my mother and i have many different kinds of seeds we have collected over time. ranging from 4-o-clocks to morning glory crape Myrtle(pink) confederate rose(pink and red) and we have some bulbs as well, iris, daf, narcissis(yellow and white)will trade.

Rye and fescue won't spread to fill a hole where another grass plant died, no. Bluegrass will. Both rye and fescue require occasional overseeding, whereas bluegrass lawns can self-regenerate for ages. Common fescue, TTTF (Turf Type Tall Fescue), rye, and bluegrass all do very well in full sun and aren't terribly tolerant of deep shade. Of them all, fescues will tolerate the lowest levels of sunlight, but for areas where you know it's very shady, red fescue is the best choice. Under a mature shade tree, even red fescue usually won't get enough sun. >>I'm thinking the Sun and Shade is the way to go. I've always thought it made sense that if you have the 3 types of grass, give all 3 a chance to grow and whichever one takes, it takes, depending on their preference/tolerance for where they land on the lawn (sunny vs. less sunny, etc.) If you aren't sure of what grass will flourish where, and/or have a property with a fairly diverse level of sunlight in a variety of places, that's the theory. And it does work. It also gives you a bit more protection against diseases as what kills one species usually has less or no effect on the other(s). On the down side, the tri-mix (three species mix) is also the least consistent in terms of growth rates, color, and overall performance. For home lawns, this usually isn't of great concern unless the homeowner is a hobbyist. Many of us around here are hobbyists and (like me) have one-species lawns with cultivars chosen for the characteristics we want. >>Plus - I could try the Sun/Shade now - see what thrives - and next year or future years, adjust and reseed more with whatever seems to be thriving... Exactly. During the first year, the rye and fescue will take off faster, with the bluegrass lagging behind. As you reach the 1 year mark, the bluegrasses catch up and, in sunny areas if you feed well, tend to outperform the others. For more casual lawn care, the three are comparable.

Charlie I am looking for seeds for shade-loving flowers that are low enough to plant in the border next to a sidewalk, i.e. no taller than 15 inches. I am particularly interested in 'Frost' Heuchera. I have some moonflower seeds and some garlic bulbils to trade. Send me an email to ctboring@yahoo.com.

My suggestion is to try one of the varieties of tall fescue that did well in NTEP shade tests such as Falcon IV or Titan RX or a mix of the two. I have a shaded back yard and Falcon IV is doing well there on 3 hours of sun. That's not a guarantee that it will work, but I think it's worth a shot. The shade will also help during the summer heat. http://www.ebay.com/itm/NEW-FALCON-IV-TURF-TYPE-FESCUE-GRASS-SEED-SUN-OR-SHADE-1-RATED-GRASS-SEED-/201525168747 http://www.ebay.com/itm/5-LBS-TITAN-RX-TURF-TYPE-FESCUE-SEED-FOR-LAWNS-PLAYGROUNDS-PARKS-SUN-OR-SHADE-/192103089037