Seeding a lawn

Hello, I am new to all this! I've spent two years sorting out the rubble patch that was the 'garden' and my wife and I have put in new beds and it looks great! However, the lawn after the snow is very patchy and is looking a bit sorry for itself. I was wondering if anyone can give us some top tips on how to reseed it and when it's best to do this? It's mild weather here in London at the mo and very wet but there may be another cold snap. Is now a good time to seed the lawn or is it too early? If so, when would be a good time to do this?

Also, we have been popping blooming bedding plants into the beds for a late spring/summer bloom but were wondering if there is a more long term solution to having lovely blooms in warmer weather? We can't really seed from scratch at home.

Thanks for any help!

Cool season grasses, which is what you should be using in London, require soil temps in the 50s to germinate. That generally corresponds to daytime temps in the 50's to low 60s. If you have a decent size area, I'd look into renting a slit seeder, which is a gas powered machine that cuts grooves about 2" apart and drops the seed. That way you get good soil/seed contact, which is critical. I'd rather spend $70 renting a machine and get great results instead of throwing money away on grass seed that fails.

The best time to see is early Fall. Then you have less competition from weeds, less watering required, and longer for the grass to establish before the next summer when it will be stressed. If you do it in Spring be prepared to apply more water to keep it moist during germination and then during any dry periods. And be prepared to use herbicide later on to deal with the weeds.

Perennial flowers?