"tenplay" wrote in message
...
Our large backyard has a large grassy area (approx. 110' X 70'), which
consists mostly of weeds and crabgrass. We want to upgrade it before we
sell the house in 3-4 years. Replacing it with a large lawn will take a
lot of work and expense. Is there a workable alternative that would be
attractive and inexpensive? A friend recommended planting groundcover,
but it's hard to envision such a large area of groundcover. We live in
Western Washington. Thanks for any suggestions/advice.

Nothing will be cheaper than putting in a new lawn. Take a look at you local
nursery or box store. A half flat of groundcover plants will be
surprisingly expensive. Many people have the idea that groundcover gardens
require no care. That isn't true, especially for the first few years where
there is space coverage.

I would recommend that you put down an application of lawn weed killer.
Keep the area well watered to encourage growth. In the fall, even-out any
high and low spots. Rent a slit seeder and overseed the lawn with a quality
seed and keep moist. In late fall put down a "winterizer" treatment. In
the spring, apply a turf builder with a pre-emergent herbicide. If the lawn
looks spotty, aerate the lawn and overseed again. If you continue to
control weeds and overseed, in a couple years the laws should look great
without completely starting over. If the new buyers are typical of what I
see in my neighborhood, they wouldn't appreciate a meticulously groomed lawn
anyway.