HI - We have recently bought our first house and the garden is a mess :( How do we lay turf please?

Hi - Thank you for accepting me!


We have recently purchased our first home after 13 years of saving, we paid someone to come and "level" the garden but unfortunately, they made the garden even worse and threw 4 tonnes of stone onto mud and the garden looks awful ☹ We managed to get some money back luckily but not enough to pay the shocking quote’s we have been getting – so we are attempting the job ourselves


I have uploaded an idea of what our garden is like, there is a concrete driveway running ¾ of the way across our garden – there is around 10cm of soil/stone on the top of this... but it does vary as the garden is very uneven. We also have cobbles and a patch of concrete; we are hoping to put stone on the concrete and put grass where the stones are at the moment and block it off somehow. Looking at the old driveway it looks around 30cm+ deep and it is not something I could see us ever getting rid of due to the cost ☹ We are trying to make the garden as child friendly as possible and put lots of planters around the edge of the garden so my children can grow their own plants


The more random holes I dig, the more I find! Up to now I have found a brick wall, paving slabs, stone, a driveway, and old pipe work ☹



What should I do with regards to the grass please? Is this something I could put turf on or is it artificial grass? I looked into wood chip, but I am not keen on the look of it for the children’s trampoline to go on


Any advice would be greatly appreciated! Thank you

 

Thank you, I am debating trying stone, mats and artificial grass over the mats? I am hoping to do 50/50 grass/stone with stone around the outer edge with planters I would prefer turf but I don't think it is possible :( x

 

Welcome to Gardeners Corner Jennie. It's difficult to work out from your pictures what is where. Would it be possible to see more taken from different angles please?

 

Welcome to the forum!

@JWK has some briliant ideas that would help you sidestep removing lots of hard surfaces.

 

Hi I have some old ones, the garage has now gone Any help would be greatly appreciated thank you

 

this is a photo before they messed the garden up and the driveway runs where its red. thanks

 

Wow, this looks aweful...
Sorry to say that - I know it is definitely not your fault.

I think I would round up a few friends, rent a small excavator and start digging up the whole garden. I know it might not be feasible within a normal lifetime but knowing there are layers upon layers of stone, gravel and debris everywhere would drive me nuts.

I wish you the best of luck. Maybe you find some lost gold beneath all those stones. You would have earned it.

 

Thank you, I really appreciate that We are hiring a small digger in the next week or two and we are hoping to get rid of everything. We were really hoping to lay turf but I don't think that would be possible with the stupid driveway there :( I have not had it quoted to clear it but I imagine it would be a lot :( We would clear it but its lifting etc that me or my husband can't do :( Fingers crossed we can sort it, I hate it so much lol

 

Thank you for the extra pictures Jennie. I think Black Dog's suggestion is really the best way, to dig it all up and start again. Even if it takes longer because of expense and time you will eventually have a garden that can be worked with - without constant obstacles to cope with.

Good luck and keep us posted on progress please. Perhaps it would be best to start a thread in the 'Projects' forum as this is really an introductory area. You may like to take a look at other members projects there too, to give you ideas for the development of yours.

 

Thank you every one for your help, I will have a look on there