Is this soil still salvageable?

Hello everyone,

We moved into a house in the middle of last year and took over a garden where, for the past few years, only weeds and wild herbs were mowed short. It is a mixture of various types of weeds, wild plants, grasses, plenty of moss, partly fungi, and only sporadically lawn as well as a handful of trees and shrubs.

Due to the multitude of roots and seeds in the soil, the weeds will sprout again this year, and the dense moss growth also indicates nutrient problems to me.

How should I proceed to transform this mess into a beautifully designed garden with flower beds and lawn areas where what should grow grows and not what is there now?

Can I still plow it with a motor hoe/tiller and pull out everything I find, then refill it with some sand and fresh soil and use plenty of fertilizer? If yes: how often will I have to do this until I have removed the majority? Probably at least two seasons, right?

Or would it be more sensible to remove 10-20 cm once / have it removed and completely replace the topsoil because the soil is already so "infested" with weeds and nutrient-poor?

I want to plant rhododendrons at one edge and, due to the conditions (it is rather clayey here, but rhododendrons need lighter and significantly more acidic soil), would probably completely replace the top layers of soil there.

Do I have to or should I do that in the areas where only lawn is planned as well, or is plowing and refilling sufficient with an acceptable result?

Attached are pictures of the current status.

Many thanks for your feedback! You can tell I am (still) a gardening novice but already have many plans ;)

We also had such a "meadow lawn" at the rental house, and when we built the new house, we redid everything and hoped to achieve a nicer lawn. I had to soberly realize that the English lawn, like in "mein schöner Garten," unfortunately requires more than just a new installation. Even at our new build, we quickly had the problem that self-growing companion greenery appeared, in such quantities that it quickly displaces the lawn. You really have to keep up continuously. Even with a new installation, you can do a lot wrong, for example with the watering. And as you already say, the soil also plays a role. Even if you put new topsoil on, the stuff will settle again from the surroundings; it is hard to get rid of it 100%. I think, as a first step, I would go over it well with the scarifier and try to make the actual lawn denser with a lawn repair mix. Where grass grows densely, weeds have less space.

You have to make a bit of a distinction here. Regularly mowed areas are relatively unproblematic even with weed-infested soils. Most plants do not tolerate cutting well. The more frequently and lower you mow, the more likely it is that only grass remains. But you can also work with this for flower meadows and flower lawns, keyword Burri method.

With beds, it's somewhat different; neither the vegetables nor the perennial beds are mowed regularly. Here you have to weed diligently. Alternatively, you can convert the soil into a grass area and instead bring in sterile (=weed-free) soil. But this only pays off if you really get weed-free soil. Most topsoils are also weed-infested.

Take a look at Wurzelwerk's channel. I would create the beds for perennials similarly to how she sets up the compost beds. The soil and mulch must suit the plants. Rhododendron can actually tolerate bark mulch.

Lawns like the green ones in magazines require a lot of work. Do you even want that?
For mainly green: Soil analysis. Dig out dandelions and sorrel, scarify, fertilize, reseed.
For magazine green: at least as above plus. Lay turf. possibly soil replacement

Our "lawn" looks exactly the same and we live very well with it. In summer, even such a lawn turns nice and green. We don't have to water.. it grows just the way it is. And the "weed" can only be seen up close. I have also created flower beds like Marie (from Wurzelwerk).. so without digging. It works perfectly.

Here are various views from one viewpoint:

Rhododendrons are also available in cultivars that can tolerate less acidic soils.