Hello All,

I have never planted anything in my life. I am completely new to
gardening and lawn care.

My wife and I recently bought our first house. We have a large
backyard but it is in rough shape. Most of the yard has grass but
there are large patches of dirt (we think there may have been trees
there originally). But the biggest problem is the weeds. About two
thirds of the lawn is covered in some sort of purple weed. The other
third is covered in dandellions. There are also small prickly things
growing everywhere.

My question is ... where do we start? Do we have to hand pluck all the
weeds? Is there an organic solution? Should we hire someone or do it
ourselves? We have a dog so we don't want to use any harsh chemicals
that could pose a danger.

If anyone has any advice for a first time homeowner it would be greatly
appreciated.

Thanks a lot,

Matt