Okay, we have dug and forked and chopped and raked but bthe soil refuses to be finely tilthed. Does it really matter?

[TooTicky]

We'll never get anything planted at this rate!

unless you want to get the graded sieves out, just stick 'em in

Really? We still have sizeable lumps.

If you're really worried, maybe plant up in seed trays or 3" pots in sowing compost first then transplant when they look big enough to cope with the lumps.
I do this for veg (because you don't get many seeds in a packet and I want them all to do well) but for flowers I just sow generously direct and thin later if necessary.

Hm, I'll probably just stick them straight out and hope for the best (have never got over the guilt/disappointment about all our little strawberry seedlings which dehydrated and died quietly).
(Your name always makes me smile. My ds1 has been badger-mad since he was a toddler and I can't help picturing you as a real badger. And now I see you digging your garden with your handy claws...)

is it heavy soil, could you add something organic to it>

It's quite clayey.

sMACK THE LUMPS WITH THE BACK OF A FORK. pERSAUDE CHILDREN TO JUMP UP AND DOWN ON WORST OFFENDING LUMPS. aND PLANT! (i HAVE BEEN KNOWN TO HAND-CRUMBLE THE BIG CHUNKS ON A ROW JUST WHERE TO SEEDS ARE GOING AND Lleave the rest looking like the grand canyon Stuff still grows..

Really sorry about the caps, lock got stuck on

Okay, enough procrastinating (and digging!!). Will plant

We have clay mud - iykwim! Im only just starting to get into gardening since being married - lived in a flat for many a year prior, so am total novice! But found that when trying to plant bulbs last year, ground was rock solid, it always looks like an African dried up river bed - full of cracks! Adding grit/shingle (type of stuff) helps drainage; but I would suggest for the large rock clumps of mud, to wait until there has been a mighty down pour - even for a few days, then get out there and smash them all down! Then plant! HTH