insanity_gallops

Hi everyone,

So we purchased our first house last year, and the backyard is a disaster. It's beyond help. Previous owners had an above-ground pool that they took away, but left the sand and ring of stones... rotting stump in the middle of the yard... entirely uneven footing... crab grass, weeds, roots, etc.

I have talked to two landscapers who want my business. One says the only way I will have a good lawn again is if he literally removes all of the soil for a few inches deep, replaces the topsoil and re-seeds. The other says I'd be fine with tilling the whole yard about 6" deep, adding new topsoil, tilling that in, using lime etc. to kill previous growth, and re-seeding. Option 1 is twice the price of Option 2.

To those of you who are long-time home owners - or have landscaping expertise - any input? We're looking to lock in for the fall, so I'd like to put in the deposit in the next month or so.

Thanks in advance!