TeaBag wrote:
Thanks all. At this moment in time the plan is only for a lawn. We
have divided the land at the back of the house into three sections;
50% total area, 25% and 25%. The 50% area will be lawn. That is our
first priority so that we have somewhere for our little one to play,
have a barbeque and all that usual stuff that families do in the
garden. Once that's complete, the other half (or two quarters) will
be for chickens and raised beds, both areas about the same size.

One thing at a time, though. I see a garden as a life-long work in
progress. I appreciate being given ideas and will store them for a
later date, but for now I just need to make sure that I'm going about
things the right way to ensure a successful lawn.

Thanks again for helping me out with your responses.

Just an additional thought. I'd highly recommend that you keep undeveloped areas
weeded if you plan to grow things there and would prefer not to have weeds. If
you let weeds grow, and go to seed, they will continue to re-appear for years to
come. Chickens may take care of many of the weeds, but other garden uses would
benefit from being kept clear of weeds to lessen weeding in them when they
become gardens. Mulch can be very helpful in this effort.