Costs of a Luscious Lawn

As Spring has crept up on me and it is time to start working on some outdoor projects. One of the most pressing is the dirt and weed patch that is lovingly called my back yard. It is a mess and far from the fun and functional space I need.

To address the problem I've started with a little research. Starting with no clue about cultivating a grassy yard I have learned that in my part of the country there are two options: burmuda or fescue. Burmuda grows like a weed and is very tolerant of the hot sunny climate and better suited to lower amounts of watering. On the downside, burmuda is totally brown 5 months out of the year and never the soft carpet of green I would ideally grow. Fescue on the other hand is an attractive green color year round and can be made to flourish. Its weakness is that it is best suited to shade and requires very regular watering.

Fescue depends so much on regular watering that the local garden center recommended it only if we were willing to install a sprinkler system and run it 4+ days a week. My frugality, moderate as it may be, prevents me from ever seriously considering a sprinkler system or signing up for massive water bills just for the sake of a better shade of green. After facing water restrictions from drought last summer I am also weary to be so wasteful. Thus, I feel I am left with burmuda as my only real option for my yard.

Now I also have to determine how I want to approach "installing" the grass (I'm an engineer, not a gardener). The two basic options are to seed the lawn or buy sod. With each choice there are a number of secondary choices.

Surface seeding involves tilling the whole yard and adding lime and compost. As another option, I could seed the yard with a special "plug" planting device. What should I do about aeration? On the upside, seed is relatively inexpensive, ~$150 would cover the whole yard. Unfortunately each step in the process requires buying extra products and renting equipment that are costly instead. Finally, none of this comes with any guarantee of results.

If I choose to sod the yard there are is a different slate of challenges. The largest of which is the upfront cost of the sod which would run a minimum of $720 even if I choose to install it myself. Self installation of sod is again without a guarantee of results, but it has a benefit of far fewer complications and no special equipment required.

I've also considered putting the whole process in the hands of an expert. The companies I have called will charge about $40 a month for application of an assortment of fertilizers and weed killers. Lime application is $33 once per year. Profession seeding or sodding of the back yard would run over $1,000 for either option, but seeding is cheaper and will condition the soil in addition to just adding grass.

For now I'm stuck in decision paralysis. None of the available options really meet my budget constraints or my original idea of a luscious green yard all year round. I am currently leaning toward buying sod and installing it myself. It would serve as a trade off for me to provide the labor but pay extra to simplify and streamline the process. I am open to all comments and suggestions. How much is a gorgeous lawn worth and what route would you take to get it?