In article . com, Mike
Lyle wrote:

wrote:
John wrote:
Hi, I have a small front garden approx 60 sq.metres and wish to make it
into
a lawn (We already have a fair sized rear lawn). At present it contains
various bushes, shrubs and plants which will all have to be taken out.

Having done that what is the best way to proceed? I hear various advice.
Should I put a membrane down to discourage weeds coming through, or apply
strong weedkiller etc?

Any advice gratefully received as I have never attempted this kind of thing
before.

Regards
John

Dig it all over and put seeds down now before the weather gets too
cold, or do it next year. Some people dig over, then wait for weeds to
come through then kill them, then put down seed but it depends how
susceptable the soil is to weeds.

My periscope always pops up when people start talking about anti-weed
membranes. Except for some limited and specific requirements, they're
actually a bad thing: they'd certainly be bad news in making a lawn.
I'm afraid they're one of those things, like turf, and buying plants
too big, which have been promoted by "instant gardening" telly
programmes.

You probably won't need to use a weedkiller, either; though it would be
a help if you've got a lot of deep-rooted things like dandelions. The
trouble with these weeds is that they grow again from bits of root left
in the ground after conventional weeding -- and rotovating turns them
into a nightmare. If there are only a couple of dozen, it's simpler
just to dig them out. And if you're planning to dig the plot over
properly, you get them out as you go along, however many there are, so
no need for weedkiller.

It's best to follow the rules laid down in the websites mentioned
upthread; but it's surprising what short cuts you can sometimes get
away with. It depends whether you want a good job or a good enough job.
If the area is covered with shrubs and other plants, you may find that
getting them out is near enough as good as digging over. If so, simply
raking very thoroughly (I do mean _very_) may be all you need to do. I
suggest getting a good big strong rake: even if you never use it again,
it will have been money well spent, because it will make the job easier
and the results are going to show for years.

I remeber asking the head of my local authority highways department how
they turned mounds of earth beside new motorways into grassy banks. "We
just scatter seed," he said.

"Any preparation?" I asked. "Any raking or weeding?".
"No," he said.
"Surely you water it?" I asked.
"No," he said. "It just grows."