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[Ruth Dykstra <ruthnafex@drdykstra.us>]

In my small home orchard (12 trees) in Zone 4, I planted red fescue in 
my orchard which adjoins the rest of the lawn which is bluegrass.  I 
have snowdrops, crocuses, daffodils of various kinds, and fritallarias 
planted in the fescue so we do not mow until midsummer when all the bulb 
foliage has died down.  The fescue is more shade tolerant than 
bluegrass, is not too tall (12")and has a finer texture  that makes the 
longer grass look like waves which I like.  We mow a couple paths 
through it on a weekly basis and keep the edge mowed to distinguish that 
area from the lawn.  I have areas around each tree mulched with wood 
chips.  I like the look of the longer grass so we only mow twice a year, 
once in midsummer and again in the late fall so the grass will be short 
for the early spring bulbs.  The regular mower cannot handle the fescue 
if it gets too long so we usually rent a high weed mower for those 
mowings and take a swipe at the thistles in the woods at the same time.

Ruth Dykstra