Actual true barn yard grass is a summer annual - meaning it lives for 1 season. But it seeds and repeats its cycle for the next year. No different than a tomato. Also keep in mind - some people (myself) call every unwanted grass barn yard grass because it looks like a grass for feeding livestock on a farm, LOL!

Very common pests of petunias are the Petunia or Tobacco (Geranium) Budworms and one means of control for these is Bacillus thuringiensis - Kurstaki. I have used several brands of BtK and have not had any that had an odor so you may want to look around for another brand. There are several. Neem Oil products, possibly Spinosad, maybe a pyrethrin may also help. Systemics are not a good choice since they are linked to the death of pollinators.

Ken - thanks for the mulch pointer, I never would have thought of that but it certainly makes sense! Food for thought for next year I guess. ctopher - that sounds very smart, I guess if I'm constantly watering the roots won't dig down into the soil to search out more water. We've had a ton of rain in the last few days which was definitely welcomed. I just went outside today after it stopped raining so I could take a picture of the same hosta I have planted on the other side of the walkway grown in more shade that is doing way better, maybe this will help to decide whether this is really paul's glory or gold standard. I had these both last year and they were identical so I know they are definitely the same plant. While I was taking a picture of the one doing better I noticed some new leaves coming up on my little fried guy so looks like he's not dead yet! Thanks for the comments everyone. Here is the same type of hosta on the other side of the walkway in more shade (to note: it had a lot of top growth and eyes at time of planting vs. the fried guy. And here is the hosta in question fighting back and sending up some new leaves

Hi no-green-thumb!~You really do have a lot of hidden potential. It has been a long winter; I am in IL, so I know how different winter and spring can look! Still waiting for plants to "pop" here, although a little green is finally peeking through. I did a paver installation in my landscape construction class. They need a gravel base, and proper grading. Their installation makes them more impervious to water than flagstone, which will heave slightly, so IMO flagstone is not the best choice for a patio right next to the house. They tend to be somewhat expensive. BUT the cost of installation of your existing patio included the flagstone itself, which you still have and can re-use, so don't despair! We have a flagstone patio in the far corner of my backyard, and I think that could look lovely with your forest backdrop. It is really not expensive to do, just labor intensive. Many nurseries have staff that might be able to do the job or recommend someone, so if DIY is not an option, you should get several bids before proceeding. Or, this is what I would do if it was MY yard... I think it would be best if you had a deck installed; one without steps, just a walkout that extended from the corner all the way to the purple fence to the left of your ac unit. Replace that panel with six foot cedar fence panels, to hide the AC from view. To add interest, stagger the fence heights. The deck would have an octagonal cut-out for the tree, and low wide steps to the flagstone path connecting it to the cement patio. The flagstone path would be wider at the steps and narrower towards the patio, but it would be at least three feet wide, four feet would be better. I wouldn't touch the stone edged bed of hostas and ferns, except to maybe trench the edge slightly, so that the stones "sink" and are no longer a problem when you mow. I really dig (no pun intended) the natural stone and flagstone combination. However, the wooden deck and cement patio are both more practical surfaces for grilling and eating, more sure-footed. I agree that the cement patio is one logical place for your existing grill. Since that was also expensive to install, why not re-use it? Have you seen these type of gazebos, they're a great way to define the eating area from the lounging/bar area closer to the house? They are designed to be taken down and stored in the winter. Here is a link that might be useful: Gazebos