GI Guide can help. We’ve selected grasses, sedges, and rushes that should perform well in green infrastructure measures.

Ornamental grasses & sedges are not just visually appealing; they play multifaceted roles in landscaping that address practical concerns. Check out our toolbox where we've suggested plants that help solve a variety of issues.

We are very thankful to Jared Barnes for mentioning our GrassSolutions in your article with the New York Times. We pride ourselves on sharing interesting stories, articles, and news from our nursery and the world of grasses, sedges, green infrastructure, nature-based solutions, and more. Check out the article and other excellent newsletter (including Jared's!) suggestions at the link below. You can download a PDF version here.

These low-maintenance, native plants boost biodiversity and are pretty on the eye. They are versatile and gorgeous, adding height, texture, and movement anywhere you plant them. Many people plant sedge grass because it is low-maintenance and has a beautiful range of colors, from green and yellow hues to purple and red. With over 2,000 species, you can find sedge grass varieties for almost every type of garden and climate. This article highlights the different types of sedges, which ones grow best where, and when to use each one.

The gardeners among us are looking forward to the blooms and colors of spring and summer. As beautiful as the flowers are, they shine more if a constant background with some neutrality helps set them off.

In this article, Joan Weed discussed how she achieves this with grasses, sedges, shrubs, ferns, and the foliage of spent blooms. It’s so much more inviting to set off a beautiful bloom against a fresh green plant.

Beauty standards change constantly, so it's no wonder our green spaces change, too. While manicured, lush lawns have enjoyed their glory, serving as darlings and sources of pride for older generations, they're now being dethroned by eco-sensitive gardeners wishing to go grass-free. And the reasons are all too clear. Lawns demand attention with frequent watering, mowing, and fertilizing. This article covers some cost-effective, low-maintenance ways to create a beautiful front lawn without all that turf grass.

As the saying goes, the best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. But getting at least one in the ground this spring — and making other changes like replacing part of your lawn with ornamental grasses — can have wide-ranging and sometimes surprising benefits for the climate.

A long-term, landscape grass hardiness study began in 1987 at the University of Minnesota Landscape Arboretum in Chanhassen, Minnesota, U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Plant Hardiness Zone (PHZ) 4b -20 to -25 °F. This location averages 158 growing season or frost-free days, with summer temperatures of 79.9 °F and winter 10.4 °F. Over 35 years, 392 different grasses and sedges were planted to evaluate winter survival, landscape value, flowering, and pest resistance. This article summarizes key findings, including a list of popular grasses and their survival ratings.

In the U.S., 47% of the workforce is women, a number that has surged by 114% over the last two decades; however, within the green industry, this figure drops to just 9%. While there has been notable progress, there is room for encouraging more women to enter the industry and supporting their advancement. Research shows that companies with gender-diverse executive teams are 25% more likely to achieve above-average profitability.

This underscores the importance of the fifth annual Women in Horticulture Week, which occurs from May 26 to June 1. The week is dedicated to commemorating the achievements of women in horticulture and creating a supportive environment for their professional growth.

While bugs are commonly perceived as a negative thing in the garden, many insects are actually very beneficial and will act as natural pest control. Rather than finding ways to keep bad bugs away from your plants, consider how to support and increase the many good bugs in your landscape. Enticing beneficial insects to your garden will reduce dependence on chemical pesticides, increase pollination, improve soil quality, and produce healthier plants. Learn the benefits of these insects and how to attract them to your garden.

The gentle undulations of the prairie surface revealed by a recent spring burn drop off into a swale at its southern end. The low spot begins at the base of an aspen grove on the east and ends about 50 yards to the west near a sedge meadow. A small rise at the border between the swale and the sedge meadow holds back the water, creating a depression that retains snowmelt and spring rain for several days. Light glinting off the surface of the water is interrupted by clumps of emerging sedges and patches of mud. But this is not a quiet place. It's a valuable food resource for both migrating and resident birds.

If there's food on your table, you can thank a bee. Or a fly. Or even a moth. They're types of pollinators, and they help to produce about 75% of the world's major food crops, according to Dr. Christina M. Grozinger, professor of entomology at Penn State University.

Not only do they play a main role in agriculture, they are the building blocks of the Earth's ecosystems and economics.

The relentless march of climate change poses an unprecedented challenge to coastal defenses worldwide. Traditional “hard” measures like concrete sea walls, while historically favored for their protective capabilities, are increasingly under scrutiny for their environmental impact and sustainability. A recent study led by the University of Tokyo suggests that integrating nature-based solutions with conventional coastal defense strategies could provide a more adaptable and sustainable approach to managing coastal risks.

In their study, the researchers assessed the efficacy of various coastal defenses by reviewing 304 academic articles.

The Global Centre for Clean Air Research has published research that found botanical gardens are one of the best ways to cool cities and mitigate the effects of heatwaves. In its study, the Global Centre for Clean Air Research (GCARE) at the University of Surrey analyzed how different examples of blue infrastructure (water areas and features) and green infrastructure (planted elements) can mitigate urban heating. It found that botanical gardens can cool city air temperatures by up to an average of five degrees Celsius. Wetlands and green walls were also highly efficient at urban cooling compared to grass parks.

There's something about visiting an enormous, carefully cultivated garden that brings a sense of peace. More meticulous than the national parks of the world, and more robustly floral than even the best city parks, the country's most stunning botanical gardens offer a chance to reconnect with nature—and yourself—amongst the blooms of the season.

Discover botanical gardens around the country, from New York City to San Francisco. From rose gardens to Japanese gardens, greenhouses to sculptures, there's plenty to admire in every single one.

By positioning natural green spaces on-site, companies can boast their sustainable credentials and provide employees with an opportunity to clear their heads in fresh, socially engaging, outdoor environments, all without leaving the comfort of the office. Incorporating these green spaces helps improve employee well-being and productivity.

The workplaces showcased in this article take matters into their own green hands, opening up roofs, facades, surroundings, and even interiors to allocate office garden space and cultivate a healthy workforce.

As our world modernizes and urbanizes, the need for sustainable cities becomes increasingly important. To ensure our communities thrive holistically, we must prioritize renewability in all city planning and development aspects. By definition, a sustainable city focuses on meeting the needs of its present population while safeguarding the resources and environment for future generations. This means creating environmentally conscious, socially equitable, economically viable, and resilient cities.

This article delves into the health challenges urbanization brings and various ways cities can promote sustainability for the well-being of their community. 

In an era where climate change poses unprecedented challenges, the strategic development of healthier habitats emerges as a critical avenue for sustainability. This approach to mitigating climate impacts, also represents a profound opportunity for business leaders and policymakers to accelerate equity and empowerment within marginalized communities. The imperative for action is clear: sustainable development must be equitable, ensuring access to resilient environments for all communities, especially those historically marginalized.

Researchers at Colorado State University (CSU) have found that switching from waste greywater treatment facilities to green solutions, such as wetlands, could save $15.6bn and 29.8 million tonnes of CO2-equivalent emissions per year. According to researchers at CSU, existing facilities already account for 2% of all energy use in the US and 45 million tonnes of CO2 emissions.

Amidst the jubilation over government-led environmental initiatives on this past Earth Day, it's crucial to highlight a perspective too often overlooked: private conservation, rather than the top-down variety. While the media and policymakers hail governmental regulations and green energy policies, the unsung heroes of environmental stewardship are often private conservationists and those fostering conservation through voluntary efforts.