Did I miss something....did the writer say she lived in the Frisco area and did the writer also say she has Bermuda grass. If this is so, before you do anything, read material on the different grasses whose mowing height is different. Usually leaving grass higher....3" to 3 1/2" can shade out thatch, clippings can be left on the lawn to act as fertilizer, and what's more important, higher grass shades out weed seeds. Soil in this question is neither here nor there....soil is soil. As far as making the soil want to grow what you put into it, then if you are completely fed up and can entertain the idea of digging it up totally and starting anew, then do that. A good deep digging rototiller is gone over it, then lots of organic matter...peat moss, compost, triple mix, loam, and other organic material....you can find a list of all what that term is on the internet....and this then is incorporated into the soil which then is one that will help hold moisture and enrich what is planted. Sand is often used when aerating to open up the clay so that better drainage is achieved. But it has to be coarse sand....not beach sand, not the sand that is used in play boxes....that stuff just holds water...coarse sand, or builders' sand can be bought at any quarry or soil dealer. How is Bermuda mowed....from what I read, mowing at such a low height as 1" - 1 1/2" is what will surely kill the lawn because it then has no protection from the hot sun. Leave the grass high....3" at least, then it has protection from loss of moisture. Fertilizer and deep watering is what I've seen said about Bermuda. As far as levelling, that can be a matter of digging...actually removing hills, levelling, then return the sod. Rolling such a clay soil lawn is a sure-fire way to add compaction....and increased drainage problems. The only way to level a hilly terrain is to remove the hills and level the ground. But, you could live with it. Hills on lawns are not all that bad if they are not what kids sleigh down in winter.

Simplest solution (no digging) is to add a main valve to Isolate the other valves unless the timer opens the main valve to provide water to them. Second solution is to replace all the valves that come on on their own (or don't shut off on when they are told)

That should fix it. Here is a link that might be useful: DIY site

Well put about the overcrowding and lack of growth regulation. And anything we can do to offset the depletion of our aquifers is a good thing. Education is key. I wish they'd teach kids in school about how our state functions - ecologically. Sometimes I really think Florida's a lost cause, and it just makes me sad. Government and individuals have screwed it up in so many ways - not just with irresponsible growth, but with draining sections of the everglades, straightening the Kissimmee river, then trying to correct the mistake once they realize what a mess it made. Allowing developments to crowd out panthers and black bear even more, allowing industry and homeowners to pollute the lakes and rivers. Lake Apopka used to be a huge game fishing lake - now the fish are dead. It's like that everywhere. The majority of new residents are here to retire, so they may not necessarily care about the future of our state - since they're not leaving it to anyone. So more golf courses go in, more developments are built, more lawn chemicals are used and more water is wasted and polluted. My little spot here is very small, and in the scheme of things, it's probably not going to make a bit of difference if I don't waste water or coat my property in chemicals. But maybe if enough of us try, maybe there will be something left that's worth having when my niece and nephew reach adulthood. I choose to heavily mulch and if we're not getting rain, I water twice a week on the allowed days for one inch each watering (since we're still on water restrictions here). The plants that need more water die. The ones that don't, I get more of. Two of my gorgeous brugmansias that had grown to the size of lovely small trees almost completely died this year because I refuse to give them more water. Now that the rains are back, they're starting to leaf out and one is loaded with buds. My garden is far from sparse - it's quite lush on very minimal water. I have to tell you, every day in this heat, my plants wilt. They wilt by 11am, and they look like they need water really badly. But by the time evening rolls around, they've perked up again. If we get rain, they really perk up. It's heat stress more than it's lack of water. I wilt by 11am, too... In my opinion they can wait until the day comes that I'm allowed to water them, or they can wait until the next rain. Inbetween, they're probably not going to die. You're right when you say with everything there is balance and responsible use. That's why I choose to not over water, or grow plants that require more water than I'm willing to waste on them. Your garden sounds really pretty, by the way, Dave. And it's really great you stop the extra watering when the rains become regular - we've all seen sprinklers going in the rain, and it's craziness. I do feel for you having a neighbor who doesn't (or isn't able to) care for his property. I have a neighbor who sometimes lets her dogs' poo accumulate so much that it reaks. Especially in the heat. And she also excessively waters. She'll hook her overhead sprinkler up to her hose and leave that thing going all day long. Then she'll do it again the next day. Funny thing is, her plants don't look any better for it than mine do.