Please help! total novice and need help!

Hi all,
Just a bit of background, Im 22 and just got my first house about a year ago, which is obviously great but the only problem is the garden is a wreck from the previous owner but I really have no idea what Im doing!
The lawn is more like just a big slate of mud with the off patch of grass here and there, so in my non educated wisdom I thought all I'd have to do is turn over the mud a bit and plant grass seed, obviously not!
Not a thing has changed, this may sound like a stupid question to some but what am I doing wrong? what do I need to put down? or do first?
I clearly dont have a clue what Im doing when it comes to gardening but I really want to get it sorted, not just so I can feel proud of my garden but so my 2 year old girl can play out on the grass instead of the mud!
Any help is appreciated
Thanks

 

If its a new-build you may have to get all the half-bricks and other crud out of the soil first :(

If its an old house then probably best to rotavate up the lot, to get a good depth of friable soil, and then make a suitable seedbed for the grass and sow - and leave any areas you want for flower beds as bare earth to plant later.

I think too late to sow grass now, and personally I much prefer to sow it in the Autumn (soil warmer, weeds don't grow as quickly as the Spring, has 6 months to "establish" through the Winter before it starts to get everyone walking on it!, more established by the following Summer, so less need to water etc.

 

Is turf an option? - this way instant lawn, though you would need to prepare the ground properly and water it for two weeks before you walk on it. If cost is prohibitive I would seed it again now - it's okay to seed still for the next couple of weeks (I'd have no patience to wait till autumn)

Here are some instructions on what to do

http://www.gardenadvice.co.uk/howto/lawns/new-lawn/index.html

http://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profiles0900/lawns_seed_turf.asp

Good luck with it x

 

With a little girl and summer round the corner turf is the best option.

 

Hi everyone!

Thanks for all the replies! unfortunatly turf is not an option due to money!

Anyway I'll give it a go with all what has been said and see how I go! Fingers crossed!

I'm not holding out hope though, I dont seem to be very talented or lucky in the gardening department! :hehe:

 

Its been dry lately, You must water newly seeded areas, same as when turfing.

Start afresh, fork the bad areas over and break up the clods with a rake, spread your seed then keep the areas wet unless there is rain forecast, keep up the watering reigme until it germinates.