Re Making Hard clay soil workable . One good cover crop is tiller radish (diakon) You plant in fall at least 60 - 90 days before a hard frost . The roots will grow down up to 2 feet and die with the frost , they reduce compaction, and provide organic matter and quickly rot . You need to add nitrogen to promote their rapid growth. Another thing you can do is add powdered gypsum ,wet down and till in fine pinebark. There is also a liquid gypsum you can apply with a hose end sprayer . When you till clay soil it is necessary to have the right amount of water to keep from damaging soil structure. Any kind or free organic matter helps you can use powered charcoal , used coffee or tea grounds , any type of manure , mulch , sawdust compost , leaf much , after tilling or amending soil add about 4 inches of mulch such as tree chipper mulch, grass clippings or leaves. Within 1 year soil should be workable . As far as rocks, they will surface every time you till , just set them aside and after a while the amount of rocks will decrease . As far as tilling hard clay wait for after a hard rain and bust soil with railroad pick or garden tiller and it will be slow going the first time . If you take a handful of soil and make it into a ball ,and throw onto a hard surface it should crack a little but not turn to dust . Do not try to till when too wet or too dry . Another trick is to get a 2 foot long drill bit in hammer drill and drill holes in fall and fill with water , when water in holes freeze it will help to soften soil . Some crops such as carrots and beets are better grown in raised beds until soil becomes more workable .

You know, that's a really compact clump of yucca- instead of fighting it, why not use it along with the cedar and other shrub as winter backbone? They do have nice fragrant white blooms in summer. If it were spread out or a huge clump, i'd fuss with it, but if you're wanting to make life simple... leave it be. I'd say it depends on the compost whether you till it in. If it seems like it has a good bit of earthy stuff for the plants to dig into, then no, but if it's more top dressing stuff, perhaps till in half and top with compost. The quality can vary year to year and by the time of year, depending on what they are shredding and composting. If you're in wake co, you will need to find a truck/hauler to haul it for you, but the compost itself is fairly cheap- like 30 a big truckload full. City runs 2 for 1 specials sometimes, too. Meaning pay for 1 load, get the second free that same day- but you'd still need to pay for hauling. You could do a lasagna type bed- layer on newspaper, ect, and build up with out messing with tilling at all. There's been a good bit posted about it, and there are at least 2 books. It really does work if you have a little patience/time. There is a thread for the swap on the exchanges forum. It should have the where what when info- tho i can tell you quickly it's may 8th, at white deer park in garner. Doesn't matter if you're a newb. We always have some. Just bring some good food and anything you have to spare that you think gardeners could use- pots, hoses, rocks, etc. Even shallow boxes would be appreciated as folks always need them to haul away their new found goodies.

Two suggestions - consider investing in a landscape design. Having a professional walk the property and look at all the factors (e.g., drainage patterns, sun/shade patterns) and evaluate your landscaping goals, etc. can be well worth the price of the plan ($200-400). This could save you a lot of planting mistakes, wasted effort and help you see some issues that no one on the internet will be able to spot. Also consider incorporating some native plants into your design/choices. Especially on the fringes of your wooded areas to create a more natural transition. Plus native plants support the ecosystem that you're moving into and attract the natural insects and birds that your kids would love to observe as they play outside (I'm not talking about biting, stinging insects - you'll get those no matter what you plant; these are caterpillars and butterflies and moths that will be attracted - think Monarch butterflies that only eat milkweed, same concept). Also problem areas like poor drainage and wet sloping areas to a low area have perfect native plant solutions and believe me that willow is not the only one. Native plants can be beautiful, have flowers, great fall color and be treated just like non-native plants in a landscape. As far as planting next to the property line, remember that anything that hangs over the line can be trimmed by your neighbor (the part that is on his property, that is). Research the mature width of a plant and then divide that number by 2 to get the distance from any line or wall for planting. Recognize that the weather is warming up and that anything you plant now will need to be watered through the summer - fall is the best time to plant trees and shrubs. Get a plan now, plant only as much as you feel you can keep up with with, mulch well to retain water and suppress weeds, and plant a lot of annuals this year to enjoy while you get ready for fall. In the meantime, research your desired plants so that you know what you're getting. Even with a plan you may not like everything that the designer chose - I swapped out a few things on mine for plants that liked the same conditions. A plan helped me feel like I had a roadmap and I was able to implement it as my finances and energy allowed.

Vinca is a thug here. Impossible to curtail once it takes hold. Since you want a stunning garden, I would talk to several nursery people to avoid future headaches. I would also double check on any recommendations from them!! Remember that fast growers can need more maintenance after they establish. You want to check mature size. Erosian cloth is often used with new plantings. It helps control weeds too. Ajuga, Asarun caudatum - needs water, Alchemilla, Epimedium, Galium odoratum - can become a pest, hardy Geranium, Gaultheria procumbens, Lamium, Pachysandra terminalis 'Green Carpet', Phlox divaricata, Ranunculus repens 'Pleniflorus' - can be invasive, Sarcococca hookerana humilis, Vaccinium vitis-idaea ~~~~ these are some suggestions from Sunset's garden book. You might consider ferns. For a very mat surface, I use Baby Tears. Poor stuff needs more water than I allot. Some Ajugas have good bronze tones and will take some sun. The ones I use send out runners to establish new plants. About 8" high.