Hmmmm, best and cheap are rarely used together in the same sentence for pretty much everything. Also, what do you mean by "best grass"? Darkest green? Fastest germination? Aggressive spreading? Drought tolerance? Disease resistance? A combination of those attributes? Being in the Philadelphia suburbs you should stick with the cool season grasses, Kentucky Bluegrass (KBG), Turf type Tall Fescue (TTTF) and Perennial Ryegrass (PR). There are a few others but they are specialty grasses that generally aren't used for home lawns unless certain conditions apply. Also, do you know what kind of grass you have now? If you are trying to fill in bare areas with a type of grass that is markedly different than what you have, then those areas will stand out. The best strategy might be overseeding the whole lawn with whatever grass you decide to use, and go heavier on the bare areas. In terms of cost, most grass seeds are similar in cost per square foot, but some a lot of the cheaper bags you find at the big box stores contain mediocre or inferior cultivars that have been around for 20 years. Also you can find weed seeds in those cheaper bags, so saving something like 20 bucks really isn't worth it. As far as which grass to use, well that's a question we could spend a lot of time on discussing. I will try to outline some qualities of each type. PR: Easiest to grow, germinates in a few days (3-6 is typical), establishes fast, most newer cultivars have dark green color with fine blades. It is relatively drought tolerant, but will die if it isn't watered in the conditions we saw last summer. It's a bunch type grass that doesn't spread (although two new spreading varieties have just been released for sale), and usually requires periodic overseeding every few years. Not the most disease resistent in hot humid weather. Pretty wear tolerant. Not very shade tolerant, will look great for a year in shade but then will thin out. TTTF: Germinates slower than PR, but still relatively quick (6-14 days but usually 5-8 days in ideal conditions). Ready for first mow in about a month. Most varieties are medium to dark green, blade width is variable but generally not as fine as PR, medium to wide depending on cultivar. Very drought tolerant but only when mature and if soil allows deep rooting. Can go dormant for a short time but extended drought will kill it. Disease resistence is good in certain cultivars but can be susceptible to brown patch. Good wear tolerance, but also a bunch grass, with limited spreading ability despite the claims of newer spreading cultivars. Most spreading is seen years after initial seeding, and periodic overseedings are often necessary. Best of the three in terms of shade tolerance (can get by with 3 hours of sun a day). KBG: Germination is highly variable but generally takes 2 to 3 weeks except for a few cultivars that are faster (5-10 days). Most are slow to establish, with exceptions. Color ranges from medium green to dark green, with some being dark blue green. Blade width variable, usually medium to fine. Drought tolerance is lower than PR or TTTF, but has the ability to go dormant during drought, survive, and reanimate with regular waterings. Good wear tolerance plus has spreading ability and can fill in bare areas about the size of a large dinner plate in one year. Can have some disease problems, but not as susceptible to brown patch. Shade tolerance is low, not as low as PR, and some cultivars have better shade tolerance than others. Powdery mildew can be a problem in the shade. I hope this helps, and feel free to ask any more questions you might have.

I used the soybean meal in my garden and lawn, and was happy with the results. I just poured mine in a five gal bucket and threw it around as I walked, making sure the flakes spread around somewhat evenly, like you might do lime. In the garden I sort of spread it around the base of the plants, and used a wooden dowel to make holes pushing it towards the roots. It really perked up my tomatoes and peppers. No more commercial fertilizer! I also made my own compost tea, both fungal and bacteria dominated, with good success in spite of drought conditions. You mentioned not using molasses, Sky, but I think you need that to feed the bacteria as they multiply in the tea. You would see steady bubbles on the surface after a day or so of air bubbling. I used the compost, enough to more than half fill a paint bag. I make about 7 gal at a time. Hope that helps.

If you need it so fast, get a pair of leather work gloves (hide) in a $1 store. I have a variety of thorn strippers but I find leather gloves work best. Another quick solution is to get a pair of Fiskars pruners at Lowe's (maybe HD) that has thorn stripper built in the handles. But they do not do a very good job if the rose stem is very thick.

Check out: - Countryside Gardens in Crystal Lake. I bought 2 Tree peonies for $10 each ~ regularly $40 each and 2 Cl. Quadras for $6 ~ regularly $25 each. Shrubs are 40% off and I believe that the perennials were the same. - Barn Nursery in Barrington. Haven't been, but read that they have the same deal ~ 40% off on plants. I really love buying plants this time of year!