Hi
I just moved into a new house, and the new garden is an absolute wreck! Although, to be honest I'm not necessarily the best judge of that, as having lived in London all my life, I haven't had much experience with gardens - none in fact...

ANyway, my new garden does not seem to be in a very good state - its a 35ft x 110ft garden. There is a 'bushy' area at the back of the garden, where all the vegetation seems to have gone mad. The border flowerbeds (?) that run along the sides of the garden seem to contain really bad soil that doesn't drain very well - I've tested the pH, I think and it is approx pH 7, but when I did a drain test (by making a square hole and looking to see if rainwater drained) the hole remained filled after 24hrs.

Also the grassy area is bare and patchy. What I want to do is extend the grassy area (removing some patio stones) and restore the grass (is re-turfing the only way?). I want to plant lots of flowers along the sides, and finally get rid of the bushy area at the back and turn it into a vegetable patch. Oh, and I want a small pond and deck at the back too.

Sorry for the long post, but I really need some easy advice and motivating words to start this task, as this is my first time doing any gardening!

WHat should be the first thing I do in order to get started?
thanks