I need advice on grass!!

[BiscuitStuffer]

Our garden needs redoing - currently rocks and dirt!

We want grass but half of it is in shade / dappled from overhanging trees. We're in the middle of London. Garden is west facing I think.

We want grass for the young kids to play on - is there a kind that will grow particularly well in our awful conditions??

you can get shading growing grass ...but i am new to gardening so will watch what is said with interest

I don't think there is any problem with grass growing in shade - our garden is pretty shady and the grass still grows. But you might have a problem finding suitable weather to cut it, as it will stay damp longer, and you might also find it gets quite mossy, so you'd be best to use a mosskiller once or twice a year. Apart from that, I think any kind of ordinary mixed grass seed should be fine. If it's for playing on, you'd normally get a mix which includes rye-grass, which is a tough but less pretty variety. Boxes are often labelled things like "suitable for back gardens". Ones without rye grass tend to be labelled for "front gardens" as they are less tough, but are aimed at people who want it to look very neat.

ooooh thank you both. Such good news as part of me was worried that we would have to patio instead!