Put some small river rock down there. You know...grass usually does go dormant(brown)this time of year, because of heat and lack of water..

a woodlands garden would work in a suburban yard and it will definitely look better and more inviting than dormant grass... when converting a yard its probably best to do it in small sections. the small sections are easy to manage and create a learning curve for what works for you ... especially if you are doing the work yourself... i have found the best way to start a new planting is to smother the area with newspaper (wet it down) and then cover with mulch... wetting the newspaper and mulch helps hold it in place and the wet newspaper will kill the grass and weeds underneath and eventually decomposes adding organic matter to the soil... ( you can use leaves but you have to keep wetting them down to get them to stay...) the mulch looks nice and covers the paper. some people add layers of grass clippings, compost or other nitrogen building material between the newspaper and mulch -(similar to lasagna gardening - information on compost forum) i dont always do that because i am lazy and dont have it readily available. then you place your plants right into the ground cut into the newspaper and mulch... i tend to minimize soil disturbance for all my plantings - both wild and tended ones. for the more formal type plantings (less wild and more garden like), i add alot of mulch (compost, wood chips, grass clippings) for weed control and soil benefit.

in your case i would probably start in the areas where the lawn looks the worst - create some irregular curvy shapes - outlined using your lawn mower - so they are easy to mow around... and then each year expand the areas until you have converted as much area as you would like. think of a walking path or border in gravel, stone or mulch...

you may want to do some research on what plants are best for your area through a local native plant society...they ususally have seed exchanges in the fall or other types of informational seminars etc. etc.

suggested reading: "noah's garden"(by stein - i think) - awesome read for anyone converting a lawn. and for lots of pictures "the natural woodland garden" (by ken druse) not all of kens plants are natives in his photos but it gives you ideas.

I don't know what type of lawn seed you're trying to grow but cool season grasses such Kentucky bluegrass, perennial ryegrass, fine fescue, tall fescue, and bentgrass do best when planted from mid-August to mid-September in the north. If you want a grassy area in your lawn you should contact your county extention agent for recommendations. It would also be a good idea to have a soil test done. Your ag agent can advise you on that as well.

I don't think a woodland garden would be out of place on a suburban lot. If you like it, that's all that matters. (afterall, the woodland was there before suburbia moved in;)

I've turned a portion of my backyard into a woodland garden. The area came with a very large white pine, 2 American hollies, 3 dogwoods and a big old crabapple. The white pine gives me a nice groundcover of pine needles year round which I love. Pine needles make an attractive groundcover but they can be hard to come by. If you have to buy them they're expensive but they won't blow away.

To me a woodland garden should be a place enjoyed by people and wildlife. I use many plantings that produce berries and nectar for songbirds and butterflies. I've added; blueberry, raspberry, blackberry, native persimmon, paw-paw and serviceberry. Also; rhododendron, Mt.laurel, American smokebush, sweetbay magnolia, eastern redbud and river birch. I have a butterfly garden too.

When I started, much of the area was mainly weeds. I placed layers of wet newspaper there to smother the weeds and covered it with several inches of shredded hardwood mulch. I've also added compost for some garden beds and topped with shredded leaves. I've never had a problem with shredded leaves blowing away so I don't know what to tell you about that.

I've since added many native woodland flowering plants. I've created pathways that wind through the area. (no straight lines) Some pathways are just grassy strips and others are mulched, still others are stone. I use stone a lot in some areas. I use large old stumps (from a tree we cut down) to hold birdbaths or as a backdrop for plantings woodland plantings.

A rustic bench or a swing can be a focal point and makes an area feel more inviting and cozy.

Good luck, I hope this helps.

I started my above post and got called away from my desk so I didn't see joepyeweeds suggestions. He has some excellent ideas tho and offers very good advice.

There is another thread over on Cottage Gardens that might provide further inspiration & practical ideas.

Here is a link that might be useful: Show me your front yard with no grass

I'd encourage you to go ahead and convert to a woodland garden. I had one at my former home, which was in a sort of country/suburb, but we also had some lawn. Now we live in the woods on a lake and have NO LAWN. We cleared the woods around the house and have made paths, terraces with rocks, and have planted it almost totally with shade plants. This has been a 10 year project, but our garden area is very large. I would second the suggestion of beginning small with an area you can work in one year and then add to it. Also, the newspaper idea works well to kill grass. I find it very helpful to use a hose to lay out paths and beds-- It moves, but is easy to follow when digging, putting down newspaper, etc.
Good luck, and enjoy!