three totally random, unrelated things

nancye - 1. Sorry about Jeff's back, a little TLC and the FFF on tv?? hang in!!! 2. I love them both however, I would go with the darker as it really sets off the white bed and seems a bit "richer" IMO 3. no idea, but I love it! will the flowers grow in it or get chocked out? You could always do wild flowers along the edges if they won't grow in the middle.. BTW ~ LOVE the senior shoot...

AmyC - We have some grass like that here in Texas and it is prairie grass!

tracy f - I think I'm voting for the shade of green on the left side. (I just made a card using that same color last night so I may be biased.) Can't help you on the tix or grass, but hope Jeff's back feels better soon!

Trish - Hi Tara... Is that Ryegrass? Do a search and see if there is a picture to see if that's the name. HOpe you get your answer. I like BOTH greens...can you use them both in some way? They coordinate well! Good luck!! Bye!

shanté - that sucks about the tickets and jeff's back. sorry jeff, hope it heals quickly. (micah threw out his back oftn when we were first together...absolutely no fun. love those greens. the left one is the exact same color as my kitchen, you knew that though right. can't help with the grass, but man, i have always loved that particular type, it looks pettable.

amy - I like the darker green .... mostly because it seems like the type of green they can grow into as they get older ... does that make sense?

shelley - If the girl's room is on the small side I say go for the lighter green....actually, I just like the lighter green best! :)

Dawn Fisher - So sorry to hear about Jeff's back!!! I hope he gets well soon!! If I am not mistaken I think it is buffalo grass!

Zonnestraaltje - (Queue Iron Chef intro) "If my memory serves me correctly"... having grown up near you, I believe I always heard people call it "buffalo grass". Hope that helps! Sorry about Jeff's back! (That shopping center looks familiar...can you see if from the I-5 southbound??? I seem to remember passing through that area and looking to the right and seeing that little shopping center, or one that looks like it! LOL!

Jenn - We did exactly what you want on the hill in our back yard. The grasses that we had planted were hare grass and wheat grass(?) We have wild flowers that pop up in the summer time and up here in Alaska that won't be until June!

Martina - I really love the deeper green against the white. Can't help ya with the grass... though it looks like a nice green waterfall.

Ann - I vote for the lighter green, it seems umm friendlier and more child-like. As for the grass, can't help you. I live in northern Canada and we only see grass 6 months out of the year.

Amy Calderon - Looks like what I call Monkey Grass.

amy - My vote is for the lighter green. Happy painting!:-)

Laura Herrmann - Definitely the darker green! Love the grass idea.

Kim - Three thing: Wishing I lived in Cali, I would totally go to FFF. Second: I love the darker green. I would totally go with that. Third: We are doing our backyard in our new house and I too want to plant that same grass, no clue what kind it is though, can't wait to see the answer.

Heather in Washington State, USA - The lighter shade of green. Better to reflect the light for those indoor photos! Also more like springtime.

lisa - like you i have seen that grass before but do not know it's name. i love the green on the left side the best! love your photos!

nic - for a girls room, I like the lighter - it is more fresh and young feeling, I would like the darker for myself...

Emma - I like both greens, but the darker one edges the other out just slightly. Maybe do three walls in one of them and one focal wall in the other? That's my new favorite painting technique ;) That grass is very pretty! Good luck finding it.

Lauren - I would go with the lighter green. But you could do something cool like 3 walls lighter and one wall darker behind the bed. Or, if it is a smaller room, do two walls next to each other light and the other two darker. I did that with pink and white, it made my room look huge when it was really quite small. Just depends on how the room is set up. and I love the grass idea - no mowing!!

Carlyn - Hi there!First of all I love your blog! Okay about the tickets!Lol...I would love to have a few.How much are you willing to let them go at?We live near Pismo beach,sooooooo I probably would have to do an overnight!I hope you get this message tonight.Thanks Bbye!!!

ellen patton - I like the green on the left. I live in Boston so haven't seen grass in months. :)

stacy benintendi - i love the darker green tara...i just do.

tina - Sorry about the back, Jeff. Get better soon! Good luck selling the tickets. Love the lighter green. Love that grass - it'll look smashing!

heath - The darker green will be cozier and the lighter one more bright and fresh feeling. Depends what you are going for.

marshan - Why not do the light green on the top, and the darker green on the bottome, and then seperate them with a border or a chair rail?? Because I like them both.:)

Ellie - The green on the left just looks "happier" to me. Good luck with the grass, tickets, and poor hubby's back, I'm no help on those.

Michelle Adams - Feel better, Jeff! Cool grass, but can't help any there either. Love both greens, but partial to the darker... Good luck in deciding, LOL! Good luck on the tickets too! :)

Shane - Well I tried using wikipedia and google images to find good pictures of all the guesses of the grass... rye grass comes closest, but I don't have any good pictures of it really. http://penick.dnsalias.net:58089/digging/?p=177 check there... Apparently this family Poaceae comes close... if you scroll down and look at Marram Grass, that comes even closer. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poaceae Thanks for giving me something to do for 15 minutes :)

Ronda JT - I like the darker green. Sorry. No help with the grass. Looks great though!

Jody - 1. Not close enough for the tickets. 2. Take the green on the left. 3. Have NO idea about the grass. :)

Tami - paint on the right

Anne - I like the lighter green for a childs bedroom - fresh & bright.

Jennifer - So sorry to hear you won't be able to go to the concert! Hope your husband feels better soon. I think I like the lighter shade of green on the left side. They are both beautiful shades, so you really can't go wrong either way. I have no idea what that grass is, but I love that entire picture. I grew up in Orange County, but I now live in Massachusetts. I miss that kind of grass, stucco buildings and tile roofs. That whole picture just looks warm, sunny and extremely California. :)

Lanne - Get Well Soon Jeff!!! I like the darker green. Not sure what the grass is called.. it looks great tho.

Niecole - I like the darker green better!

kristy cox - would love the tickets, but i am in korea...so i don't think i could make it back in time. love the lighter color...may not overwhelm the room so much. you could also make 1 wall the dark and the other walls the light color or go halfway up with the dark and put the light on top. no idea on the grass!

Cath - 1- sorry about the back. Hope he is all better soon - and hope he is a better patient than my DH!! 2- the left color seems like it might be more versatile overall. Love them both though! 3- yank some frome somewhere and bring it to a garden center. It is not stealing if you just take a little! :)

Cath - 1- sorry about the back. Hope he is all better soon - and hope he is a better patient than my DH!! 2- the left color seems like it might be more versatile overall. Love them both though! 3- yank some from somewhere and bring it to a garden center. It is not stealing if you just take a little! :)

Sara - I like the green on the right side of the screen, especially against the white. Just my opinion....

Jayna - What about stripes for the girls' room?

amy climie - pompass(sp??) grass and I like the light gree paint.... a little more girly! -amy

Jayna - What about stripes in the girls' room?

Jackie - Hi Tara, When I lived in OC, I wanted that grass too, never got it, I thought it was pampas grass? The dark green might be too dark, I would use the light and accent just a little with the dark. As for the concert...Just go and leave hubby on the couch with dvds and popcorn and beer, use the empty seat to put all your jackets and purse and souviners!!!

Angie - I like the darker green.

Sheryl - I love both of the greens and also think you should use both. Here's what my friend did in some of her rooms, and it looks faboulous: she painted the walls one color and then along all four edges on each wall in the room, she painted a wide strip, like 8" wide, with a contrasting color. Does that make sense? I'm not sure I'm explaining it very well. It looks so great!

Dawn Fisher - I believe it is Buffalo Grass.

cindy b. - I like the darker green myself. Makes the headboard POP more. :-) I'm in Missouri so I'm no help in the grass department. TGIF!!!

Sinead - Love the lighter green. FI is a horticulturist. I'll ask him about the grass when I see him tonight.

Beverly - I believe that is liriope. Here in North Carolina people call it monkey grass, but the real name is liriope. I like the green on the left.

Erica - I like both greens. I also like the idea of using both in a stripe pattern. If I had to choose one, I think I'd go with the darker one. As for the grass, another vote here for Monkey Grass. At least that's what we called it growing up. I grew up in San Diego. :)

Beverly - I believe that is liriope. Here in North Carolina people call it monkey grass, but the real name is liriope. I like the green on the left.

Tonya - the darker green... still wondering where you found your lovely locations when you shot here in the valley (AZ) wanna share?

Nicky H - I like the darker green ;)

Erin Vega - i love the darker green against the white!

Dianne K. Nelson - I vote for the lighter green. I have a pale green bedroom, and I love how bright and airy and energized it feels! Light green all the way! Smiles, Dianne

erin duitsman - So sorry T that you guys won't be able to go to the concert...I'd buy them but we have tickets to the Angel vs. Mariners game saturday night. Hope Jeff's back heals quickly so he can give you some extra TLC while you aren't feeling well. Huggs lovie :) As for the wall colors, I LOVE the darker color! Seems to have a bit more warmth in it and I think it would grow better with the girls. Not sure about that grass, funny how just the other day I saw that same stuff and wondered if it would grow well on our hill...hope you find it!

Linda Mackintosh - I like the lighter green just so much fresher. After reviewing the posts it looks like you will have no general consenus. Thanks for sharing.

janice - Darker green gets my vote. Nice contrast to the white funiture. I'm guessing the grass is some type of ornamental grass. So many varieties to choose from, and they come in many more shades of green than the two shades you're thinking about painting in your girls' room. BTW, some ornamental grasses have floral blooms that also come in many colors. Good luck!

Sharon - ~Sorry about Jeff's back and the concert... bummer. ~Lighter green ~I have no idea what that grass is called, but it's great!

Sabrina - I like the lighter green because it looks more like the green in my house and even after having it up for 3 years I still love it.

Erika - Uhmmm, love the darker colors on the wall, the one on the right! i used a similar color in my bedroom and you can't go wrong with that! Looks great! ;-) Ok, you gave up on the favicon thing... ;-( so sad...

Marion - since you're undecided about the paint, let the girls choose; my girls love having cotrol on stuff that relates to them

Shell Mackay - 2. The lighter green for sure 3. I am in Cali too and just bought some of that grass - and its called feather grass. I could only get small pots of it (just put it in my garden) but they said it grows quick!

Lauren - I am partial to the darker green, although both are very pretty, and restful. The right green seems to have a little more energy. They both look a lot like that grass! what are you doing with the ceiling? Our painters advised us to go with a darker shade on the ceiling than on the walls....???? Don't know if that would work for you or not, but either color looks really nice with the white beds. Get well soon, Jeff...

Tess - Hi! Love those two greens! Could you somehow use both? Paint the bottom portion of the wall the darker green and the upper the lighter (proportions up to you). Maybe separate w/ a chair rail moulding in white/off white/or some other cute color the girls like? I'm sure whatever you do will be AWESOME! :-)

shelley esterholt - Sorry you can't go to the concert... Like the light green I have no idea about the grass- love it tho!

jenn - I think it gets called different things depending on the area you live and zone for growing season. But we call that wheat grass. I like the darker colour too :)

Michelle - I like both greens - can you use both? Darker on walls and lighter on ceiling. Or lighter on three walls and darker on one. Or one on most of the walls and color block with the other. I don't know what that grass is, but you might try the state botanist or someone similar. You could also find a botanist that should know at your local college or university. They would likely be able to tell you what it is, or give some suggestions for a local grass that would have the same look. HTH!

Christine - Is the grass called Red Fescue?

angela - I used two shades of green in my baby's room and it turned out really pretty. We painted the whole room the paler green, then taped off stripes, and ragpainted the darker green alternating. Just an idea...both are pretty!

Noelle Buttry - I like both greens but think I like the lighter one better. Looks like feather grass but is definitely not liriope or monkey grass. That grows in thicker tufts.

Deena - Hi Tara, I live here in your area and we met one night while I was working at Timeless. Anyway... We had grass like that in our yard for a while. My husband said it was called Elephant grass and he got the seed at Armstrong. We had to get rid of it because it was right next to our patio table and it attracted these terrible annoying knats. I also remember it always had yellow jackets around it. Maybe that won't be a problem if it is up on a hillside. Just something else to consider... Take Care!

LeslieJoy - I always thought it was called elephant grass. The city has it planted on banks here in Santa Clarita.

camala turnage - the grass is zoisa. it requires very little mowing, perfect for slopes and needs little water. hope that helps:)

Robyn - Wow! Blast from the past! I stumbled upon your blog after doing some searches on a piece of photo equipment for my husband. I saw the name, nothing registered...saw the face and was like..."Huh. She looks familiar." Oh, it's Robyn White from Arlington, by the way. :) Beautiful family, and I wouldn't have recognized Jeff in a million years! The facial hair threw me off. :D You have quite a gift for capturing love and beauty in your photos. Absolutely stunning work. :) Ta ta!

heather - Sorry about Jeff's back and the concert! :( I like the lighter green. More feminine. The darker green I still LOVE (I'm a green girl) but for some reason it looks more masculine. I'm no help on the grass, but I think that would look wonderful!

Annie Adams - My hubby is a landscape architect and contractor, he looked at the picture and says it is hard to tell exactly but he thinks it is creeping red fescue. Good luck!

Annie Adams - I will try again, I posted and it didn't work. My hubby is a landscape architect and contractor and he looked at the picture and said he can't say for sure but thinks it is creeping red fescue. Good luck!

Sara - I'm thinking it's buffalo grass as well. It's a good ground cover and doesn't need much watering.

laurie - hey tara.... we had something similar to that in our back yard and everyone called it "monkey grass"....ok.... that is here in oklahoma..what we had was a somewhat thick blade....hope it helps...laurie in okc

Aby - I like the lighter green. Just painted my office / studio in a similar green ... and I *love* it. It's Pale Sea Mist from Benjamin Moore. Happy Painting!

Alyson - I like the dark green or both greens together (either splitting the wall top/bottom with a border or chair rail, or one or two walls dark and 2 or 3 walls light). Good luck figuring out the grass. Our old neighbor had that on their slope and it looked really nice.

Cheryl - Is it mondo grass? I know its some kind of japanese grass.

Alissa - About the greens... our bedroom is those two colors of green. Lighter one on three walls and the darker one on the wall behind the bed. Then the bathroom is in the darker green as well. Looks really cool. Just throwing one more option out there if you love it that much.

andie - when i lived in Costa Mesa we had a neighbor with that grass in the front yard....i called it bumpy gras.s.but i was also 4.

Janet Jennings - I used to sell sod. Look up Festuca...it's a tall fescue. I think F. elatior is what you want. It's tall growing and clumping, used for erosion control and rough, drought-resistant lawns. I looked it up in the Sunset Western Garden Book. Good luck.

Andi D - HI If the grass is in thick clumps, my bets on Miscanthus sinensis 'Gracillimus'. It grows on slopes, is clump forming and looks a lot like your picture. I have an excellent 'grasses' book as i created a grass garden last year (I have a couple of these plants in my garden) called Gardening with Grasses by Michael King and Piet Oudolf. I am UK based but I know the book is available in the US through Amazon. Happy hunting! Ps - just in case it's not this, this plant will give the same affect

Jill - We have lots of grass like that here in Hawaii. It is called mondo grass (aka "monkey" grass).

Jill - We have lots of grass like that here in Hawaii. It is called mondo grass (aka "monkey" grass).

Stacey - I see that you've already chosen, but I like the lighter green better too. I like both, but the lighter one for a girls' room. I hope Jeff feels better soon.

Laura Reaux - I like the lighter green the best, too. :) Glad you were able to sell the tickets, but sorry you weren't able to go.

Brooke - I think it's called Mondo grass . . . (it's not the dwarf version though - there's one variety that gets as tall as 16" - 20" tall)

Shii - Hey Tara, page 3 of the Lowe's insert in today's OC register (sunday 22nd) has Miscanthus (looks like what you are after) on sale $17 for 5 gal.

Pam Black - About the girl in the picture, how cute is she!!!?! No seriously, I just got home from CKU Detroit and found this posted on the blog while I was gone. They are so sweet and you are truly amazing. Thank you again.

Lori - lighter...

Christine Villacarlos - for a little girl's room, I'd choose the lighter green - it seems airier and lighter overall. I'd choose the darker shade for me :)

Susy - Hi Tara, I'm on the other side of the world so no idea about the grass, sorry, but I heard a really good tip on a gardening show once about getting a nice smattering of wild flowers that don't like like they have been put there. They suggested gathering a largish bag of potatoes and tossing them about the lawn, (potatoes , because of their irregular shape will roll unevenly and not land in any sort of pattern) where the spuds land is where to plant your bulbs, seeds etc for a nice natural look that doesn't look like it has been planted that way, it's also fun for the kids, spud bowling lol. Cheers Sue.

erin m - hey- i'm sure you've probably seen this, but thought i'd share in case you hadn't http://www.whatkindofworlddoyouwant.com/videos/view/id/213154 hope jeff feels better. i've had some horrible bouts w/ sciatica....but haven't had it once since i started yoga!

DonnaC - Hi Tara Thought I would check up on your grass question and put my two cents in. I am a landscape architect and though I am not familiar with all the grasses that might be grown in California, my bet is that it is Mexican Feather Grass - Stipa tenuissima is the latin name. It is a very finey textured grass and has the characteristic moundy shape. The photo you show is not quite upright enough to be miscanthis and too finely textured to be liriope. The only way to be really sure is to take some close ups of the seed heads when it comes into flower later in the summer. Cheers!

shelley - i know it's probably not the technical term for it... but it was ALL over my neighborhood in mission viejo as a kid.. my parents called it Elephant Grass? we used to climb up to the top of the slope near the water tower on valpariso, and slide down the hill on cardboard boxes.. we too had it on our slope in the backyard.. good luck!

kris - light green! They're both lovely but take it from me who went with a darker shade of paint and i have tons of windows (amazing light) and the room is sizeable and it still looked overpowering and closed in. I wish every day i had picked the lighter - go nuts on ur accent colors ask donna downey anyways shes the green xpert :D

ChanelD - they call that stuff "Monkey Grass" in Texas. ChanelD

Anna - The grass is either a red fescue or a sheep fescue according to my hubby who majored in basically grass in college.

stephanie t. - Hmmmm...I'm putting my vote in for light green... and Tall Fescue. Before you plant consider cheking into grasses native to California..might save you some headaches later.

gregory - 2 - The green on the left hand side, the lighter one is the most beautiful i think.

d - The grass may be Colonial bentgrass.

Janet - So what grass did you decide on? We're all waiting to hear.

juls - I have this grass growing on my berm. It's a creeping red fesue. I love this stuff!! Here's a link:www.american-lawns.com/grasses/fescue_red.html I hope that link worked. P.S. I like the darker green.