d d , you are making a number of ascertians that I think are making you do things that will not prove of benefit. First, you associate water as a saviour, something the grass needs and needs lots of. If a pint works well, then a quart will do better and a gallon will just be the cat's meow. That's wrong....very wrong. Grass is no more than a bunch of small plants that grow together and they need nourishment just like other plants....but when too much is too much.....it cant help. One inch per week is recognized as the total volume needed for a lawn to live successfully. Too much is as bad as too little; what happens is, the water doesn't stick around, the roots are deprived, they grow weak and short and the sun then has an easy time to bake the soil. Too little or too much...it works both ways. Your lawn cries out for aeration....from your pictures there does seem to be a lot of thatch....dead material between the blades. When thatch builds, it deprives the soil of necessary oxygen and water. Even tho you water it, and rains have been overflowing, unless the ground absorbs the moisture, it cant do any good. Without explaining what aeration is comprised of....do read articles on 'why a lawn should be aerated". There are many methods and tools employed to effect good aeration....so read about it. Your lawn needs something to make the soil want to take in moisture and retain it. You say your soil in your vicinity is mostly sand....and when you think about....how good does sand retain moisture. So you have to do something to make your soil want to take in moisture and keep it....yet allow good drainage. In that there is an easy and effective way to achieve this. Organic matter. Organic matter comes in many forms...and only by injecting something of this nature into the soil will it keep moisture. Peat moss, newspaper, hay, straw, compost, topsoil, triple mix, loam, and yes....sand. Grass clippings---you don't have any I knwo, but clippings have a lot of nitrogen from fertilizer given, that should not be wasted. But, clippings have a lot of things wrong with it...and should be given to a compost pile first. Sand used in gardens is not the beach kind...it is a coarser granular type...buy it at a quarry or soil dealer that specifies it is builder's sand. This giving of compost though can be a budget killer---it is not cheap. Compost is material that is allowed to break down by microbial action....and should not be used unless in a completed form. Since your lawn is in such bad shape, I suggest you think to do it over....rototil the ground and inject much organic material. Much of the material can be inexpensive...peat moss, newspapers, old hay, old straw (straw and hay are grown and therefore have seeds and unless its at least a year...two years better--it can drop seeds and result in giving you a barnyard) Put down at least 2"....but 6" is better of topsoil. Rototil it all in, rake level to ensure good drainage, then put down sod or seed. The organic material you add should be at least 20% of the volume mixed in. Do not, if it becomes available, add more than 20% compost to what is already there. More is too much. When you buy seed, buy the best type you can afford...it will pay dividends. Poor seed will not grow in the best of soil---but good seed will grow in the worst of soil. In your area of New Jersey a combo of 40% Kentucky Blue, 40% perennial ryegrass and 20% fescue makes a good tough grass for your area. Its summertime now....the heat of which is not conducive to making good lawn---the heat can kill the seed and what sprinkling you do will dry out quickly. So, keep what you have and shake your head, but think to do your lawn in the fall when cool temperatures return. Grass grows much better at that time because there's less competition from other plants. Sprinkling water over it will not be lost to evaporation and if you follow good principles of grass making, you should have a pretty good starting lawn sometimes this fall. Starting: Be sure to use a "starter" type fertilizer when you first lay your seed. It can help speed up and protect germination. Next spring, put down 2" of compost (or topsoil) over the area and let your grass grow up and through it. Repeat this every year, fall and spring, 2" layer over your lawn....at least for the next 4 - 5 - 6 years. Making this a regular routine can help your lawn stand up to adversity better.

That is a big improvement in your foundation bed! I like the little fence/trellis, hope that Jasmine doesn't grow too tall. Personally I would separate out the Echinacea and Salvia seedlings, although it's not absoluately necessary, you have several good healthy plants there. Some seedlings do well growing in a HOS, some do better when they have their own space. Now look at all that grass and sun you have to make new beds. I am very jealous (have large trees on my lot)!

Vera, You're scaring me! :-) "Big Head" is definitely going to be cut for flowers or the point before it goes to seed...most definitely...and then, it's getting watched real closely for signs of "bully-ism". Tiffy, The big leafed plant with the purple edge is Coral Bells Purple Palace (at least I'm 90 % sure it is). I did WS Ligularia "Othello" last year, planted it out in the fall, but I don't see it at all this year. I'm not sure if it survived. I did two other types of Ligularia this year, one was "clivorum" rather than "dentata". That one has a little sprout and I'm nursing it carefully (and afraid to transplant it yet. I probably should just go for it and put it out-- but out of all the seeds in the packets for the two different varieties, I only have one seedling.) PV, The shade garden is just starting to do it's thing...the white Astilbes are just starting to come out. I figure the shade garden will be ready for a picture in a day or two. I'm thinking of getting some white Stargazer lillies to put there and move the pinkish/orange ones to the patio bed. What do you think? Drippy and Rosepedal, Thanks so much for the comments :-) I do like that Malva...it's one of the things I can depend on popping up and giving me something nice to look at while I wait for other things to bloom. I have Mystic Merlin seedlings, but I'm still trying to figure out where to put those. I don't want to put them close to the Zebrina because I had Zebrina before, and it seemed to meld into looking just like the Zebrina the following year. Funny how that happens. (I hope it warms up for you, Barb). Linda

Pagrdnr- left to right in that pic is War Party, Atlantis, Winter Snow. Hey_j- it depends, but started growing hosta about 10 years ago, so there are a few that are y original plants. It depends on the individuals. My Atlantis has been there 4 years and is huge, I have to move something next year so they aren't SO crowded. Dave