One question is, do you want this to be an area where you can walk/sit/play? Mulch can work for that, but vinca can't. Regarding the cost of taking the trees down, do consider getting an estimate, and find out what its components are. Disposal of the material will often be a good chunk of the cost, and if you can keep some of the chippings as mulch, or some of the trunk as firewood (put it on craigslist if you don't need it) you can probably keep it more affordable. Some types of wood are also worth something as lumber, and a tree removal company should be able to factor that in. You can also dispense with stump grinding, although obviously you will have to live with a stump for a while, as that often costs a few hundred. If you aren't getting the stump ground, a good remover should be able to cut the base pretty low for you. If nothing else, having an estimate will make your decision regarding whether to put so much effort into your yard an informed one. I have gardened under trees like this for many years, and it takes constant dedication to grow anything substantial in such an area, and it can rarely be done well. Mulch may be your answer, but is a shady mulched yard what you want? You might also consider that if you are planning to sell the place, the more unwieldy the trees get, the more likely it is that a buyer might deduct the cost of removal from the price offered for your house. Do you know what kind of trees you are dealing with? Karin L

You don't say what you plan to grow. Perhaps vegetables in rasied beds? Generally, I would ease myself into the new environment by having a reasonably sized garden at first with some soil ammendment. This would allow you to do some gardening while getting to know the local gardening community and the local methods. I am a frugal gardener and the thought of spending hundreds or perhaps thousands of dollars on raised beds and soil ammendments does not fit with my idea of gardening. I have some raised beds but those were made from salvaged lumber. Doing a little at a time is not a bad idea. It seems that in our "make over age" everything has to be done at once to look picture perfect. I do all my gardening with hand tools which includes a garden fork, a shovel and a crow bar. A little at a time gets the job done and saves my back.

I just bought the biggest plain old terracotta pots they had available at my local big box store. They don't need to be fancy at all. Eventually, the Rudbeckia will get tall enough to hide the pots from view. The more potting soil that fits in the pot, the less often you'll have to water. Adding in some of those water absorbing polymer crystals to the pot before you plant will also save you from having to water the pots as frequently later. If I had it to do over, I might even buy some of those lightweight faux clay pots that don't dry out in the blazing sun quite so fast. Interestingly, when I moved one of my pots, I discovered that over the years the Ruellia had rooted into the ground through the drainage holes. As far as I can tell it hasn't made any attempt to spread out into the surrounding bed through those holes. It just seems to have kept me from needing to water the pots as often. If you want to put down a barrier that will stop Bermuda grass from growing from your neighbor's yard back into your new bed, it's quite a little undertaking. Rosiew has already mentioned digging and leaving a trench around the bed so it can't tunnel it's way underground into the bed without you noticing it growing across the trench. Another option which is a lot of work up front and then less work later is to place a wall underground to act as a barrier to keep the Bermuda grass out. Google for "Bamboo Barrier" and you'll find the sort of durable plastic products you would need to be successful. Thankfully, the shortest, thinnest, cheapest, material sold to be used as a bamboo barrier should be more than sufficient to keep Bermuda grass at bay.

I'm not sure you are all that limited by plant choices. Clay is really not as much of a hindrance to plant establishment as many folks think. The only real caveat is to dig a wide, shallow planing hole and plant high, bringing the soil upto the crown of the plant in a small mound. I would encourage you to do as much amending/improving the soil as possible while it is cleared before planting. So much easier to do what you can to change soil conditions while the area is empty than after the fact. I'd bring as much compost or other organic matter as I could and work it in as best you can. You can also bring in just decent garden soil (check out bulk soil suppliers for this and the compost) and raise up the planting area. FWIW, plants with purplish foliage tend not to hold that color well in much shade. And plants with that coloring also tend to disappear in shade. Try things with yellow or gold foliage or variegated leaves. They really pop in shade and seem to glow. I am not all that familiar with works in z5 so check to see if these are hardy for you: hostas - a given!! epimediums heucheras, heucherellas and tiarellas Aralia 'Sun King' Pieris 'Little Heath' Tradescantia 'Sweet Kate' or 'Blue and Gold' Kerria japonica 'Pleniflora' Aucuba japonica 'Variegata' or 'Mr. Gold Strike' Hydrangea serrata 'Golden Sunlight' Hydrangea quercifolia 'Little Honey' Saxifraga x urbium 'Variegata' (nice groundcover) Lamuim maculatum 'Anne Greenaway' (another excellent groundcover) Carex morrowii 'Aureovariegata' Hakonechloa macra 'Aureola' or 'All Gold' Dicentra spectabilis 'Goldheart' and of course ferns - Japanese painted fern or 'Ghost" fern will add color as well.