Beautiful Native Grasses in Unexpected Places


Bighorn Sheep eating native grasses in Canyonlands National Park, Utah

This month's Picture This Photo Contest at Gardening Gone Wild was on Ornamental Grasses.  I didn't enter, mostly because I have never entered a contest there yet, and so I wasn't sure what it all required.  My friend Jean at Dig, Grow, Compost, Blog had a great post on Grasses in the Wild with beautiful pictures of native grasses in Texas.  She wanted to see what some of the natives around here look like.  I don't have many pictures of the grasses in my neighborhood, and couldn't take any today because it was snowing all day long (yes, it is only the second day of fall).  So, here are some native grasses in unusual and beautiful places that I have traveled to in Colorado and Utah.  Enjoy.


Switch Grass in Stream, Castlewood Canyon State Park, CO


High alpine meadow grasses along Peru Creek, Montezuma, CO




Native grasses growing in the dunes, Great Sand Dunes National Park, CO



Native grasses in my back yard after a snow in fall

So, my question to all of you:  which do you think are most beautiful - ornamental grasses that we plant, or native grasses that we happen upon.  In my book, Mother Nature knows best!

Comments

  1. Those are all beautiful Kathy! I would agree that native grasses in the wild are most appealing. I even enjoy those that are just along the freeways and highways. But I also think about what our gardens would look like without the ornamental grasses. It wasn't that long ago that none were available! So I'm happy we have them. Oh, I can't believe you all are getting snow already, yikes!

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  2. Hiya Kathy,
    So glad you put up a link, even though you didn't officially enter. I enjoyed seeing your part of the world, so different from mine. So much snow and so high up. I envy your fresh air. It looks clean, even in a photograph I can smell the freshness.Now I shall have to look up Douglas County CO on the map :-)

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  3. You live in a part of country that is nothing like where I am in So. California. It is beautiful. I especially like the shot of the Alpine meadow.

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  4. Your blog looks wonderful with nice scenic beauties. keep it up the good work. cheers :)

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  5. So glad to meet another Colorado Gardening blogger! I love this blog you have created. We have a lot in common with our altitude and animals that visit. Great to have found you!
    Rosey

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  6. Jean - I am glad that you liked them! Maybe some day you could come and see them in person.

    jo - Thanks for visiting my part of the world. I love to visit all the places in my pictures so I thought others might also.

    Mary - Thanks for the nice compliment. I have only been to So. California once many years ago. You are lucky to have more temperate growing conditions than I do!

    Flowers - Thanks for the compliment.

    Rosey - I am glad to "meet you" also! I love the name of your blog, and will try to visit it often.

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  7. What beautiful photos of Colorado. I have been fortunate to have visited parts of that beautiful state, but have always wanted to see the dunes. Thank you for sharing.

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  8. Beautiful pictures. You should have entered the contest.

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  9. I agree -- those are wonderful! You definitely should have entered the contest. I especially love that bighorn, and ooh that snow-covered grass, too.

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