If it's not especially shady then standard seed should be OK, but obviously something happened over winter that it didn't like. Did it get very wet or flooded? Does it get walked on a lot? (that has a worse effect in winter when it's not growing). If you can get to the bottom of the problem, that will help you to decide whether it's worth bothering with grass at all.
To be honest, it may well be the shade actually - I looked out at 2ish and the fence shadow basically covered the whole patch. Barely gets walked on (apart from being a latrine for about half a dozen neighbourhood cats) - I could count the times we went out there on one hand in the last 5 months.
To be fair to my beloved, she has essentially done all the work/suffering on it so far! I'd like an end to the saga one way or another. I'm reluctant to go down the gravel route as our front garden is gravel, and the back garden up to the lawn patch is pebbles in the middle with nice beds either side. I guess if we were designing it from scratch we might not choose to have a lawn there though - trying to make the best of someone else's odd choices given a lack of budget.
Here's the same garden two owners ago in 2014 - so it's definitely possible! But the higher fences now obviously don't help..
Having come back to see what others have to say, l think you really need to ask your beloved what she thinks. I understand her wish to lie on a sunlounger on a nice lawn but quite honestly when you look at the time she can spend doing that, is it really worth all the effort ? The grass (such as it is), is barely walked on, there's the 🐱 problem, and you've hardly been out there in the last 5 months. Granted that's over Winter, but the Winter has been comparatively mild and it looks like you're in a suburban area. Any chance of a photo of the pebbles and flower beds? Not being especially nosy, but if you can do that and also show where the area changes to the lawn bit, it might help to give further advice.
Is the area where all the paving is the sunniest bit? If so it might be worth considering swopping the paving and lawn areas over, but it might not be as private as you would like.
but obviously something happened over winter that it didn't like.
I looked out at 2ish and the fence shadow basically covered the whole patch. Barely gets walked on (apart from being a latrine for about half a dozen neighbourhood cats)
Not much mileage in a sun louger then.. Grass isn't keen on cat p1$$ either..
If you search the forum there a number of cat deterrent threads... but proceed with caution..
A tricky site though for sure, especially when trying to please SHMBO.
I would plant it up with ornamental grasses interspersed with perennials and create decked areas to lounge on, surrounded by grasses, flowers and butterflies
"What is hateful to you, do not do to your neighbour".
It's bound to be compacted, as already said, because of the size. It's a lot of effort for such small reward though, when there are simpler approaches that would give a nice effect. I agree with the others about having planting instead. Even if you don't like grasses, there are plenty of other things that could grow well, with less effort than lawn [and unlike many people - I like a lawn] and a gravelled area for the lounger would make life easier. A mini gravel garden.
It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
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The grass (such as it is), is barely walked on, there's the 🐱 problem, and you've hardly been out there in the last 5 months. Granted that's over Winter, but the Winter has been comparatively mild and it looks like you're in a suburban area.
Any chance of a photo of the pebbles and flower beds? Not being especially nosy, but if you can do that and also show where the area changes to the lawn bit, it might help to give further advice.
Is the area where all the paving is the sunniest bit? If so it might be worth considering swopping the paving and lawn areas over, but it might not be as private as you would like.
Grass isn't keen on cat p1$$ either..
If you search the forum there a number of cat deterrent threads... but proceed with caution..
A tricky site though for sure, especially when trying to please SHMBO.
I agree with the others about having planting instead. Even if you don't like grasses, there are plenty of other things that could grow well, with less effort than lawn [and unlike many people - I like a lawn] and a gravelled area for the lounger would make life easier. A mini gravel garden.
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...