eebster wrote on 17 Aug 2007 in
group alt.home.lawn.garden:

Weve just bought a house in northern France (Picardy) which has a
large garden which has been rather neglected for about a year. We're
complete beginners to gardening so we thought we'd start by tackling
the two (front and back) lawns but we're not sure where to begin.

I dont know what type of grass it is but I do know we have a lots of
weeds and moss.

All we've done so far is to cut it but I plan on doing soil tests.

What would be your suggestions of a plan of action and when?

Thanks for any help

Ian

PS Ive tried to attach images but its failing so you can see them
he
http://eebster.com/lawn_closeup.jpg
http://eebster.com/lawn_longview.jpg

Your lawn looks as nice as many that are considered to be in good
condition. I believe I'd take a conservative approach. Grass doesn't
change overnight, so plan on a year to get it to where you want it to
be.

First, get that soil test. That will tell you what you need to change.
In most cases, putting down the soil amendments (just some fertilizer if
you're lucky) and appropriate watering will do most of the work.

Cut the grass to the appropriate height. This will kill lots of weeds
that need to be tall to survive. You'll have to check with a local
authority on the appropriat height. Ask the people who do your soil
test.

Moss grows where things are shaded and damp. Grass likes lots of direct
light. You may have to trim some trees. There comes that appropriate
watering thing again.

Try to avoid weed killers if you can. They knock the grass back no
matter what the label says about them being safe. Keeping the grass
mowed, fed, and watered will allow it to grow and crowd out lots of
weeds. Manual pulling will get others. Chemical treatments have their
place, but I like to use it as a last resort.

Good luck with your project. Post pictures as you go. People here will
be glad to give you a hand.
--
Steve B.
New Life Home Improvement

p.s. You did the right thing with the pictures. This is not a binary
group, so most news providers won't accept them, even if yours does.