Grasses have become popular as indoor plants. They're easy to start from seed and require little maintenance once established. Consider slow-growing bluegrass, fast-growing ryegrass, red fescue or tall fescue. Seed is available by the ounce at nurseries and garden centers. Grasses look good in flat containers such as clay saucers. Plant them in fast-draining potting soil that's been amended with sand. Place some broken pottery shards in the bottom of the pot to cover the drainage hole (figure A) and prevent the potting mix from washing out. The shards should be clean to prevent transferring diseases. Add amended potting soil to the saucer, stopping 1" below the rim of the saucer to allow room for watering. Level the potting soil in the saucer, and sprinkle ryegrass seed over the surface (figure B). Use a spray-mist bottle to water the seeds: they might be dislodged by a stronger jet of water. If you're growing a grass pot outdoors, sprinkle a 1/4" layer of potting soil over the seeds to prevent birds from eating them. Label the seeds with a waterproof marker, noting the name of the seed and the planting date. Keep the seedbed moist by misting until the grass germinates. If you prefer, you can plant grass seed in baskets. Line the baskets with plastic sheeting (figure C) to prevent them from ruining your tabletop. A garbage bag cut to size makes a good a liner. After fitting the liner, place pottery shards or gravel in the bottom. Use scissors to trim your grasses (figure D), which spurs new growth and keeps the plants looking good. Remove the cuttings to prevent the buildup of thatch.
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