Q: I have an area where I have planted blue fescue. There is dead and brown grass on the underside of the plant. Is there a proper time to trim back the plant, or do you trim the grass at all?

A: Blue fescue is an interesting focal point for a garden. It grows only twelve inches tall but the foliage is a striking blue-green color. ‘Elijah Blue’ is a common cultivar. It was not named after Elijah Blue Allman, the son of Gregg Allman and Cher but for the street (Elijah Lane) on which the cultivar’s breeder lived.

You can remove brown leaves anytime. If the whole plant looks ratty after a hard winter, cut it back to three inches tall. Don’t forget, blue fescue can not stand poorly drained clay-filled soil. If your plants die, try again but plant in an area containing native soil, gritty sand and soil conditioner in a 1:1:1 ratio.