https://stream.echo6.co/videos/watch/49e44a88-621c-4cfc-9722-5be045c2c0c7 Ask This Old House landscape contractor Roger Cook offers some alternatives to grass in a shady spot. SUBSCRIBE to This Old House: http://bit.ly/SubscribeThisOldHouse Time: 2 hours Cost: $20 and Up Skill Level: Beginner Shopping List: Soil Test Shade Tolerant Grass Seed Pachysandra Ivy Ferns Hosta Steps: Shady areas are tough for grass growing., A soil test will dictate which nutrients need to be added to the soil., Some grass seed will tolerate light shade., All grasses require a lot of water to be healthy., Grasses under a tree canopy will struggle as the tree gets larger., Ground covers like Pachysandra, Ferns, and Ivy will do well in the shade, but ivy can spread quickly. All ground cover also require patience. Roger says “the first year they sleep, the second year they creep, the third year they leap!”, Flowering plants like hosta are another choice for the shade., Resources: Shade tolerant grasses, ground covers, and perennials are all available at home centers and garden centers. About Ask This Old House TV: Homeowners have a virtual truckload of questions for us on smaller projects, and we're ready to answer. Ask This Old House solves the steady stream of home improvement problems faced by our viewers—and we make house calls! Ask This Old House features some familiar faces from This Old House, including Kevin O'Connor, general contractor Tom Silva, plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey, and landscape contractor Roger Cook. Follow This Old House and Ask This Old House: Facebook: http://bit.ly/ThisOldHouseFB Twitter: http://bit.ly/ThisOldHouseTwitter http://bit.ly/AskTOHTwitter Pinterest: http://bit.ly/ThisOldHousePinterest Instagram: http://bit.ly/ThisOldHouseIG http://bit.ly/AskTOHIG Tumblr: http://bit.ly/ThisOldHouseTumblr For more on This Old House and Ask This Old House, visit us at: http://bit.ly/ThisOldHouseWebsite How to Replace a Lawn with Shade Perennials | Ask This Old House https://www.youtube.com/user/thisoldhouse/ Sun, 17 May 2026 05:37:15 GMT https://validator.w3.org/feed/docs/rss2.html PeerTube - https://stream.echo6.co https://stream.echo6.co/client/assets/images/icons/icon-512x512.png https://stream.echo6.co/videos/watch/49e44a88-621c-4cfc-9722-5be045c2c0c7 All rights reserved, unless otherwise specified in the terms specified at https://stream.echo6.co/about and potential licenses granted by each content's rightholder.