Grasses & Strappy

Although strappy plants do have a “grass-like” growth pattern, they are not classified as grass. Their long and strappy shaped leaves grow from a centralised point, and as they develop, they form spectacular clumps that expand with adequate room to grow.

Gardening terms can be confusing. We often think of grasses, lawns, and turf as interchangeable terms. However, to keep it simple, we will define these terms like so:

• Grasses re ornamental plants that fill out space and provide stability to garden beds.
• Lawns are wide, open grassy spaces between trees and buildings covered in specially manicured grass.
• Turf (and synthetic turf) is the name of the large rolls of grass before they are laid.

Generally, grasses come from the poaceae family, found all over the planet, covering over 40% of Earth's land area. Grasses are one of the world's most versatile forms of plant life and have adapted to nearly every ecological condition presented to them, from the sea to the tundra.

In suburban landscaping, grasses are an important way to control erosion and stabilise slopes. They also have many aesthetic benefits and will be a part of almost every new or existing landscaping design you come across. Due to their versatility, there's a perfect grass for every garden.

You can explore all our grass and strappy plants on a visit to our Hoppers Crossing nursery in southwest Melbourne and you’ll find friendly staff on-hand to help you with any questions you may have.

Native ornamental grasses are incredibly important for supporting the growth of native plants. They provide much-needed stability, particularly to sloping areas. 

Grasses and strappy plants are also great for filling in those tricky places around the home. And because our selection is mostly cultivated in our nursery southwest of Melbourne, they’re perfectly suited to the local climate and soil conditions.

Aesthetically, they provide beautiful backdrops with interesting colours and textures. They'll work well with any garden.

Here are some of our most popular native grasses:

• Basket grass (Lomandra longifolia) is drought tolerant, and makes a great backdrop.
• Nobby Club Rush (Ficinia nodosa) is distributed throughout Australia's coastal areas, but can thrive inland.
• Tasman flax lily (Dianella tasmanica) in shaded areas and are incredibly drought-resistant.
• Lomandra Little Pal (Lomandra confertifolia) is one of the country's hardiest, and works to cover areas in brilliant lime green.

To see our full range of grass and strappy plants in action, visit All Green at Hoppers Crossing, in Melbourne’s south-west. Along Landscape Avenue, you'll be able to see ornamental grasses as a part of full landscaping projects. Landscape Avenue is coming soon. Ask our staff for more information about this exciting development.

Thankfully, if you're poor in the time department, ornamental grasses will give you a hand. They are generally very low maintenance, they get on well with most soil, and they are incredibly tolerant to drought. However, there are some things you should consider if you want to keep your grass looking healthy all year round.

• Grasses require drainage, so be sure where to watch where you are planting.
• Use hedge trimmers or shears to cut back grasses if they start to outgrown their position.
• Every 3 to 4 years, consider dividing your fast growing grasses and planting other plants between them.

Fortunately, grasses are fairly low maintenance plants. All you really need to do is keep a close eye on rot and damage at the centre of the plant. Be sure to address this quickly and effectively, as dying parts can spread to other healthy parts quite quickly.

All Green is proud to offer delivery of ornamental grasses around Melbourne. When you order with All Green, you are ensuring that your grasses arrive on time, in the best possible condition. There's also no minimum order for grass delivery.

For delivery costs and other information, visit our delivery information page, or contact our customer service team.