flora_uk, I can still see ungerminated seeds delightedinco, I tried the Scotts EZ Seed too - it sometimes worked, and it's very convenient to use (I like the built-in spreader on the smaller containers - the gardening newbies this product is aimed at are not going to own seed spreaders or roto-tillers, don't know what kind of soil or fertilizer to use, and have no idea what 5 lbs. per 400 feet looks like when spread. But it is so expensive for what you get). I bought it only because Scotts used to have $5-off discounts on it. Pennington has a similar product as part of their Smart Seed line that's a bit cheaper (but not much), although I wonder why they claim much longer germination times than the Scotts product. There's also Scotts Patch Master which is cheaper and I haven't used yet. I think I'm going to try just regular seed, and watering more often (a real pain here - there's no outside garden hose faucets, so I either need to use big watering buckets or run a hose from an indoor faucet. I have a 50' coiled garden hose with a sink-faucet adapter at one end and a trigger sprayer at the other for that purpose). I have a bag of Vigoro Starter Fertilizer 20-27-5, and have applied quite a bit of new seeding soil (of several varieties depending on location) since the ground is mostly hard clay. I did my best to loosen it with a metal gardening rake before adding a new layer of topsoil. Any recommendations as to what type of grass I should use? I'm near Washington DC, which means both humid 100°F+ in the summer and subfreezing icy winters. The big-box stores around here seem to favor tall fescoe, which is also what the combination seed/mulch/fertilizer products use in this market. I like the bright green color, how fast it grows, and its tolerance for all sorts of bad weather, but not the thin straight grass blades that get matted down like cheap carpeting when walked on. The second most popular here seems to be the generically-labeled "sun and shade mix". The real nurseries have more variety to choose from but also higher prices. I don't want anything that goes dormant or turns yellow or brown in the winter. The side yard is in heavy shade due to closely-spaced houses and lots of old trees, but the backyard (which I'm more concerned about since that's the main socializing area) gets alot of sunlight. I also hear some people say I shouldn't even try to grow from seed during the hot summer. But I'd like to have a lawn by fall if possible, when I plan to have a new renter. I could plant sod - but it's inconvenient given how thirsty the stuff is when new (given the water situation I mentioned earlier) and hard to transport for someone with a small car and a bad back. Any ideas?

Brandon, thanks for the info on planting. This is new to me, and I just couldn't imagine anything young taking root in the dense soil I had to hack through to dig the hole so amending it seemed to make sense at the time. I can see how it would create an artificial tub now. I guess time will tell if the tree fully takes. I'll try to gauge the soil dampness better. With the sun around here, the surface dries out very quickly. It may well be that I'm not watering enough, though I'm not sure how to judge what's happening down at the bottom of the roots. jqpublic, I'm zone 9 by zip code but San Jose can be in the 8s too. In any case, the apple trees in the neighborhood seem to do very well. (and Ken - don't worry, I'm tickled pink that it set fruit so quickly. I just don't want to kill it!) Thanks for the help, everyone.

They should be OK. You are right that deadheading is just removing the flower and not cutting the stem. However, the good news is that they will develop new buds along the stem and bush out eventually. Just be a little patient. They should have some flowers next year but even more the following year.

QUOTE::: .I noticed the paint was coming away from the wall. And not "chipping" away like you would imagine, but coming off in sheets. Like peeling off the wall. There is a place on the wall where I nicked the paint putting the shower curtain back up, and the same thing happened there. It bumped up in a sheet of paint. ceciley, sounds like you have a little work ahead if you are encountering those types of problems. First of all, this is not pointing fingers or saying you didn't do the job sufficiently, but in all honestly from reading what you are saying it almost sounds like there is trapped contaminants still on the wall surface. There can be just a miniscule amount of entrapment and there will be adhesion problems ; (like immediately or down the road when one begins another project over the one on the wall). Could be a number of things consisting from moisture still trying to escape and the primer/paint applied to soon, small traces of residue still evident, amounts of cleaner still evident on the wall which would need additional clean rinses, or possible dust debris left behind. Right now your paint finish is still going through the coalescing process and is still in a vulnerable stage. I'm not there so I can't really first hand examine what you are dealing with, only in cyber space; Sometimes if left along and given the process of evaporation and coalescing, " the paint film will "dry down" on its own". Some things you might want to think about doing at this interval 1. if the paint is still able to peel away as you have indicated- do this now and continue to let the paint peel away on its own with you pulling it in away in its elastic stage. Pull it away to where it would actually stop with a good bond that did adhere. Make sure the edges are smooth to the hand/finger touch. The reason I say if the paint is still peelable is because if you try to sand back or sand away the vulnerable paint in this processing stage, it will only tack up or string together trying to sand. Thats why it is best to wait for #2. In this instance I would "only" after it has thoroughly dried and the evaporation has been removed, then would I get out your sander and sand away the areas that are peeling. Sand back to a smooth area and to an already good bond from another adjacent area. Make sure all of your sanding debris has been cleaned up. Use damp cloths and or vacuum. I would also clean these areas again with warm dawn water and rinse well to clear of any cleaner. Let completely dry this time before beginning the process again. Hope I haven't confused you. good luck.