Here is a quick (and hopefully easy) guide to getting yourself a brand new lawn laid down.

It is actually a lot easier than you might think - especially when you can get your materials delivered in handy bulk bags and on pallets so everything is tidy whilst you're working!

To start with you'll need to measure the area you want your lawn on to work out how much topsoil and turf you'll need.

As a rule of thumb one tonne of topsoil will cover approximately 15sq mtrs at a depth of 50mm. You will need at least 50mm of good quality, screened soil but we do recommend a depth of 100mm.

If your existing soil is okay then just ensure that it has been raked over and that it is free from rubble and any other contaminants.

You should not need to fertilise your soil unless it is full of weeds - if you do weed kill it at all then ensure that you follow the instructions on the weed killer accurately before laying your new turf.

Most companies sell turf by the sq mtr roll so you shouldn't have much problem working out the quantity you need. It is a good idea to over estimate slightly on the turf just in case you run out or have to cut any weird shapes.

Once the ground has been prepared - new soil should just be spread over the existing surface and raked over to create a flat, even surface get your mates round and have a "flatten my garden" party. Slowly walk up and down the area, foot to foot, to level the ground and make sure it is all compacted and even. Once done give it a rake again just before you want to start laying out your turf.

Any turf you purchase should be rolled out immediately and not left to sit rolled up on a pallet - the longer you leave it the faster it will deteriate and if it is hot it will actually start to "cook" (you can roll it out onto a path or driveway and keep it well watered if you can't lay it straight away). Avoid laying new turf in extremely hot, dry weather or if the ground is particularly hard or frosty.

To start laying your turf; lay out the rolls directly onto the ground to be turfed - try to use boards rather than walking all over your levelled out soil to avoid creating dips in the lawn. after that it is pretty eay - just roll out the turf and make sure that the edges of each roll are nice and tight to each other and ensure that there are no visible gaps.

Once you have covered the whole lawn trim off any rough edges using a straight edge or a hose for any curves in the overall shape. Any excess trimmings or rolls can go into your compost heap for rotting down and putting into your borders and beds.

Once it's all down you're nearly done. Get a cup of tea and then get your hose out. Give the whole lawn a really good sprinkling until all of the turf is thoroughly soaked. Unless there is rain eminent you will need to repeat this process every couple of days until the turf has rooted.

To check for rooting; lift up one of the corners of your lawn - you should see lots of little tiny bright white roots coming out of the turf. It will gradually become more and more difficult to lift the corners as the turf roots in.

After a couple of weeks you should have the beginnings of a really nice lawn - if it's looking a little overgrown then put your lawn mower on the highest setting and give it a bit of a trim. Do remember not to go too crazy straight away with your mowing as this can damage the grass plants - you don't want to remove more than 20% of the total height of the grass.

Put your feet up, get the barbie out, put the swing set out; whatever you want - you should now have a lovely new lawn to enjoy throughout the year!