Garden

[GCR18]

I wouldn't worry about the neighbor at this point.  They will likely stop watering once the grass is thriving.  If not, ask then to stop watering your lawn. I started my yard with a clean slate too.  I had no idea what I wanted to do.  I ended up putting in a full lawn and had the landscaper section off a portion for a flower bed. Then after a couple years I had ideas and money saved. LOL

[Wobin]

We've bought 2 homes over 30 years and waited awhile to landscape them both.  The first was new construction and this gave us the opportunity to see the property over a year (if you can wait that long).  We could see how the backyard drained when it rained and what issues developed.  We also saw what plants did well in our neighbors' yards.  After putting in a patio and lawn we discovered the lawn burned out in one area every summer.  When we could afford it we had the lawn removed and used drought tolerant plants for a country garden with lots of roses. I miss it.

Good luck with your garden.

[Kabella]

@Tink814  For some reason my reply was deleted. So I will make it more brief. Congrats on your new Home! Do you live in a colder or warmer region & what is your Zone? I assume your neighbor is using her hose with sprinkler heads & does not have an irrigation system plus she is watering much too often. I would first talk to your neighbor & explain your situation so she can ajust her sprinkler heads. If you live in a colder climate I would wait for it to warm up to see if the water drains properly. There are choices of plants with soggy soil. Ornamental grasses with containers spaced out with flowering plants, edged with varigated dwarf grasses that flower etc. Just wait awhile. HTH