THE living version of a lawn, something that most gardens contain in some form or another is often top of the list on a new project.

When it comes to creating a lawn there are two options.

The first is to use lawn seed. This has the advantage that it is significantly cheaper to do in terms of the materials involved but just be aware the preparation of the ground will still involve a significant amount of time if done thoroughly and that, of course, has its own cost.

Timing is always important whether you’re sowing seed or laying turf.

Sowing seed can be done most months of the year except for the depths of winter when most will end up inside hungry mice and birds.

The ground you sow the seed on to wants to be a fine tilth, free from any large lumps of soil on the surface and evenly raked out.

The more work you put in at this stage the greater the reward at the end of the day.

Significant stones on the surface should also be discarded, leaving only the smallest pieces.

Once prepared, the best method to achieve an even distribution of seed is to mark out the prepared area into square metres using string or line marker spray, sowing the seed within each square.

Afterwards, gently and methodically ‘tamping’ the surface with the end of a flat-headed rake improves contact between the soil and the seed.

Water thoroughly when this stage has been completed.

Using turf has the obvious advantage of a faster, more instant result.

There is a knack to laying turf and I’d direct you to online guides and those in gardening books where tips on jointing the strips together makes a big difference.

Turf is very thirsty until it has developed a good root system, being on the ball and watering during periods of dry in the first two-three weeks is essential, less so with seed sown lawns.

Both approaches can look excellent in a very short space of time but, as with so much in life, the preparation is key to getting the best results.

As for artificial lawns, in my opinion they are a lifeless desert in which nothing grows, or lives, and for me, that is at odds with everything that is great about a garden.

OK, grumble over….

Next week: plants for the wettest conditions