Unlike Mother Nature's all-or-nothing approach to watering, automatic lawn sprinkling systems are tailored to the turf they shower on. And that's why, says Bob Gander of Bob Gander Plumbing and Heating, "you need to know where your landscaping and edging are going to go before you install an automatic sprinkler system."

The best time (easiest on both pocketbook and lawn) to put in an automatic system is before the yard gets its layer of sod or its scattering of grass seed and after your landscaping plans are firm.

But because not everyone has settled on the landscape design, the best time to install isn't always the practical time. Good news:  It's all right to postpone -- you can add a sprinkler system when you finish landscaping. And once the system is in, you can still change your landscaping because sprinkling elements can be switched.