Did you use the milorganite at the recommended bag rate? Because it looks like it hasn't been fertilized in a year. The dark green spots are likely where your dogs pee and turn the grass green. When it is properly fertilized you won't see those spots. During the summer, for the weeks you did not receive a full inch of rain, you should have supplemented the rainfall to get the rest of the inch. When the high temps are barely making 90, then you can go to once every 2 weeks. These water apps should be a full inch all at one time so it soaks down deep. The beauty of an organic regimen is you don't need a schedule. But as a minimum you should fertilize 3x per year. Once in late spring (Memorial Day is good), once in early fall (Labor day is good), and once in late fall (Thanksgiving is good). The normal application rate for a grain type organic fertilizer is 20 pounds per 1,000 square feet. Grain type fertilizers come from grains. SHOCK! Grains include corn and wheat but also beans like soybean and other plants like cottonseed and alfalfa. These are distinguished from the animal matter fertilizers including blood meal, meat meal, fish meal, and others. Another class of organic fertilizer is the animal byproducts like feathers and dung. These work completely opposite from each other but I've put them together just for classification here. Grain type ferts should be used at somewhere between 20 and 50 pounds per 1,000 square feet. Animal products should be used more like 5 pounds per 1,000. Feathers can go on at any rate as they don't decompose very quickly - at least until you have used them for a year or so. Something like poultry litter works well as an additive to other organic fertilizers. Use it at the rate of the other fertilizer schedule. Can you overdo organic fertilizer? No. One of the gurus on another forum wanted to increase the amount of organic matter in his soil, so he applied 50 pounds of Milorganite and soybean meal every weekend all summer long. The only thing that happened is his lawn became the best lawn on the planet for 5 months. Actually it was the best for 12 months because it remained green all through the year. So basically you and your wallet can come up with your own plan. I would use 3 apps per year as a minimum. Grain type organics will not burn so you can use them any day, or every day, of the year. I would get the grass fertilized and get the watering under control before doing anything about the weeds. Once the grass is greened up and the weeds, too, then you can spot spray the weeds with Weed-b-Gone Chickweed, Clover, and Oxalis liquid. That's the full name. After you get the weeds out, the KBG should fill in and help keep them out. The infrequent watering mentioned above will help keep them out. Mulch mow weekly at a minimum of 3 inches. I've seen KBG mowed at 4 and really like the look. Taller grass holds the water longer and has deeper roots to go get it. It also helps keep weeds out by shading the ground better.

Hi, I could use some help please! I am a newbie to roses. Two weeks ago I Planted a rose bush in the ground with a small shovel full of chicken manure and handful of bone meal and a week later used bayer 3 in 1 on it. It started dying less than a week later, lovely stems turning a horrible black, coming up from the bottom. I have been caring for this plant for a few months prior to planting it, wanted to be sure it would be happy in its new home, so I know it had gotten enough sun and water and was very healthy and happy. Did I burn it and can it be saved? Thanks for any help, Kerry

hi there--i just wanted to say that we are about to put in a bigger window and eliminate the corner cabinet, and have an off-center sink. I really want the light and also the coutner space, as you said. It should be done in a week or so--I will try to post pix! Our stove/sink/window layout is the same as yours. also, I don't want to muddy the waters...but just wanted to throw in the idea that maybe no one ever uses your kitchen table in the current setup because of the peninsula, which blocks it off and makes it seem far away. The peninsula seems closer to the action and homier. But I think in your new setup you will have plenty of room for a table, if you want to consider going that route. A nice big table would fit on the wall where your hutch setup is going...if necessary you could make the french door one wider door, maybe with sidelights, to increase the usable space there. You could make up the lost storage from the hutch by having an island with more cabs, and maybe even have some hutch type cabs still on the wall behind the table, with a built-in seat in between. (sorry I am not drawing this like all these software whizzes!) keep in mind that the new island will be more in the middle of things than the current peninsula...and so will the people sitting there. Depending on your cooking style that may or may not be a problem. You could still have a spot for a couple of people to perch at the island, and actually eat at the table (and save your knees!). Just a thought.

With my experience the three top laptops (notebooks, actually) are, in no particular order, Toshiba, IBM and Apple. Apple of course is much more expensive. Toshiba is by far the best value out there for quality and price. IBMs are pricy too. I avoid Dell, Gateway and Compaq like the plague. HP has improved since they're trying to put their notebooks back at a higher level now that they took over Compaq, they leave the Compaq as the low-buck line. Dell has gone back to having different levels so if you want to spend a lot more to get something with a Dell name you can get something decent. I just can't justify to most of my clients to spend the money when they can get far better value with a Toshiba. I have two and couldn't be more pleased. The one is a year old and the other is about 6 years old with hard use. Desktops can't be compared to notebooks. I still far prefer a custom built desktop from a competent builder over any of the mass-produced junkboxes. The cost isn't much more but the value is far more. All that said, even the lower quality units can be OK if you take proper care of them.