Lazygardens: Thanks for information, this is the sequence of what I am going to do -- when I wrote on the way I am going to kill my existing lawn I did not mean the steps in sequence, just overall steps :) Also, I am planning to cover the seed with about 1/8" of the top soil to get a better soil contact and protect it from birds. Am I making a mistake here ? Is there any DIY method to compact this top thin layer. I am doing a trial seeding of only about 400 sq feet and don't want to rent a roller just for that. Biglumber: I am actually torn between Ephraim and Sodar (streambank) for the new lawn -- Ephraim gets a lot of praise in 'Xeriscape Colorado' book (chapter 5, grass): http://books.google.com/books?id=m0QyikM-wAwC&pg=PP1&dq=xeriscape+colorado#v=onepage&q=&f=false I am leaning towards Streambank for following reasons: 1. Streambank is a native grass, Ephraim is introduced. 2. Streambank is strongly rhizomatous, Ephraim is weakly rhizomatous and only with sufficient water. 3. Based on what I've read Streambank seems to be more drought telorant, Ephraim needs more water but probably not by much. 4. Ephraim goes dormant much faster during hot dry spells. Ephraim pros: 1. Cheaper seeds (half the price of Streambank). 2. Easier to establish. 3. Lawn seems to be of better quality, AVSeeds recommended Ephraim over Streambank for lawn, but I am not sure about the qualifications of the person I spoke with. Can you post a picture of your Ephraim lawn, I (and I am sure many others) would love to see it :) Bpgreen: In one of your post I've read that you got a better results when seeding Streambank that you put in the freezer before planting, this is also backed up by some USDA document I came across when researching. I am assuming you were referring to fall seeding rather than dormant seeding, is this correct ? Thanks everybody for your help ! Davie.

LOL!! If deer really liked English ivy, the world would be a far better place :-)) They may browse it occasionally but it is by no means at the top of their preferred menu and even if browsed, will do very little harm to this extremely aggressive, invasive monster. Just an FYI, but English ivy, Vinca minor and yellow archangel (Lamiastrum galeobdelon) are ALL considered invasive species in various locations across the country. It is always a good idea to check and see what is listed on your state's invasive plant listing before making a final decision.

Thank you! Gee, I am getting so much helpful information that I am filled with ideas. I decided to keep the pelargoniums inside as their bright red blooms perk up my house. Plus, they look so cute sitting in my Victorian Hungarian baby bath tub! The thing about zone 17 is that the three places I lived in that zone, the Richmond in San Francisco, Pacific Grove and Santa Cruz, is that they were all different. SF had tons of red spider mite and always there was mildew. PG had all fog, all the time, that was so heavy it dripped off the trees and made the ground look like it had rained. SC had lots of sun, but just south of it, on the Capitola border, it was very much like PG, lots of fog and chill. The mildew there was a surprise and finding a dehumidifier for my house required mail-order. Somehow, the people who gardened there seemed to know what they were doing and did fairly well or just accepted the losses. Growing the kinds of roses I like was not easy. My Graham Thomas (Austin) was very happy but any of the ones with a different colour on the edges than the center came out spotty and with the wrong colours. I will try to water often and pay attention to what is planted next to what. I have been talking to the neighbors and they are helping me adjust! My next step, once I take the plastic snow cover off (today was a mixture of snow and soft hail), is to put down lots of mulch. I have been told to consider 3-5 inches for anything that is not hardy as there is supposed to be a chance of frost through June 15. Sigh, lots of info!! I plan on tilling the second plot with compost--thanks for the recommendation, as I got excited and just used top soil for the first plot. I think that my bed with strawberries and daffodils is just going to stay as-is because it seems to be fine on its own. Luckily there are pine needles everywhere! I cleaned up some, but since I am a bit of a scrappy gardener, I left quite a bit. I think I will leave that still for the pee-balancing! Thanks to all who have helped. The ideas I have been given have made it all seem less of a culture shock. I think this might be the nicest and most helpful G-Web forum I've been on! Jennifer and her three dogs, Pablo Honey, Professor Gordon P. Farsworth and Lucy (the "P" stands for pee) :)

I have to weigh in behind Cynthia again. It's easy to read things into posts that were unintended when you're upset about an issue like this one. Have you ever owned a dog before? or is this a new experience for you? If this dog is your first you're certainly getting your "trial by fire". Hang in there. Over the course of my life I've had several dogs and each one has taught me something more about the complexity of canine behavior and each one has had a distinct personality. The present one is big, bold, and intelligent. He is a lot of work. Martha is unsure of her status in the household and your daughter is the essentially the first rung on Martha's climb to "more status". She has her "territory" (her bed) and doesn't know the basic commands that are the cornerstones of obedience training. You have a potentially lethal combination of forces at work in your home right now. I've never had a 4 yr. old before, but I'd guess she can be "forgetful" about things like "don't touch the dog" only because she really wants to pat her and can't really grasp the potential danger involved. I'm glad you've found a behaviorist and I certainly hope you will beat feet to an obedience class ASAP. I don't believe the situation is without hope, but you ARE at a crossroads; you must commit yourselves 100% to Martha's rehabilitation or consider whether or not she is the dog for your household. Anecdote: We began obedience training immediately with our adoptee and he made great progress. No sign of agression or defensiveness with his food bowl, the cats, being handled. We spent 20 minutes a day on basic stuff, and made sure there was a lot of leash walking, too. One day, we were outdoors, working in the yard and he was parked on the lawn with a bone, contentedly gnawing away on it. We were ready to go in and I called him to me. He hesitated and just stared at me. I approached him, he lowered his head and curled his lip at me. "Leave it!" I commanded him. He dropped the bone and I commanded him to "Sit!". He did, but tried for the bone again... "Leave it!", and then "Come!". He obeyed me and then I praised him. But had we not been completely on board with training him early on the situation could have had a more unpleasant outcome. Now, he gets smaller bones and only when I know he will have time to savor them without interruption. And we have continued on leash obedience work to this day. "Leave it!" is one I pay particular attention to. It's the safeR way to take something away, and everything in our dog's world belongs to US, not him!