"other than adding to the cost to the benefit " makes it even more likely the chalet would have it. they're that kinda place. lotsa folks in wilmette got the $$$$ for stuff like that. BTW, I DONT live in Wilmette. :)

Oohh the 12 days of WSing - that's the Xmas spirit! Love it. Your containers look great Token! You have been an eager and busy beaver. :) I found that once the seeds started sprouting, one of my favorite things was to go out there everyday and check for sprouts and fuss with the containers! I would check each and every container, peering in the top (this gives you a bit of eye strain), lifting the covers, holding them up to the light for a better view. When you see the first little sprouts it's so exciting, that it wasn't a chore at all to fuss over the "babies". As for covering/uncovering, well it wasn't a big deal. None of my sprouts got killed by frost or scorched, covered or not. Maybe it helped that they were placed on the east side of the house where they got AM sun only. All the tender annuals and veggies were placed right up against the foundation of the house for protection, and while the containers 6 feet away from the house were frosted on a cold morning, the ones next to the house were not frosted at all. Here's a pic of some Rudbeckia seedlings, uncovered at that point, and all frosty. As you can see, they didn't miss a beat!

Look on Houzz.com for the house style. Typically the professional is identified. There are some excellent designers in the Chicago area.

Sounds like you have already taken pH into account which is something I was going to ask about when I saw the recommendation to add lime. If you have the right kind of clay, gypsum can also help - it adds Ca which can help aggregate clay particles into larger structures without raising pH. I am not sure why the earlier poster said that Mg would do this as well and that it was a bad thing. In any case tons of organic matter will help and you don't need expensive soil conditioners. Get a bulk load of compost delivered. One thing about clay is that you have to keep after it year after year. Once you till in this initial load, add smaller amounts in successive years and taper off on the digging and tilling to allow the spongy structure created by worms and microbes to form and not be destroyed. If there are perennial beds you don't want to disturb after initial tilling, use degradable mulches (leaves, grass clippings) or lay compost down and put wood chips on top. The soil food web will digest and incorporate it. You can read more about managing clay by searching this forum for 'clay soil'. There are some very informative threads. Good luck and keep us posted.