Elisa, I got the onions form a friend who was tilling up his garden late in the year. He didn't use them and thought they were too big and old. I say waste not, want not. I think they'll make it just fine, but some of those onions are about the size of an entire bunch that you'd buy at the grocery store, so I'm not sure about the whole "old tasting" thing. And thanks for the recommendations on the other lettuces. I'm always willing to try new crops. Jay, I've actually got row cover on order so I should be good there. The only problem is going to be with my job. I am a professional FireFighter and work 24 hr shifts, so if it gets too cold during the night that I'm at work, it won't be covered for that night. Hopefully since I chose all cold hard plants, it won't be a problem. The napa cabbage and kohlrabi sound great to me, but I'm afraid I'm all out of room. Thought I might have a little room to try a thin row of peas, but I have to research if they'll make it or not. I also gave a fleeting thought about heating with manure in the spots that I use to walk in there, but I've been reading of a lot of sites that say the minimum size of a pile to produce heat has to be 2 to 3 feet deep. I don't think I can get that much manure on a monthly basis, nor do I think I would have the room to dig the trench in there without crushing/messing up some plants. Guess I'll just stick to the milk jugs for now.

I think you can send/take a soil sample to Cornell to get testing done. They can probably test for lead if that seems likely to be a problem as well as pH, major nutrients, and organic matter. You can do some basic tests as outlined here: http://organicgardening.about.com/od/soil/a/easysoiltests.htm http://www.finegardening.com/how-to/articles/hows-your-soil-texture.aspx?id=81680 Adding organic matter to the soil is always good, particularly if it is clay (yours sounds like it has quite a bit of clay) or sand. Some options to get additional compost might include: Can you borrow a truck? Could you hire a landscaper to deliver city compost for a cost that seems reasonable? Can you rent a truck (I think some of the big box stores rent trucks by the day/hour)? Is there a soil/mulch/compost supplier that can deliver a quantity from their bulk stocks for a price that seems reasonable to you? In future years, you may be able to pick up other folks leaves curbside to create more of your own compost. How worried you should be about contaminents may depend on where you are planting. For instance I live on an old farm, so in general I don't worry, but I don't plant anything edible near the house or where other old buildings stood since lead was used in house paint for many years, so I just assume that the soil near the house has a relatively high lead content. Likewise, I wouldn't plant next to a busy road since lead was a gas additive, but if your land has no history of industry, I wouldn't worry beyond that. Covering the grass is a great start since it will add organic matter as well. If you used enough layers of newspaper and it has been on long enough, most of the grass will have been killed. Grass will grow sideways into the garden under the stone border, so I would add a V shaped trench a few inches deep that gets refreshed a couple times over the course of the growing season to help keep the grass from growing into the veggie bed. Keeping mulch on the surface will help prevent weed seeds from sprouting and keep moisture levels more even. There is a vegetable gardening forum and a soil forum and also I think a composting forum here on GW where you can also ask questions.

Shacute and Sam: Glad that Sam mentioned compost .. that provides soluble phosphorus for more branching on new roses. I made the same mistake of putting too much nitrogen when I first bought own-root roses .. and got only one bloom the 1st year !! Sulfate of potash is best ordered on Amazon, the ones at the store (Espoma Potash) is muriate of potash, or potassium-chloride, salt-index of 112.6 ... that's the salty stuff we use to de-ice sidewalk in zone 5a. Quick way to get the potassium & phosphorus you need is to grab a bag of Tomato-Tone NPK 4--6-6, or any organic fertilizer with big number 6 or above for the last digit (potassium). Tomato Tone is sold out fast at Walmart, it's 5 lbs. for $10. Since potassium mobility is a 3, somewhat slow, it's best to put that in the planting hole. If your hole is 18 feet by 12 feet, it's safe to use 2 cups of tomato tone, plus 1 cup gypsum (calcium sulfate) in the planting hole. Roots need both calcium and potassium, plus a bit of phosphorus to get big & solid. The EarthGro humus & compost sold cheap at Walmart for $1.29 per 40 lb. bag .. that's good for the planting hole .. will provide phosphorus for years.

I am in northwest suburb of Chicago and love Shin Deshojo and Fireglow. Both would meet your height requirement as mature tree in our zone. They are very different in color. Shin Deshojo has the brightest red (slightly pinkish) color in spring and I have it in my front yard (in container) and received so many compliments from neighbors. In summer it has mixed green and red (new growth), quite nice. Fall color is more a dull red for me. Fireglow is purple red but when sun shines on it, it glows. Very nice. I have both in full sun all day. No sun burns However, I have heard several people in our zone in the facebook group that they lost their Shin Deshojo planted in ground. So I have been keeping mine in pot and winterize in my unheated garage. Fireglow is hardy in my yard, planted in ground in a very exposed, full sun location, and survived the last several winters without any die back. Purpose Ghost is also quite nice, would meet your requirements. and is hardy for our zone based on my own experience planted in ground without any winter protection.