If your soil is that bad, I would think about a multi-year program to improve it. The first year, I would remove some of what passes for soil in your beds and replace it with tilled in organic matter. Compost, shredded leaves, manure, used coffee grounds from the local Starbucks, whatever you can get your hands on cheaply. (or even free if you check Craigslist) It's really hard to shovel out too much clay and till in too much organic matter to replace it unless you happen to be the one sipping icy beverages in the shade while overseeing the yard crew. I would plant only annuals for this spring and summer to give that organic matter time to decompose and begin to work it's magic in loosening up the clay still underneath. When fall rolls around, you can get your hands on all those awesome leaves falling out of the trees. All your annuals will be about ready to bite the dust anyway, so you can go ahead and till shredded leaves into the beds. (even if you don't have a mulching mower to shred your leaves, you can often buy a mulching blade for the mower you do have) I'm sure you will find that it's easier to till deeper after the organic matter and the earthworms drawn by it (especially those coffee grounds... Coffee grounds are earthworm magnets so don't skimp on them.) have loosened up your clay/concrete. I would leave a layer of shredded leaves on top of the beds and if you like, you can put in some fall color like pansies. The next spring, you start all over again, but after you till in more organic matter, ask yourself the question, "Have I solved my concrete clay problem to a deep enough depth that perennials and shrubs would be happy to grow here from now on?" If you don't think you have it deeply enough yet, then plant annuals only again and keep going in the same manner. (It's much, MUCH easier to till in organic matter when you don't have to worry about protecting the roots of perennials and baby shrubs) The last thing I would till in before I start planting shrubs and perennials would be organic matter that takes longer to break down, like bark nuggets and wood chips. (pine especially breaks down slowly) The organic matter you have been working so hard to add to the soil will slowly break down over the years and disappear, so longer lasting organic matter would be worth the effort. The good news, is that I started with concrete clay myself, and it is awesome to garden in once you have added enough organic matter to it. Plants love it.

Hello All! Before we retired to Colorado, I kept over 200 species or varieties of roses, and several hundred other plants in my gardens that had become dear to me. Well, I've done the crying part as the move was rather sudden and in the worst winter weather. Now, I need to start over. I have several hundred types of rose seeds, some open-pollinated, some hand pollinated, and most from the rarer roses of the world. I have these to trade. I am also a custom jeweler and have all that that subject entails to trade. I would love small rooted plants, of course, but cuttings and seeds are great too. I love all sedums, cacti/succulents, ROSES, daylilies (left some very rare ones behind and have none now), willows, bulbs, etc! Have a look at my tradelists and also at a web gallery of my recently sold jewelry work. I cut my own stones and do all of the metal work, as well. I also do repairs, so there's a thought for trade. here's the URL for a short photo gallery of my jewelery designs/creations: http://www.keepandshare.com/photo/365668/jewelry-design-portfolio I will be adding photos of my beloved lost plants and garden designs. Just before deciding to retire, I spent some years as a freelance Landscape Designer (I'd be willing to do a design as a trade, as well, since I no longer do this professionally.) BTW, all gardening we do is entirely organic. I am a Master Herbalist so I grow (or grew) all of the herbs needed for my family, friends, landscape jobs, etc. I simply cannot allow harmful substances near any area where plants - herbs, fruit/veg, etc.- are being harvested. The herbs are grown for aesthetics, medicinal, culinary, craft (dyes, soaps, etc., and even for contact pesticides. Thank you all so much for your help in advance and for sharing your love of our plant friends with the world! Best Wishes, Erylyn

So, here's where we're at. We met with our first contractor yesterday and the ballpark estimated cost was more than double what I was expecting. I had mixed feelings about the contractor. On one hand, he has a lot of satisfied clients, according to him, and his description of the process of how they go about a job, was very reassuring. He definitely seems to know what he is doing, is really well organized and pro active, we share similar philosophies, for instance, he suggested we might retain the floors and the windows. And he seemed very confident that what we want to do can be done. But - it's a lot of money. I am usually a very hands on person, as far as researching and monitoring any work done in the house, but a large remodel like this would be difficult and with this contractor, I feel I might not have to be as involved. So it is tempting. But - it's a LOT of money. So - I added together the value of our home, with the cost of the remodel and have been using that figure as a price range to look for new homes. In the communities we would want to look, right now there is nothing. Even homes that are higher priced than that, look like they would also need renovating. So, right now, I'm feeling stuck. So, maybe a pro/con list and a talk with all involved will have some benefit.

The tree at the left is close enough to the house that it could be included in the foundation bed planting. Or, it could be separate with a grass path between it and the house. I would bring grass all the way to the stoop in order to keep the entrance open and inviting. If you plant taller things in front of it, it will seem as if a barricade. The walk is narrow and not laid out compatible with normal human walking. People do not turn at 90* angles like that. It would seem friendlier if it was a gentle curve and wider. It looks like the sidewalk descends as it approaches the stoop, which of course it shouldn't do, since the destination is at a higher elevation. Calculate if you could eliminate one or both steps with a new walk, by making it a gradually ascending ramp. You may need a retaining wall in order to better accommodate the grade difference near the porch and garage door.