Newbie lawn question

Dublinguy2018

Hi all, I'm buying a house and the back and side gardens are approx 120 sqm in slightly awkard shapes.
I'd like a nice lawn for this summer but if I plant in a month's time is that too late?

Are the ready made lawns any good and if so do they need any prep or just roll out on top of the soil that's in the garden?

Never done any gardening before so advice is welcome.


Also the fence bordering my neighbour is approx 1.8 metres high, what can I do to make that look nice? Hedge/ivy? Cheap options are a good idea right now.

Thanks.

New Home

Dublinguy2018 wrote: »

Also the fence bordering my neighbour is approx 1.8 metres high, what can I do to make that look nice? Hedge/ivy? Cheap options are a good idea right now.

Thanks.

To cover the fence you could use a climber like passion flower (which you can grow from the seeds of the fruit you buy in the shops, but may take a couple of years to bloom) or clematis (some varieties are hardier than others). For both you'll need some sort of support for them to cling on.

macraignil

Dublinguy2018 wrote: »

Hi all, I'm buying a house and the back and side gardens are approx 120 sqm in slightly awkard shapes.
I'd like a nice lawn for this summer but if I plant in a month's time is that too late?

Are the ready made lawns any good and if so do they need any prep or just roll out on top of the soil that's in the garden?

Never done any gardening before so advice is welcome.


Also the fence bordering my neighbour is approx 1.8 metres high, what can I do to make that look nice? Hedge/ivy? Cheap options are a good idea right now.

Thanks.

March is not too late to plant lawn seed.

Roll out lawn turf is faster than seed but is more expensive. Both methods still require clearing the perennial weeds and bigger stones on the surface of the ground before planting.

You could paint the fence to improve its appearance but a hedge could also be an option. Read some people on this forum complaining about ivy growing over perimeter fencing or walls so that option would depend on weather you are willing to keep it clipped back. You would need to do the same with a hedge once it starts growing properly to avoid it becoming too big to manage easily. Hedge plants are cheapest when you can get them bare root which should be any time up until the end of March depending on suppliers. White thorn is usually one of the cheapest to buy and has nice flowers and red berries but also some sharp thorns. Here is a hedge plant price list if that's any help.

bmc58

Dublinguy2018 wrote: »

Hi all, I'm buying a house and the back and side gardens are approx 120 sqm in slightly awkard shapes.
I'd like a nice lawn for this summer but if I plant in a month's time is that too late?

Are the ready made lawns any good and if so do they need any prep or just roll out on top of the soil that's in the garden?

Never done any gardening before so advice is welcome.


Also the fence bordering my neighbour is approx 1.8 metres high, what can I do to make that look nice? Hedge/ivy? Cheap options are a good idea right now.

Thanks.

As for the lawn, wait until late May when the threat of Frost is gone.
Dig the soil well and rake it to a smooth finish.Sprinkle on grass seeds liberally and lightly rake them in to the soil.Give them a watering and wait for them to germinate.You will need to cover the sown area with netting , otherwise the birds will eat all your seeds.Water from time to time when it's dry (in the evening) and in July/August you will have a nice lawn started.Dont be too quick to cut it for a few months.Leave it establish itself.

macraignil

bmc58 wrote: »

As for the lawn, wait until late May when the threat of Frost is gone.
Dig the soil well and rake it to a smooth finish.Sprinkle on grass seeds liberally and lightly rake them in to the soil.Give them a watering and wait for them to germinate.You will need to cover the sown area with netting , otherwise the birds will eat all your seeds.Water from time to time when it's dry (in the evening) and in July/August you will have a nice lawn started.Dont be too quick to cut it for a few months.Leave it establish itself.

I don't think waiting until the start of the summer to plant your lawn is a good idea. Dry weather will not be good for the seedling grass and you will need a lot of watering if we do not get rain when it is getting established. Light frost is not a problem for grass seed and spring or autumn is the lawn planting time I have seen recommended before. I also planted a lawn with no netting to keep off the birds and had no problem with birds eating the seeds so not sure this is essential once it has been raked in properly.

blackbox

This

macraignil wrote: »

I don't think waiting until the start of the summer to plant your lawn is a good idea. Dry weather will not be good for the seedling grass and you will need a lot of watering if we do not get rain when it is getting established. Light frost is not a problem for grass seed and spring or autumn is the lawn planting time I have seen recommended before. I also planted a lawn with no netting to keep off the birds and had no problem with birds eating the seeds so not sure this is essential once it has been raked in properly.

Get it seeded. Growth will start in March and it will have a bit of strength by summer.

Don't let the weeds depress you. You'll get lots of those no matter when you sow.