Add texture and movement to your garden this summer with ornamental grasses. Nothing looks quite as graceful as grass swaying in the wind and glinting in the late summer sun.

Don't be afraid to plant some of the many beautiful varieties of grasses. Most of them will not spread or invade every nook and cranny in your garden.

Most grasses are sun lovers and prefer well-drained soil. Some grasses also do well in the shade. Look for varieties like Hakonechloa macra "Aureola" and Molina caerulea "Variegata". Hakonechloa is an evergreen grass with golden foliage that does well in zones 6 - 9. Molina (zone 3 - 9) is a grass that likes moist soil. It boasts beatuiful chartreuse foliage and flowers in the late summer.

Popular sun-loving grasses include Miscanthus floridulus, Pennisetum alopecuroides, and Stipa tenuissima. Miscanthus (zones 4 - 9) is one of a large family of grasses that will grow up to 12 ft. It flowers in late summer and holds its spectacular plumes right through the winter, Pennisetum (zones 5 - 9) is a grass that grows to 3ft and has beautiful soft plumes that glow in the late summer sun. Stipa (zone 5 - 9) is a wonderful grass to plant near a pathway. The plumes are wonderfully soft when they brush up against your bare legs. So add some colour, texture and movement to your garden this summer. You can't go wrong with the many varieties of gorgeous ornamental grasses.