Paula727
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Help please! Landscaping a new garden!

I am a complete newbie when it comes to anything to do with gardening so please bear with me. We have recently moved into a house with a large back yard but it is sub soil full of rocks, weeds and badly compacted. I don't even know where to begin! I would really love to plant grass seeds and I know I need to dig up/till the subsoil and remove some (how much) to put top soil for grass seeds. The garden is approximately 50ft long by 20ft wide so budgeting is definetly an option as we're getting married next year! Please help put me on the right path as to where to even begin. Would I be safer tilling or renting a mini digger for such a large job? I can attach a picture if needs be thank you all in advance

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rainbowgardener
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Picture would help as well as telling us where you are located and how sunny your backyard is.

Personally, I wouldn't worry too much about removing much except larger rocks (which you can pile up somewhere in case you want a rock garden or rock wall later). Just add good stuff on top.

But now is your chance to think about your yard and what you want in it, what you want it to do for you. Does it have a deck or a patio? Outdoor living space, especially outdoor eating space, but also hang-out space, adds so much to your house. When I used to live farther north with harsher winters, we felt like our house was half again as big in the warm season. We ate most of our meals on the deck, had parties there, had our friends over for movie nights on the deck with projector and screen, etc. Would you like your yard to have a shady nook to sit in (maybe with a swing)? What about a water feature? Fire pit? Do you have a shed for storing garden tools and supplies? Do you have any interest in growing veggies or herbs or flowers? How is your yard for privacy from the neighbors? What about some berry producing shrubbery to bring birds to your yard? What about something evergreen and things for four-season interest? In much of the US, lawn grass is just brown and ugly a significant portion of the year (either when it is too cold for it or too hot).

Grass is about the most boring thing you can put in your yard!

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rainbowgardener
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Look around for inspiration pictures that appeal to you.

Here's one with firepit seating area and spa pool:
Image Doing something like that, you could just put in the patio now and have dining table on it and later if money is available add the little pool.

I guess because of people's busy lives, contemporary landscaping often has a lot of paving and minimizes the planting areas. Low maintenance that way. But it can be beautiful.

this is really nice with the fence set ins and curved planting areas:
Image

Here's a backyard with patio dining and cooking area and a little shady pergola in the back
Image

here's some yards with vegetable gardens
Image

just getting you inspired that there is so much more you can do with your backyard than put grass in it! :D

imafan26
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I agree with Rainbow but I would do one more thing first. Do a percolation test.
https://www.todayshomeowner.com/diy-soil ... your-yard/

You want to make sure you don't have any drainage issues. Also make sure when you add your soil that you pay attention to to grading. You want to make sure you grade away from the foundation and toward the street. You want to fill in low areas to prevent puddling and pooling which will cause you problems later. If you have gutters on the house it is a good time to install extentions on the gutters to empty them farther away from the foundation and drain it into a rain garden and towards the street.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bxvbffbifs0

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rainbowgardener
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Lee Valley, which is a really nice tool catalog, has a rock rake:

Image



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