How are your soil nutrients? It takes different nutes to produce food as compared to normal stem and leaf growth, so maybe they're getting to the point they need the extra nutrition and just don't have it. If you want to get fancy, buy a soil testing kit and check all of the normal macro-nutrient levels. If not, get a good balanced micro-nutrient fertilizer (Miracle Grow makes some good stuff to put in sprayers, or just look for any that are labeled as being for fruits and veggies) and give them a good feeding.

If the yard is not St Aug. then more than likely it is large leaf crab grass. Above is the best you can do and I will add to hope the new sod doesn't yellow from transplant shock which would make it stand out even more. If your friends/guests are going to be raising an eyebrow about that ugly little spot of grass in your backyard, I suggest you find new friends.

Thanks! I've heard of the purple hyacinth vine too, but is there any possibility of getting it NOT as seed? Or scarlet runners? Even something that will make it partway thru the summer would be better than nothing. I was thinking about tomatoes in a couple of big containers -- hoping to find some Celebrity -- but I hadn't thought of growing them up the wall. My main criteria for back there is "green," so getting some tomatoes (or ANY tomatoes) out of it would be a bonus. Will tomato vines live through the summer here, even if they aren't setting fruit? I'll check out okra, and sunflowers might be cool. You've got me thinking outside the box now. Heck, maybe I'll try some corn back there, or some other type of bean or pea. Direct sow and see what happens. Again, if it doesn't do "all that well" or gets fried or eaten or makes a bit of a mess back there I won't be heartbroken. I just want a bit of a screen that won't be a nightmare to get rid of later. One other option would be something viney that is quick and long-term but controllable -- if it would stay on the wall behind the roses and not try to eat them, that would be completely acceptable. I just don't want cat claw or something horrific like that.

My previous home was backed up by the high school parking lot, not very pretty and much activity. With only a 6 foot fence allowed for separation, I planted a row of Ligustrums grown a tree to branch out at the fence top. They grew fast and made a dense screen. My problem with them was the amount of mess they made with droppings on the paved area and the roots were massive and close to the surface, that prevented even the most aggressive plants from growing under them on my side of the fence. Here I have planted Rhus integrifolia as a screen with much better results. They require no care or water at all, make little mess, and I can grow pretty much what I want under them. They grow very fast, are native, require very little width, and easily reach 20 feet, with only an occasional lateral branch requiring removal. Al