So I also have a similar question. Im 24yrs old and have decided this is the year I start my lawn and garden (extreme beginner here!). Ive started digging up my old lawn (I should say old weed! Thats all that was there) my soil varys alot, from clay soil full of rocks to rather sandy soil. My yard is also very unlevel (tilting down towards my house!), so im currently ripping it all up (bigger job than first anticipated) and than plan to bring in topsoil and get it level. I have a very large yard (only doing the front to begin with). My clay soil is riddled with rocks (rocks varying in size from 3-30mm). In certain sections 5-10cm down is almost unbreakable, clay just full of rocks and so compact I have trouble getting the pick through! so finally to my questions! One is will these rocks effect the lawn I intended to put in? I have been going through the soil and pulling them out along with the weeds, and that seems to be the most time consuming part! Question two is about the clay/rock clumps 5-10cm down, do I need to dig those up and remove the rocks? Or is it deep enough down it wont effect my lawn? Sorry for such a long post, but im clueless when It comes to gardening, and ive been spending hours removing rocks! Dont want to do it if it isnt nessacary! Any help is appreciated :)

Yes .. the yard does slope towards the house. there are these 4" drain buckets about 4 feet away from foundation that pick up the water and it does drain into a 4" pipe which goes all the way from backyard to the curb. However as I found out this winter, the drain buckets get overwhelmed in a consistent heavy downpour. We had very heavy rain in San Diego last winter and it does leave an inch of water pooling around the house. Unfortunately we are not renting. I am going to put more drain buckets upslope to catch the water say 15, 20 feet away from the house

Thanks for doing this project! Proceed as described above, no need to actually dig. Don't get discouraged if it's not spectacular the first year. In California most seed is naturally distributed in summer, then winter rains produce the show in spring. You still have time to make it happen, but it will get better from year to year. Summer may end up looking crispy and dry, but that is the natural progression for seed production and distribution.(The birds like it!) If you need something more to beautify the area during those 'off' months, look for smaller native evergreen shrubs to add the year-round interest or structure. This will a take a few years to become what you imagine. Gardening requires such patience.

Virginia, Kes, and Jeri - Thanks so much for your input! I've added some of your suggestions to my RVR order, and have some of the others in pots already so I'll allocate them to that space. I am partly creating a hedge/barrier and partly looking for a few specimens. After reviewing the site today I think I'm looking for 10 to 15 large bushes. A bit more info - * We get around 31 inches of rain per year, mostly in the winter. I can provide additional water during the summer. The site is very well draining (both at the surface and internally in the soil). I will amend the soil with additional organic matter at planting, but ultimately the plants will have to reach into the rocky (and somewhat acid) substrate since I will water deeply and infrequently. * Wind is not a huge issue. Sometimes we get gusts in the winter but the site is sheltered by a small forested area about 50 feet away, which functions as a wind break. * Temperature in the summer is in the 90's and 100's; winter lows are typically in the 20's and 30's, but occasionally less than 10 F. * Humidity ranges from low (summer days) to moderate (summer nights) to high (winter). * The site is on the north side of a small hill, but will still get sun except maybe at the height of winter. It is a semi-wild area with a tree or two that will shade it in the later afternoons. Currently it is mostly weeds which I hope to replace with roses and a couple of fruit trees mixed with native flowers. * I don't seem to have any terrible disease issues in my garden (knock on wood!!!) - a few roses get some blackspot but not terrible, ditto with mildew, ditto with thrips. Any other suggestions would be most appreciated! Best, S