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Sowing a New Garden

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  • 13-03-2017 8:27am
    #1
    bob2oo7
    Registered Users Posts: 378 ✭✭


    Hi all
    When I was growing up I never had a garden. My back garden was all tarmac and therefore I have absolutely no experience with gardening
    Now that I am all grown up, 2 kids etc. and we have bought a house, its time to tackle the garden
    We know what we want to do regarding plants, seated area, flower beds etc. so my only question is around the garden itself
    We want to re-sow it with good quality grass. Right now the grass is lumpy, uneven and just doesn't look right
    So... plan is, and questions are:
    1) Going to kill the existing grass with weed killer. How long do we leave it before turning it? 1 month?
    2) When you turn the soil, what exactly does this entail? Just get a pitch fork/spade and dig it up? Do you remove the old dead grass and put in a skip? Do I just hire a rotavator to do this job?
    3) Once step 2 is done, and if we get top soil, do we need to remove all the rocks, stones etc. from the lawn before top soil goes in, or just put the top soil on top of it? How do we even know if  top soil is needed?
    4) Once steps above are complete, lay seed and keep dogs and children off the lawn?


Comments

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    #2
    ashok767
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1 ✭ashok767


    Sharing my thoughts as a small time kitlchen gardener -
    Weeds are a natures way to cover the soil exposed to sunlight.  I would avoid using any weed killers or chemicals in the soil.  It would be safer too with the kids and dogs who would be exposed to the soil and play around the garden.
    Consider the area and the work involved.  How easy is to source local manure, mulch and top soil.  
    I would design it on paper considering the availability of sunlight, source of irrigation and proximity to the house...I would keep a herb garden closest to the kitchen, as this would be visited often.
    Consider raised beds, as this would not require any digging.  
    There are lot of resources out there on the internet - youtube has some lovely clips to start you up.
    Simplicity and starting small is the key.  Get your plans, check out local sources for all your requirements, consider logistic costs, keep a budget and start off accordingly.
    Happy Gardening.


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