kioni, years ago, I dated someone who had that style of composter, and what we decided was best for the turning was to lift it off of the pile (since it's conical and open on the bottom), put it back down next to the pile, and re-load it with a shovel or pitchfork. That meant that the composter moved back and forth, but it wasn't too bad. We also tried something similar that involved knocking over the pile after removing the composter, so that you could put it back in its original location. You're right that getting the stuff to finish can be hard, and it's nearly impossible if you keep adding new scraps. I'm convinced that having 2 (or more) bins is the only way to go, so that one can finish while you still have someplace to add the new stuff. We were not faithful in layering our greens and browns, except on the rare occasion that we had a larger batch of stuff to put in (pretty rare indeed). I also figure that if you're going to turn it with any regularity, the stuff will get mixed up then. When I rebuild my new bins (it will be in the 50s tomorrow and the next day...so maybe then?), I'll have a bunch of leaves, yard waste, shaken out sod from the new garden bed, and a Winter's worth of kitchen scraps (the composter was full and at a dead halt, so we stockpiled the kitchen scraps in lidded buckets)...plus the stuff from the top of last year's pile that didn't do anything after the cold set in. So, this time I'll do some layering to get things started. For our new Spring compost, I will initially have more than one barrel worth of stuff, too (the sod alone is taking up most of a barrel), though that will change rapidly as soon as things start to break down. Once the big settling happens, I'll move all of it into one barrel, and actually let it finish off, while I use my other barrel for new additions. Or so goes the theory. :-)

A really good soil is 45 percent mineral (the clay, sand, and silt particles in whatever ratio is common in your area), about 5 percent organic matter, about 25 percent water, and about 25 percent air. All soils need that organic matter for that amount of air and water to be there because without the OM to do that you will not have them. As the Natural Resources Conservation Service people have stated many times the only problem with most of our soil is the lack of adequate levels of organic matter. So if someone were to spend money on "topsoil" they would be getting something that contains about 5 percent of what they really need, organic matter, and the rest what they already have and adding tht to the soil they already have will not increase the level of organic matter their soil needs enough to even measure. If what your soil needs is organic matter why pay someone a lot of your hard earned moeny to get something you do not need so you get a little bit of what you do need, that organic matter? It is not difficult to figure out that if your soil has only 1 percent organic matter in it and you want to get the OM level up you need to add to your soil Organic Matter, not more sand, silt, or clay. People that plant in Lasagna beds very often plant in something that is 100 percent organic matter, and the plants the grow there do really well. There are a number of plants, mostly bog plants, that can only grow in 100 percent organic matter. Most all epiphites (Orchids) grow in the organic matter litter that accumulates in the forks of the trees, and will die if planted in a soil. Since organic matter is the only digestable part of the soil it is digested by the Soil Food Web, organic matter does not simply "disappear". Organic matter in the soil is converted by the Soil Food Web into plant nutrients, and all plants have evolved over a much longer time using the nutrients from that organic matter then they have been using synthetic nutrients. If you have a planting bed of 4 by 10 that needs to be built up 4 inches you will need about 1/2 cubic yard of something to add to the soil already present. If that soil already there does have some OM in it and you add "topsoil" that actually does have 5 percent OM in it, how much actual OM are you adding to your soil? Not very much. However, if you add 1/2 cubic yard of leaf mold to that soil your level of organic matter will increase a great deal, and depending on deeply that is tilled, if it is, in will determine that actual percent of organic matter in the soil. And yes this will need to be done again next year and the year after that, forever. But getting organic matter into the soil is the only way to get a good, healthy soil.

Since they are evergreen, what about a citrus of some kind? There is SOME mess - spent flowers, old leaves falling off to be replaced, but they smell lovely in flower, and you could pick your own fruit - oranges, tangerines, lemons, limes or grapefruits. You would probably have to do some limbing up if you want to sit under it. As well, since you don't say what the surface of the courtyard will be, may I suggest a large circle of gravel (6' as a minimum, but more would be better) around the tree, especially if the rest of the courtyard is to be paved? This will allow for watering, and for air-exchange with the tree roots. It would eliminate most root problems, since usually ('though not always, I grant) surface roots are a problem in the 2-4' next to the trunk.

Good thread! We specialize in uncommon native trees, so the top of our list would be: Yellow Birch - the Appalachian form is the prettiest, with bronze bark. The form in Northern Indiana isn't as pretty, with brownish platy bark that doesn't peel in curls. Red Oak - Somewhat clichè, but it is one of the most important trees in our area. Very fast-growing, too, and usually has decent fall color. Fraser Magnolia - This is our most requested tree, but we've had a tough time getting seedlings established lately. Very stately form, with huge tropical-looking leaves. We've got these growing in Indiana, and they're really vigorous. Table Mountain Pine - Fairly uncommon, but important for fire-prone areas of the Appalachians and Mid-Atlantic - This is our second most popular "unusual" species. American Beech - Common in our area, but not as young, newly planted trees. Should be used more, with its pretty gray bark and amber fall color. Basswood - For a fast-growing native tree, this is a nice choice. The flowers are good for pollinators - the whole tree buzzes when they're in bloom! The list could go on and on- There are so many native trees in Eastern North America that are worth growing, there's really no excuses for landscapes that aren't biodiverse!