Underneath this whole side of the valley sits heavy clay that packs down tight by midsummer and refuses water no matter how long the sprinkler runs. Terra Lawns starts there, with aeration to punch that ground open, overseeding into the holes, and then a mowing schedule that keeps the blades tall enough to feed the roots. Trimming, edging and bed weeding round out the week, and cleanups come through in spring and again after the leaves drop. Grass that is thick from the soil upward shrugs off the dry stretch that arrives here every August. Building a lawn from the ground rather than the surface takes a season, and it is worth watching happen.