Hello Rainbowfish, very exciting starting a new garden Your site sounds a bit like mine 10yrs ago, my only advice can be summed up in two words, manure and grit! If you plant anything direct add lots of manure and grit to the hole, gradually all the holes will join up!
Hi there Rainbowfish welcome to the forum, new here myself and new to gardening, sort of had a blank slate also but had to clear rubble and ground elder to get it blank! good luck with your project you will get lots of friendly advice from everyone here
A blank canvas is a wonderful thing. No concerns about ripping up someone else's pride and joy.
As my dear late mother would have said " act in haste , repent at leisure"
If you have no fixed ideas, live there for a while, sow grass seed rather than turf if money is a bit tight ( when isn't it? ) , you can always remove parts of the grass later to add beds etc.
The wait is the really frustrating part. Potted on some of my seedlings to help.
@Logan I suspect that the soil below is alkaline as the stones looked a bit chalky. I think I will need to look for a soil test kit.
@Hostafan1 We have been planning to seed rather than turf, but not wanting anything formal (or wanting to mow lawn on a regular basis) I have bought some mixed wild flower seeds (& have some country file seed ) to sow with some meadow grass seed rather than normal lawn
Posts
Hello Rainbowfish, very exciting starting a new garden
Your site sounds a bit like mine 10yrs ago, my only advice can be summed up in two words, manure and grit! If you plant anything direct add lots of manure and grit to the hole, gradually all the holes will join up!
Hi there Rainbowfish
welcome to the forum, new here myself and new to gardening, sort of had a blank slate also but had to clear rubble and ground elder to get it blank! 
good luck with your project you will get lots of friendly advice from everyone here 
Welcome rainbowfish.
A blank canvas is a wonderful thing. No concerns about ripping up someone else's pride and joy.
As my dear late mother would have said " act in haste , repent at leisure"
If you have no fixed ideas, live there for a while, sow grass seed rather than turf if money is a bit tight ( when isn't it? ) , you can always remove parts of the grass later to add beds etc.
Great advice so far
The wait is the really frustrating part. Potted on some of my seedlings to help.
@Logan I suspect that the soil below is alkaline as the stones looked a bit chalky. I think I will need to look for a soil test kit.
@Hostafan1 We have been planning to seed rather than turf, but not wanting anything formal (or wanting to mow lawn on a regular basis) I have bought some mixed wild flower seeds (& have some country file seed
) to sow with some meadow grass seed rather than normal lawn