I think I must not have been clear in my original post, sorry. Currently, I use a standard 5" hoe. It works, but it moves a lot of soil, bringing weed seeds to the surface. Also, I have to bend to get the angle on the blade right, and it takes some effort to move through the soil. I'd like to use something that doesn't move as much soil, doesn't cause me to bend over, and takes less force to move--all things that are said of collinear hoes, stirrup hoes, and circular hoes. I was hoping that someone who had used these could let me know if they were really that much easier than a traditional hoe to use, and if they would work in my fairly heavy soil that gets very hard and crusty in the summer. Sorry I wasn't clear. In regards to the "$40 hoe"--you must live in a different market than I do, knuttle. Here, long-handled garden tools like hoes cost around $37.99 each. Tax would easily bring a garden tool up over $40. Heck, I bought a grain shovel last week, and it cost $47. I wish they were cheaper, but they're not, which is why I'm seeking opinions before I buy one.

Hi Sarah, I'm Pam. :) I can see the advantages and disadvantages of your set up. I looked at the ingredients of the soil mix your using and it seems pretty dense to me. Quote: Contains a blend of sphagnum peat moss, compost and natural fertilizer... Sounds like a good, readily available base to start with. To me, here in the temperate rain forest, it would turn into a bog much of the year. Bog plants are nice. But... adding materials to give it more texture, so the roots have air seems the next step.I will link to the thread you want over in the container forum at the end of this post. It's a very long first post full of facts, so I suggest first scrolling through to get a feel for what's there and focusing on the relevant parts for you, right now. You may want to bookmark that one. Where I am, in a city too, I can get super large bags of pumice at an outlying farm supply store. Not sure the size of the bag, but I can't reach all the way around it and it stands up to my shoulders. One bag lasts me a couple of years. The tiny bags sold in most stores are way too expensive, so this might be something you could look around for, if you have transportation. I also use lots of 'bark mulch in my potting soil mixes. I have a gas station three blocks over that brings in medium sized fir mulch each spring/summer, so I walk my garden wagon over off and on and drag back another bag. It's funny seeing car passengers trying to figure out what that old lady is up to. When I bring a bag of manure home on the bus, in my granny cart, it seems better to wrap it in a plain black garbage bag. What they don't know, won't hurt them. LOL. My point being we each find sources that work for the individual. I like the idea of the boxes on the concrete, since it' will be easy to keep the children clean and not tracking stuff in, plus it's small enough you can keep track of things pretty easy and not get discouraged. I'm wondering how it is going to hold moisture in the heat, and how the heat will affect the center and the edges differently. A great garden experiment. I bet the heat loving herbs will thrive in just the right spot. All that extra heat from the concrete will be just heaven to them. My first idea for the plants like a tomato that wants deeper soil. What about adding some bottomless boxes. That could look really nice. Carefully arranged to look good from the window, but with the taller things not shading the other plants nearby. Yeah, this is where you move things around a few times.Any deeper container will work. I'm picturing the tomato roots going down through the container and then spreading out to where ever in the bigger 4X4 box it finds suits it needs. I wonder if somebody on http://pinterest.com/# has done something like this, it could look so interesting. You have a good base to build on. Two budget tips, since this garden thing doesn't get built in a season, would be 1. at the end of the season some places that only sell soil amendments part of the year, put it all on sale. That's a great time to stock up and have ready for next year. And 2. This is the time of year many counties run composting workshops, and also sell smaller plastic bins at a greatly reduced price. The one sold here is the Earth Machine. It's a nice way to start out. Doing a spring clean up around the area may give you some older fall leaves, then add the weeds and some kitchen compost, and your on your way to having more to add next year. My other two thoughts are you may find once it gets hot, it's drying out too fast. Adding a mulch will help, plus be adding for next years total. As far as next year. I don't have a crystal ball, but I'm imaging these boxes going higher, building the same box shape, just adding it on top. Doing it all at the start is just too much expense. I'm so curious how this is going to work where you are. What fun ! Here is a link that might be useful: The promised link

I may have looked at it, location sounds familiar. As you say most such works don't really address our conditions, talking instead about California or being written in a wetter climate - I once read one that listed Styrax japonicus as a drought resistant tree.

I didn't think to do that, but I imagine it's about the same age as the house: 100 yrs old. Its twin is on the other side of the walkway by the new compost pile and is probably feeling surprised right now and wondering its fate. There was also a massive elm that died a long time ago, but I think they grow bigger. One limb heated the house for two years. That's the wood compost I now use. We cut that ourselves and couldn't move the pieces they were so heavy. By the driveway is another huge liquidambar (sweet gum) that was planted in the teens or twenties for Arbor Day. They were giving them out for planting and the original owners' kids planted them. Now I park my car under its shade, but worry about limbs falling. They look small far away, but are really heavy. There are quite a few of these beauties in the neighborhood from that time. The original landscapers and builders really thought about shading the house in summer and solar gain in the winter. They chose unusual species and natives as well. Such forethought is generally unheard of today, but it wouldn't be that difficult or expensive to incorporate these ideas that worked so well. I'll need to replace the awnings now that the tree won't shade the front rooms.