I lost track of this thread for a bit. From the jar test it's clear you have very coarse fast-draining soil. I am not sure why it would retain too much moisture. What plants are you having problems with? Are things staying damp because they are in shade? That could cause some other issues I suppose. I've never gardened in CO but I have in the high plains of NM at similar altitudes. The soil does look like it would benefit from more organic matter, just based on the color. Only a soil test would say for sure but I bet the OM is below 5%. I doubt that one can find the mineral content of THEIR particular soil on the internet. Particularly in the case of glacial soils in a mountainous region, where the contents can vary substantially over very short distances. Having said that, if your garden is growing fine, you may not need one. I can tell you that after adding a lot of compost and not testing for 15 years, mine got too high in P and K, and I'm glad I got a test. YMMV. Mack: Upon rereading I am not clear what incorrect claims I have made in this thread. About all I've done is make a few comments about slope, drainage and soil particle size. If there is something incorrect in there please specify. Perhaps you are unable to separate me and kimmsr in your mind. He is not my buddy, and we often disagree, but when you stumble into the china shop, those issues pale in comparison at least temporarily. I'm not defending kimmsr so much as trying to keep this forum a pleasant place.

I remember how difficult it is to get started when you have a bare, flat yard. I kept staring out the windows, trying to imagine what I could plant where. It helps if you have someone stand outside while you look out the windows. Have your helper walk around from place to place, waving his/her arms, and maybe even holding a broom up overhead. Try to imagine your helper is a bush or a tree. When your helper gets to a spot that looks good from the inside, make a note of the position, or have your helper plant a garden stake (much easier to move than a tree!) Then go stand outside, or across the street, and see if that really is a good place for a tree. Use pots of annuals which you can move around until you find a space placement that suits you. THEN dig a bed. You can always set out empty boxes, or laundry baskets or even chairs to find spots for a shrub. Anything of a similar size that's easily movable will do. Here are some general principals I've found helpful. If the front is your main entrance, plant things that you will be happy to see when you come home. Start planting close to the walk and steps. This will encourage you to expand. Take it slow. I read once that you should live in a house though one set of seasons before you do any major changes. I translated that into planting annuals at first...which will have to be redone anyway. Fall is really the best time to plant trees and shrubs, as then they will get lots of rain. And, they will be cheaper at the 'year end' sales. Plant evergreens and long season perennials in the front as you and the neighbors will be looking at this area every day. Don't be afraid to take out something you don't like. Try to transplant it, or give it away. If it lives, fine, but you don't have to put up with something you don't like. Bare ground will make you feel better than a plant that irriates you. Don't plant acid loving plants close to the foundation of the house or near the cement path or sidewalk. They won't thrive. I figured this out after losing a row of azaleas, one by one. You can buy spray paint that is specially made to be sprayed holding the can upside down, so you can mark the edges of the beds. Just make sure that it isn't 'clear' paint. (Yes, it does come that way - a friend did this!) Or take a container of flour out and use that to mark plant placement or bed edges if you want a very temporary marking. The front yard is your house's public face and a place to show off your gardening skills. Rather than screening off the street, plant so that people driving or walking by will have something pleasant to look at and your visitors will find inviting. And for safety reasons, you don't want to 'hide' your house. Burglars go for entrances that are screened off from the view of the neighbors. Re paths: Make sure you leave good access to the utility boxes. Make sure you can get a lawnmower and wheelbarrow everywhere they'll need to go. You won't want low branching trees too near paths, either. If you don't have a pleasant view out the windows, one small patch of bright color will draw your eye away from the eyesore. Try a few pots of color, just set out on the ground, and see how they draw your attention. You do want to 'hide' the foundation of the house with taller, more solid shrubs. This will help transition the house into the lot, and help it look 'planted' rather than just 'plopped' onto the lot. Place lower plants further away from the house, along the path and sidewalk. You don't have to have ANY lawn in the front, but you don't have to take it all out at once, either. Have fun! Daphne in Tacoma

Wow. Never expected this to be such a popular topic. After reading the Young House Love blog, I WAS motivated to do some reorganizing of my linen closet. I keep towels, bathroom cleaning supplies, a hamper, and cosmetics/health & beauty stuff in ours. Sheets are in another, smaller hall closet. First, I checked the expiration dates on cold medicines, etc., and found a lot of stuff expired. That was easy to pitch. THEN, I looked at old make up, etc. (Much harder to part with, even though I haven't used some of it in ages...) Also pitched half-used bottles of shampoo I tried but didn't like, etc. It felt VERY wasteful. I went to the Christmas Tree Shop and bought 8 square baskets - 2 of 4 different sizes. (They actually nested inside each other.) Nearly $80. (A-Hem? For a BATHROOM CLOSET? Hmmm.) Took them home and was thankful they didn't really work to hold the stuff the way I had hoped. Returned them. Since I used to be a Longaberger Basket consultant, I have an attic full of baskets. I decided that, in the meantime, I would just grab some of those baskets and use them to corral my cosmetics, etc. It works, but isn't as neat as I'd like. I also have two plastic 'drawers' that I use. One small one has 3 little drawers - I use it for eye makeup and lipsticks. The other is bigger (about 8x10x16 deep) that I have cold medicines and anything else I don't know where to put. I guess the mix of plastic and baskets, to me, make the whole effect a little sloppy. While at the Christmas Tree Shop, I noticed photo boxes for $1.99. They stack neatly on top of each other and have a little metal label spot on the side. I may go back for those. Would especially work for stuff like first aid items and other things not used daily. So...if I ever get the closet looking 'photo' ready, I'll post a picture... Parsuzi. PS I also was taught the 'right' way to fold fitted sheets so they fold flat, but mine never look that nice. I don't generally put them on a table to fold, though. That might be the key.

This plan puts the fridge on the end by the doors, but still has prep and cooking on the same wall. I moved the sink the other direction, to make room for the DW, and moved the island toward the utility room. You might not want the fridge to be seen from the LR, but it makes a more functional layout, and the peninsula is not changed. I had to look up the NKBA guidelines to check the smallest recommended landing space beside a cooktop (12", #17) so I'll include a link to those: NKBA guidelines In both plans, I moved the island toward the peninsula, which gives you a few more inches in the working aisle. Also, if you haven't started framing, can the window and walls be changed? If the wall between the kitchen and utility room can be moved here are two more versions. The first is similar to the first plan I posted above, but with more room on each wall. You lose the larger pantry in the UR, but there is a pull-out or tall cab on the window wall. Where I have the shallow cabs you could have base cabinet only, with open shelves above, or have standard uppers--you would just need to make sure that there is enough elbow room to open the oven door. The blind corner (base or base and upper) could be used for storage for the bathroom, since the linen closet has been taken by the kitchen. In the next one I took a stab at recessing the fridge into utility room. There is pantry space between the oven and fridge, but part of it could still be used for the bathroom. You'd need to be careful not to hit the pantry cab with the fridge door, so I'm not sure if this is a good plan.