There is some sensible lawn care advice described over at Zanthan Gardens. I have mixed feelings about lawns myself. On the one hand they are unnatural and wasteful of resources. But I have a wide expanse of St Augustine across the front and I plan to keep it. Grass is the easiest thing to maintain. All you have to do is mindlessly cut it all to a certain height. I have known quite a few people who have taken out all their lawn grass and put in plantings. I just don’t have the time to maintain that much garden. I would wind up being one of those hauled into court for violating weed laws.