If you are one of those persons captivated by the fall and early winter beauty of ornamental grasses, I believe that now the stars and planets are better aligned for successful planting than they have been in recent memory. I'll continue by explaining which parts of that last sentence you should take seriously.

Most grasses thrive in hot weather. Our natural tendency is to want to plant them in the fall when we see their beauty or think of them in the midst of our spring planting.

Any fully mature, blooming plant is slower to establish in the garden than a smaller, younger juvenile or fast growing one. Add in the fact that most grasses like it hot, it is no surprise that fall planted grasses will linger until next summer before becoming well established and happy.

The same is often true in the spring. Plopping a grass into our cool spring soil is almost a guarantee that it will sit there and mope until warmer weather arrives. This past spring was a classic example of a poor grass planting spring.

Besides, it would be my guess that if you find a vigorously growing grass in the garden center in the early spring it was grown in greenhouse conditions or imported from a warmer climate. Neither would be a recipe for instant success.

There is a wide array of ornamental grasses out there.

Miscanthus is probably the most admired and most maligned grass. That's the one with the large white or pinkish-white plumes in the fall. They come in a multitude of heights, leaf color variations and leaf widths. The shortest one I know is about two feet and the tallest is well over my head.

The rap on miscanthus is that it is invasive and, thus, a threat to our native environment. I have grown them for years and have never seen seedlings except for one thin leafed variety. Even with that one I get only several a year. Others may have different results but I will continue to be vigilant and still enjoy them.

The second group is often called frost grass. These are the panicums. They have a large, very open, panicle or flower and are at their best when planted so that the morning sun can reflect off the dew or frost of fall or early winter In fact, all grasses are best used when back-lighted by the morning or evening sun.

Third, I must mention the group that offers a foxtail flower. These are the pennisetums. They are generally shorter and offer a bloom earlier in the season.

My favorite for all season enjoyment is the native little bluestem. It is mid-sized with good blue foliage all summer, turning tan when cold weather arrives. Its flower head is a bit more restrained and resembles a bird's foot. To me it is just the right size, right vigor and a good color for my gardens.

I could ramble on about grass varieties but I will end my case now with the soil is hot and the summer moisture is unusually plentiful. Grab a shovel and make an ornamental grass happy.