A Bit of Progress
This is how our back yard looked a month ago. There were no leaves, and Z was weed-eating the rough section we are working on.
This is how that area looks now, after I've rototilled it twice. It rained for 2 weeks steady after the first time I tilled the yard. This week it finally dried enough to till the yard a second time. The chunks of sod sprouted more grass, so Z had to weed-eat the area again before I could till it.
This is how us "poor folks" landscape our yards. Each time, after I finish tilling, I shovel dirt from the high areas to the low areas. Then I let the newly turned soil dry out before I till, and shovel, again. Eventually, the whole area will consist of loose, rakeable soil that can be sloped to drain properly. Then we'll be able to seed the area and tamp down the soil. We don't have a lawn roller, so we tamp the newly seeded soil by walking on scraps of plywood.
We've always had kids, dogs, and a variety of wildlife in our yard, so we never use poisons. The only fertilizer we use is compost. We have never watered our lawn, except for newly seeded areas. For these conditions, we choose grass seed that's a mix of perennial ryegrass and clover. Within a couple of years, native grasses usually take over the seeded areas. That's fine with us. We're not "lawn Nazi's", who have to have a pedigreed lawn. If it's green and comes back every summer, we're happy. We just endured a 3 year drought, and our lawn was always green, even though we didn't water it. An added bonus is the bunnies and bees love the clover in our lawn. With bees on the decline, this is a huge plus!
We also never worry about dandelions. Our summers are too short to spend them poisoning or digging up every dandelion that pops up. What I find really amusing is that our lawn has fewer dandelions than the lawns of all the people that are fighting them. Relax, and enjoy the cheery yellow. Besides, with our economy, we all might be eating dandelion green salads, and drinking dandelion wine before long.
I couldn't resist taking a picture of this lovely cartload of compost. What a load of loamy lusciousness!