I won't advise on watering, as I'm getting too many rhizomes and not enough flowers, as we discussed on Cubits. But as far as planting where the books are, I just take them up, and then use them for mulch somewhere, or move them to some other place where the grass needs dying. I just leave them down long enough to kill the grass, then I plant. I don't till, as that makes the weed seeds sprout.
