Clearing patch of back garden

itztank02

Hi, I'm kind of stuck in a problem which I hope can be resolved through this forum. I'm more or less a beginner to gardening but at the back of my garden, there is quite a large amount of nettles and thorns that have taken over. What would be the best approach to get rid of the mess? Also, is it possible to clear it without chemicals as I want to keep grass growing there after clearing it? Thanks

AnniD

Welcome to the forum 
I'm guessing that without resorting to weedkiller,  your only other option is to dig them out. You can strim the tops down using shears or a strimmer before digging them out. 
I would only add to please check for any wildlife (e.g. hedgehogs) before you begin. 

Ceres

If you can get hold of a mattock, that will be a great help with levering things out of the soil. Try to keep one small patch of nettles for the butterflies. http://www.nettles.org.uk/nettles/wildlife/butterflies.asp