During the heat of summer and without much rain, once again I think about plants that are not only drought-friendly — meaning that once they are established, they will thrive without regular watering — but ornamental, too. High on the list are ornamental grasses and grasslike plants, in this case sedges, which belong to the genus Carex.

Many grasses and sedges are hardy perennials, and all add texture, color and movement to the garden. With such a variety to choose from, depending on the selection, they thrive in a range of soils and environments including hot and dry or moist and shaded. Planted in combination with herbaceous perennials, ornamental grasses help complete the garden scene. For late-season color, pair them with asters and salvias.

Erica Glasener (ENLARGE)

Evergreen Carex laxiculmis 'Hobb' performs well in shade or part sun.

Photos: Ornamental grass The grasses featured in this article can be bought at the following locations: Ashe-Simpson Garden Center: 4961 Peachtree Industrial Blvd. Atlanta, GA 30341 770-458-3224 McMahan's Nursery: 5727 Cleveland Highway Clermont, GA 30527 770-983-3666 Scottsdale Farms: 15639 Birmingham Highway (Highway 372) Alpharetta, GA 30004 770-777-5875 RELATED LINKS: Fill containers with wintertime favorites  A good lesson in aesthetic pruning of Japanese maples  These are a few of my favorite (fall) things ...  Plant lovers leave tips for Southern favorites  Brooks Garcia offers tips on garden design  Get more Home & Garden news

Mexican feather grass, Nassella tenuissima, grows happily in my garden. A fountain of green hairlike leaves and with 3-inch-long flowers from June to September, it provides delicate texture and motion as it sways in the breeze. I have it planted next to a yellow variegated selection of Hinoki cypress, Chamaecyparis obtusa. I have also seen it paired with hollyhocks and hardy cactus, Opuntia ellisiana. Once established, this grass is drought-friendly and requires minimum care.

While I grow a few grasses and sedges, including Carex 'Evergold', which is great for shade, there are many grasses that I have not yet tried that sound promising for our Southern gardens. I recently spoke with fellow plant enthusiasts at different nurseries about the grasses they grow and like. I have indicated which nursery carries which grass: Ashe-Simpson (AS), McMahan's (M) and Scottsdale Farms (SF).

For sunny gardens

• Carex buchananii 'Red Rooster' (leatherleaf sedge) — With orange-brown to copper-bronze foliage, this upright grass has leaves that arch and tips that curl. A clumper, it grows 12 inches to 30 inches tall with a 36-inch spread. (AS)

• Carex dolichostachya 'Gold Fountains' — Variegated gold foliage is only 3/16-inch wide. Plants grow 12 inches to 24 inches tall and about 1 foot across. (SF)

• Carex flacca 'Blue Zinger' — Distinctive wispy blue-green foliage keeps its color in full sun. Clump forming, it can grow 12 to 16 inches tall and 2 feet wide in five years. A great drought-friendly ground cover for hot, sunny sites. (SF)

• Carex flagellifera (weeping brown sedge) — With bronze- to red-textured foliage, this sedge grows 14 to 20 inches tall and 20 to 30 inches wide. (AS)

• Melinus nerviglumis 'Savannah' — With blue foliage that is soft to the touch, this small grass grows 8 to 12 inches high and has 3- to 4-inch iridescent ruby pink blooms. Hardy to Zone 8. (Mail order: santarosagardens.com.)

• Sporobolus heterolepis (prairie dropseed) — This native grass has ribbon-thin foliage and produces masses of showy seedheads. Growing 3 feet by 3 feet in fall, it turns fiery orange. (M)

For shade or part sun

• Carex laxiculmis 'Hobb' — Growing 12 inches tall by 18 inches, this evergreen sedge forms a bright blue mound of foliage. With constant moisture, it also will tolerate full sun. (M)

• Carex morrowii 'Gold Band' — Cream to yellow variegated leaf margins. This sedge grows 12 inches tall and 2 feet wide. (SF)

• Carex morrowii 'Silk Tassel' — Striped Japanese sedge grows 12 inches tall and 2 feet wide. The striped green and white threadlike foliage forms a fine-textured mound. (M)

• Carex morrowii 'Silver Sceptre' — A variegated form with creamy white margins and green midsections. Grows to 12 inches tall. (SF)

As with all plants, the key to growing grasses successfully is selecting the right plant for the right place. While some grasses such as fountain grass (Pennisetum species and cultivars) or maiden grass (Miscanthus species and cultivars) may be familiar to gardeners, there are a host of others to grow that will enhance your summer, fall and winter garden.