"actorguy2001" wrote in message
om...
I have a problematic backyard. It's basically two inches of topsoil
on top of at least two feet of clay. It's also flat as a pancake and
lower than my neighbors' yards. Every spring it turns into a swamp.
I need three or four days of dry weather before I can even attempt to
mow it, which is not much of a problem because nothing grows there
very well except nettles.

I don't know your exact situation, but if you haul in a bunch of fill in
your backyard, you may cause water not to drain from around your foundation,
which would be a bad thing.

Even if your yard is lower than your neighbors' yards, you still should be
able to drain it properly without hauling in massive amounts of fill. My
yard is lower than my neighbor's. However there is a small indention (not
even big enough to be called a ditch) between his yard and mine. This
indention takes the water from his yard and routes it off my property. If
you know how to use basic surveying equipment, you can set up your own
drainage system, or there are people who perform this service
professionally.

When my house was built, the builder hauled in about 1 inch of topsoil and
laid it over the clay in my yard, then slapped down the sod. My lawn is in
perfect condition today. So rather than a clay problem, your problems with
your lawn are most likely the result of the drainage problems you have.