Does £800 include all materials - so a few ton of top soil, turf, removing all debris?

Personally I wouldn't trust anyone who doorstepped me. If you do want someone else to do the work check your local electronic yellow pages for gardeners.

I never got the door to door selling part: I agree with Moon_Growe, I would not trust someone coming to my door looking for work.

No reputable landscaper or gardener will be knocking door to door - sounds like a chancer to me, I wouldn't let him loose on my garden.

If the area is sloped and you're happy with that, why level it? Doesn't need to be level, just flat so you don't get bumps and hollows. Walk all over it with your heels to get out soft spots, rake it over to get it smooth again, throw down enough Growmore granules so it looks like light snow, then lay the turf, keep well watered. Not sure about standing pots on it though, unless you put a few paving slabs here and there for them to stand on, and if its sloped, won't they be at an angle?

Thanks everyone. The "Landscape Gardener' in question has been round about 8 times. Today told him I need the guttering doing and some plumbing work (not a lie) so my money will be going there before the garden and told him if and when I wanted him to do any work to give me his telephone no. and I'd ring him, as it was mobile only he can forget it. Must day he gave me a couple of good ideas though. The slope in the garden is hardly noticeable which I think you can tell on the photo. Bamboo, your suggestion of paving slabs or similar was one he mentioned, had thought of that myself but not sure whether it would be ok to seed the lawn (cheaper than turfing I should think) then put the pots down on slabs. Have left a 4ft. space from the leylandii but the bloke suggested I could put a few conifers down, keep them well watered and they'd grow all right. Will try and ignore the offending 40ft leylandii and hope when the house is sold in a few months the new owners will cut it down. Thanks again everyone. Will no doubt be asking more questions before I make a complete hash of it all. This website is great as are you all, only joined a few days ago and most of the things I've wanted to do have been told weren't a good idea for one reason or another, which is much appreciated, I bow to your greater knowledge.

There is no photo Dogsallowed... add one and we can then give you more suggestions as to what you can do.

If you're selling in a few months, or hope to, lay turf - seed can be unreliable and turn out patchy, you won't be able to walk on it for 2-3 months, and it will need more careful watering. also, if we have heavy rain within a few days of the seed going down, its liable to wash down to the bottom of the slope (I speak from experience!)

I think it is the neighbour who is selling not Dogsallowed, but I could be wrong ...

Hi Moon grow. Thank you for your reply. Unfortunately the lady next door is very ill, she's lovely and I haven't wanted to upset her about the leylandii. Its her sons who will be selling her house and they are not the sort of people anyone wants to have anything to do with, they haven't been to see her for months until finding out a couple of weeks ago she's dying now they're there every day. What with the swearing and the awful smell of weed I wait until they've gone before I do any gardening. Today as the part of the garden I'm digging is sloping a bit I've tried to level off the first 8ft, put a few bricks to separate it from the top bit and will that will be a higher level which I'll do tomorrow hopefully. The photo I put on when I first joined and it hasn't come up with the last questions, its under the same name. When my daughter comes home later I'll ask her to put another photo on.

If you do put slabs down to stand plants on sink them just below the level of the lawn it will save you a lot of work when you cut the grass.

You'll need to get her to add the photo to this question DA

Thank you Peterathome. Good advice, will do.

knocking 8 times and giving you a mobile number . hes trying to groom you just for the money . id infact tell anyone in your area about him as hes not a reputable workmen as already mentioned .

moon grow. Daughter didn't get home until late last night and off early this morning. Will try to get her to put a photo on tonight. Had a few more ideas to do the garden, as it slopes yesterday I cordoned it off, levelled off the bottom part and today going to try and level what is now the other part, so in effect a step down. Though its so cold at the moment I don't feel like going out.

Have put 3 photos on Moon grow. (I hope), I know they're there somewhere.Have left the plants in the pots for now. Divided the plot into three to try and level each one as the garden slopes. The lawn is up and down everywhere, lots of stones as it used to be a quarry of sorts years and years ago. We're on a hill, its very windy and the temperature here is colder than other parts of Sheffield as its countryfied. The plants and flowers come out much later here than other parts of Sheffield. Hope this helps. Love my herbs (most important) so have put these near the door and the centre part have thought of grassing or putting lots of fragrant and wild flowers. The last part shrubs. Just a bit worried about weeds and the nearby dreaded leydandii, Grass, pebbles, shingle or leave the earth?

With a bit of luck, whoever buys the house will hate the leylandii and get rid of it.

Sorry , can't find any photos... they need to be added to this question.

Moon grow. Don't think my daughter is putting the photos on the right page. Have just looked at my profile and they're on there, don't know if this is any help.If you can't see them will try and find the answer tomorrow. Sorry about this, I do appreciate you're trying to help.

Okay found them but they don't seem to make much sense given your original question... If your garden used to be a quarry trying to make it all flat isn't going to work, why not use the differences in height to make features? The photo showing the leylandii is on its side but they don't look to be forty foot to me which would be much higher than your house.