Trying to renovate garden - need some advice

I've moved to a new house recently and the garden is a mess. It's been neglected for years.

It has a raised section at the back that measures about 12 feet by 8 feet which is what I am struggling with at the moment. It was obviously a seating area once and that is what I would like it to be again.

What I have now is some sort of lining topped with gravel which is what I want. What I don't want is all the tussocky clumpy grass that's grown through. The grass roots seem to be stuck to the liner and it's virtually impossible to get them off. There's also some dandelions.

Should I just get rid of the lot and start again or us there a way of getting rid of the grass and weeds and keeping the lining and stones?

 

Hiya @cairojones and to GC the friendliest forum on the web Can you please post some piccies so we all can better advise you

 

Here's a photo of what I'm dealing with. It's such hard work detaching the clumps of grass from the lining.

 

@cairojones well if it was me i would check out this link http://www.treehugger.com/lawn-garden/homemade-herbicide-kill-weeds-without-killing-earth.html then depending on which method you decide on i would as i did to an area of mine buy very large sheet(s) of taupauline and cover it over ...weigh it down with your garden pots furniture etc ...and forget about it for a while it will be dying off underneath while you reserve your energy for another more pleasent productive garden task When it has died off satisfactally ...you'll be best placed to assess what the area looks like and what needs to be done to bring it back to good use...ie; it may just need clearing and toppng up with fresh gravel or it may need some or all relaying to make it good

PS; but you can still use the area to sit at ...after you've had and busy day planning working in the rest of the garden ...and enjoy a nice glass of your favorite tipple

 

Thanks for that BeeHappy.

Questions - if I cover with tarp how long does it take to die off?
When it is dead and I take the tarp off is it easier to remove the grass?

 

@cairojones it really does vary but you can keep checking of course ...and yes it will be much easier to remove the grass when it has lost its strength in the roots

 

Strip it bin it start again. weedkiller,new weed membrane and stone covering on top.Sometimes lifes too short to go into battle with weeds,better just killing the lot and starting fresh.