Unless you can afford to have someone come and lift and reseed or turf that lawn for you I would just start routine lawn maintenance and try and improve it that way. Lifting turf is a nightmare especially on wet clay with roots in. It is the perfect time of year to do some routine lawn maintenance in preparation for next year. Mow it, scarify it, aerate it and brush in coarse sand from B & Q or somewhere. You can also do an Autumn feed (make sure it's labelled as Autumn feed) as the lawn will look a lot better next Spring. All this will improve drainage for next year. Our lawn is also on heavy clay and this has been what I've done for the past two Autumns to improve drainage and the quality is much better. It has some clover in but I don't mind that, keeps it nice and green and springy in Summer and feeds the grass with nitrogen fixed from the air. Keeping the original lawn for the time being will save time, money and give your girl's somewhere to play over Winter.
They had a willow removed from this garden before we moved in just over a year ago and the roots do rot quickly in clay but due to other tree roots I was still using a saw to get a small pre-moulded pond in. Willows suck up lots of water so while it is probably reducing a water logging situation in the garden (as I think the one here was) they can play havoc with drains and house foundations so shouldn't be planted too close to buildings.
I quite like that paved grid bit it would make a good veg/herb garden! You can get some cheap bulbs and pots from Wilkos at this time of year which you can plant up with your girls for flowers in Spring.
What a difference a day makes. I'm feeling rather proud of myself today after taking your advice and hiring a brush cutter. Here comes the before shots.....
It's the perfect time to re-seed that lawn if you plan or renovating rather than replacing. Looks level to me. You can scatter a mix of topsoil and seed and hang some bird scarers with your girls to stop them eating it all.
i always remember as a child the garden being huge but forgotten just how big it was until today. I love it already
My Grandad had the whole area behind the greenhouse as a veg patch with spuds, onions, lettuce, beet root, spring onions, runner beans - well you name it he had it really. The whole right side of the garden behind the garage was also for fruit and veg. I am not that ambitious Unfortunately and would prefer more room for the girls to run around and play
the back of the garden behind the greenhouse has all sorts of brambles, tree roots, weeds growing and the mud underneath is quite uneven. Would it be ok to grass seed this are too or would I forever more be clearing out the weeds etc?
Mowing uneven grass can be a bit of a problem. However, if you can manage it, then regular cutting of the grass will eventually kill off the weeds (except for Lawn weeds, nothing much kills them).
Hello Donna. Is that tree a weeping willow? If it is, how far is it from your neighbour's house and yours (I'm assuming that your house is semi-detached) Some trees, especially weeping willows are very thirsty/greedy feeders and can damage the foundations. If it has already cracked a drain and your neighbours are pleading poverty, then I would apply to the Council for help. Also are the neighbours the owners, or tenants?
Agreed re: the willow artjak. I think they are meant to be at least 30 feet from a house or something daft. I think they can pollard it if they don't want to lose it completely (well a tree surgeon can).
I would level it off using topsoil then seed. Berghill is right, in Summer you will be mowing it once a week so no brambles will survive that constant mowing. That said I would turn the place over with a fork first, take any big stones or roots out then level off and seed.
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Unless you can afford to have someone come and lift and reseed or turf that lawn for you I would just start routine lawn maintenance and try and improve it that way. Lifting turf is a nightmare especially on wet clay with roots in. It is the perfect time of year to do some routine lawn maintenance in preparation for next year. Mow it, scarify it, aerate it and brush in coarse sand from B & Q or somewhere. You can also do an Autumn feed (make sure it's labelled as Autumn feed) as the lawn will look a lot better next Spring. All this will improve drainage for next year. Our lawn is also on heavy clay and this has been what I've done for the past two Autumns to improve drainage and the quality is much better. It has some clover in but I don't mind that, keeps it nice and green and springy in Summer and feeds the grass with nitrogen fixed from the air. Keeping the original lawn for the time being will save time, money and give your girl's somewhere to play over Winter.
They had a willow removed from this garden before we moved in just over a year ago and the roots do rot quickly in clay but due to other tree roots I was still using a saw to get a small pre-moulded pond in. Willows suck up lots of water so while it is probably reducing a water logging situation in the garden (as I think the one here was) they can play havoc with drains and house foundations so shouldn't be planted too close to buildings.
I quite like that paved grid bit it would make a good veg/herb garden! You can get some cheap bulbs and pots from Wilkos at this time of year which you can plant up with your girls for flowers in Spring.
What a difference a day makes. I'm feeling rather proud of myself today after taking your advice and hiring a brush cutter. Here comes the before shots.....
And here are the after pics...
Ta da
I still have an incredible amount of work still to do on this garden but I am so pleased with the instant results from today's hard work
now time for me to have a well earned glass of vino
Wow you have been busy! You've totally transformed it and it looks massive.
It's the perfect time to re-seed that lawn if you plan or renovating rather than replacing. Looks level to me. You can scatter a mix of topsoil and seed and hang some bird scarers with your girls to stop them eating it all.
Thank you Mrs G. My back is feeling it now
i always remember as a child the garden being huge but forgotten just how big it was until today. I love it already
My Grandad had the whole area behind the greenhouse as a veg patch with spuds, onions, lettuce, beet root, spring onions, runner beans - well you name it he had it really. The whole right side of the garden behind the garage was also for fruit and veg. I am not that ambitious Unfortunately and would prefer more room for the girls to run around and play
the back of the garden behind the greenhouse has all sorts of brambles, tree roots, weeds growing and the mud underneath is quite uneven. Would it be ok to grass seed this are too or would I forever more be clearing out the weeds etc?
Mowing uneven grass can be a bit of a problem. However, if you can manage it, then regular cutting of the grass will eventually kill off the weeds (except for Lawn weeds, nothing much kills them).
Hello Donna. Is that tree a weeping willow? If it is, how far is it from your neighbour's house and yours (I'm assuming that your house is semi-detached) Some trees, especially weeping willows are very thirsty/greedy feeders and can damage the foundations. If it has already cracked a drain and your neighbours are pleading poverty, then I would apply to the Council for help. Also are the neighbours the owners, or tenants?
Agreed re: the willow artjak. I think they are meant to be at least 30 feet from a house or something daft. I think they can pollard it if they don't want to lose it completely (well a tree surgeon can).
I would level it off using topsoil then seed. Berghill is right, in Summer you will be mowing it once a week so no brambles will survive that constant mowing. That said I would turn the place over with a fork first, take any big stones or roots out then level off and seed.