I've been waiting to plant a lawn until March because by May the huge Elm tree in the garden (and those in surrounding gardens) blocks out most of the light. I'm planning to sow special seed for shaded lawns which I've seen for sale in my local hardware store. Drainage is poor so I'm going to dig it over and cover with compost and sharp sand. My problem is levelling the soil, I have no idea how to do this. The area is about 12m by 5m. Every one tells me I'm mad and I'll never get a lawn to grow in such an inhospitable area but I'm determined. I'm a complete novice, please help!