Mondo grass = superstars of gardening

Mondo grasses are my designated superstars of gardening.  

I've spent the last two mornings dividing and replanting dwarf mondo grass.  It's a great way to fill in an area under a tree (see my work this morning in the second picture).  Although it flourishes with watering and fertilizer, it tolerates drought and sandy conditions.  It's an evergreen and needs mowing only once a year (February).  It propagates most easily by sending out underground roots (stalons) that help establish it.  It's good to use when your landscape needs some definition.  To divide it, you have to dig it up and separate the roots and transplant it (unfortunately on your hands and knees) to its new location.  One large bunch can be divided up into 20 or more plants if you're really patient.

Another awesome type of mondo grass is liriope muscari-- some refer to it as monkey grass.  Liritrope is a widely used perennial.  It is also an evergreen and  rewards you with  purple flowers in August. I use it for edging, defining pathways and preventing soil erosion. It's also easy to separate and replant.  Once you've planted it, it sends out underground roots and grows exponentially.  It has funky seed (balls) but I've not seen it reproduce this way.

This morning, I put the hose down in an area edged by liritrope and even the water didn't penetrate the barrier.  It's wonderful for filling in as area that is hilly or shady. 

These plants help fill in spaces where nothing else seems to want to grow. My heroes.