Steps to a better lawn: 1. Soil test. You can't have a great lawn with poor soil. It will save you money in the long run as it will eliminate unnecessary fertilizers/amendments. Logan labs, $20 basic soil test, www.loganlabs.com. 2. Kill weeds with a liquid weed killer(s). Weed and feed products are an ineffective means to kill weeds, and it provides fertilizer at the wrong time. Spray weeds with a product like Weed B Gone Max via a hose end sprayer or tank sprayer. Some weeds require Weed B Gone Clover, Chickweed and Oxalis killer, and some require two doses two weeks apart. 3. Apply a preemergent herbicide like Dimension, Stonewall, or Barricade now to kill all future germinating weed seeds, especially crabgrass which germinates when soil temps get above 60 degrees. This will also prevent new grass seed from developing, which is fine since you should seed in late summer/early fall. The preemergent should have worn off by then, but read to label to make sure it wears off about a month before you do any seeding. 4. Raise your soil's level of organic matter via regular applications of organic fertilizers like Milorganite, corn and soybean meal, compost, and mulch mowing. Your soil test will indicate the percentage of organic matter when you get it back. 5. Mow your lawn regularly at the correct height. Most cool season grasses do well around 3 inches. Some prefer a bit longer, some a bit shorter. When mowing don't cut more than one third of the blade at a time. So if you want to keep your lawn at 3 inches, then mow it when it's 4-4.25 inches tall. If you like 2.5, then mow it when it's about 3.25 inches tall. Taller grass needs less water, and keeps the ground a bit cooler, but too tall can lead to problems. 6. Water your grass when it needs it, and do it all in one shot. Short daily waterings encourage shallow rooting. Most grasses need about one inch of water per week but this can vary. Some areas might need more, some less depending on proximity to the street, shade, soil, etc. Do your watering in morning before sunrise to reduce evaporation and disease. 7. If you do use synthetic fertilizers do so at the correct time and the correct rate. For most cool season grasses this is in mid to late spring (May), early September, Late October, and late November (this one should be quick release nitrogen applied when the grass has stopped growing but the ground isn't frozen). If you use all organic fertilizer you can pretty much apply it whenever. Never apply synthetic fertilizers in the summer. Organics can be applied in the summer, but I would cut down on the rate and frequency a bit. 8. Assess your lawn in late July/early August to determine if you want to over seed, or renovate (kill all grass and start new lawn). If you don't need to seed then apply preemergent again in late August to kill winter annual weeds.

Carex comans Frosted Curls usually only needs a combing through to clean. I am concerned about its health...you are on the fringe of hardiness for it. It really is only hardy to zone 7, I believe.

This is great information! Thank you so much!

Like Paige, the first thing I thought of was wine glasses... or Pier One has some GREAT martini glasses - and that's something most people don't by themselves. (Ok, I have this little problem (OK, DH thinks it's getting to be a big problem)). I LOVE glassware... and have about 20 martini glasses, 30 or 40 wine glasses (both burgundy and chardonnay), lots of snifters and other barware.. but I'll always open for more. How about 2 fancy glasses, and the wine/liquor/liquer to go with it? (I love lemoncello in liquer glasses). I also love anything for my kitchen (fancy that, since this is where I hang out so much)... serving trays and bowls; ceramic dishes; cocktail, wine and hors d'ouevre plates (I've gotten some really cute things at Williams Sonoma, and I inherited glass ones from my husband's aunt); cool kitchen tools; interesting spices (see penzeys online); Then, since you are all about the same size, there is the wardrobe... scarf, hat, and gloves; etc.... How fun!