[Newby]

I know it's second nature to a lot of you guys & gals but I seem to struggle

I always try to shoot aperture priority & sort of understand the basics of DOP & aperture but its exposure I struggle with especially where grass & sky is concerned.
I wonder how many of you bugger about changing from evalutive to partial to spot to centre weighted metering I try to use Evaluative with my centre red dot for focusing often trying to expose on something grey .Is the prefered method with the successful amongst us to use center spot focussing but lock exposure on something neutral or all the AF points assuming these also meter for exposure or am I getting confused here.

Basically I took some photos of a stream surrounded by trees & grass the sky continually blew out if I metered on the sky I had a lovely blue sky the rest was obviously under exposed.

I really don't want to get into filters too much I was using a good quality circular polorazing filter but doubt I was right angles to the sun.It was 7pm ish .
Is it a case of trying to take the impossible photo our are their ways & means.

Basically I would love your views firstly on a good all round setting regarding focusing & metering especially for landscape
Thanks in advance
Cheers Ian