How do I replace an existing lawn with new?

Question

I’m going to be renovating my garden early next year. It’s currently a grassed garden which has been untouched since it was build around 1975. The estate was built on fields and the garden is that original field land so I have all sorts of wild flowers etc. growing in the amongst the grass. There will be a sandstone patio going down, new drainage, the garden will be levelled and a small retaining wall put in, the remaining area of around 100sqm will be a new lawn (The existing grass will get ruined during the works) and my question is this… When levelling the garden I will remove the turf and get the area nice and flat. Will I be best digging down around 100mm, sifting through all the old soil to remove any crap and laying a fresh new 100mm layer of topsoil in preparation for either seeding or new turf (what would you recommend for this also).

Thanks in advance.

James

Answer 1

Cut the existing turf off with a sodcutter, and compost it to make loam, rather than "have it get ruined during the works," since you appear to want a monoculture grass lawn without wildflowers, etc. Loam is good stuff, and the real thing is, in fact, composted sod.

Sift the finished loam and return to the leveled garden.

Seed or turf as you like. If you cut the sod off the whole are and then take some out of lawn, such as the patio, you'll have a bit more going in to the lawn area remaining.