Q: In shady areas is it okay to plant a blend of fescue and other grasses?

A: You can certainly plant a “shade loving” fescue blend. Most of the shade mixes have a combination of bluegrass, ryegrass, red fescue and tall fescue. The grassy area will look fine in winter when leaves are off nearby trees. But as the shade deepens and heat arrives in summer, all of these grasses, including the fescue, will gradually thin and die out. One trick to try is mowing the grass as high as your mower can be set. The increased leaf length allows the grass to scavenge as much light as possible.