"It stands to reason, that if the creosote affects the soil biology, it would affect the nutritional density of the plants themselves. " And there is the flaw in the argument that has been repeatedly tested and repudiated. The maximum effect on any soil biology by any plant-based creosote toxicity remaining in the commonly used old RR ties consistently tests out as as little as 0.5" to a max of 6" max and that that range declines rapidly with exposure. 6" is the margin of spacing that is OMRI recommended when using them. Nor is there any scientific proof that the affected soil biology in any way affects the plants grown in it. This is an old issue, just like the claims made against pressure treated wood use, based on old practices that have long been discontinued and unsubstantiated claims of contamination. Keeping the argument alive and rehashing it over and over again only serves to confuse and create apprehension among new gardeners who chose to make their beds out of old RR ties. It is a personal choice. Don't use them if you don't wish to. Dave

hey everyone , thanks for the replies !! ill try to reply to everyone in small paragraphs : we are in Chardon , Ohio , 40 minutes east of Cleveland. By Mentor, Kirtland, etc .. all were known for is snow and maple syrup. the snow usually all melts away by mid to late march though. were not shopping at tyty , but used them for a pic reference . there are several nurseries by me , just dont know which are the best. some people have japanese maples around me , they seem to do fine ... but i am no expert . they are nice trees, but expensive by me . i have a small red oak to the left of the driveway from the picture's view... i could probably just uproot it and replant. ide say its 4' tall and about the diameter of my thumb . its the ONLY oak on my 2 acres. my woods consist of pignut hickories, black cherries, sugar maples, bigtooth aspens, and a few basswoods. the only 3 elms on my property are all huge and dead. i have the ability to replant the red oak and i have a ton of sugar maples that are under 8' tall . crabapples are great. i have been eating them since i was a kid. i will incorporate one of them in the mix for sure. i see that the bradford pear is a pain in the butt and cracks and splits since its trunks are so close theres no room for expansion i guess. however, the Cleveland Select pear tree seems to get a better reputation . i wouldnt line the driveway with them , as i do like functioning trees like maples and crabapples, serviceberries , etc. i can respect the notion that those choices are better than ornamental trees that are pretty but probably wont outlive you and dont bear fruit. i dont plan on living here longer than 5-10 years, so any tree i pick i wont be able to see it in all its glory. thats ok though . also , i have a septic system in the middle of the yard so i cant plant them everywhere as i would like . they have to be within 15' of the driveway and they can be as big as i would like . the house is surrounded by 60-120' trees . here is another link to my layout but shot in the fall . you can see the 2 septic line service covers in the grass painted in green. Middle of the yard and inline with the pine trees in the corner . i need to get a blueprint of the septic drain lines so i can maybe plant a few in the middle of the yard too! from left to right in the pic there is a basswood and a couple pignuts in the front we just love and then a couple white pines. we have a lot to digest now from all the replies. ill get back to you im sure with more questions once we narrow or selections down . thanks again!!! keep the replies coming . :) Here is a link that might be useful:

Without extensive soil testing there is really no way to know what contaminants are in the soil there but the odds would favor at least some. So a simple removal of the top 3-4 inches of soil (and the gravel of course) would eliminate most of the issue. Then you can build the beds on the cleaned area and get by with much more shallow beds - 8-10". The alternative would be really deep beds, something like 18-24" but without tilling or turning at least some of the surface and getting rid of at least most of the gravel could still create drainage problems for you down the line. Same issue with using some sort of permanent wood bottom in the beds - that creates serious drainage problems, ponding and pooling of the water and subsequent root rot. As a general rule "leaching" happens down, not up, and plant roots don't generally suck up contaminants unless they are water-soluble. So if this area is the only option then either removing the contaminated soil or at least diluting the contaminants with lots of fresh soil mixed in or sticking with containers would seem to be the only options. Lastly take into consideration which vegetable plants you want to grow. Many, like all the leafy greens, are shallow rooted but if you want tomato plants, peppers, and such they are tap root plants and tap roots can often be several feet long. Hope this helps. Dave

Rules have principles behind them. An entrance most likely should look welcoming. Erosion should be remedied. Plant shade tolerant plants in the shade. Etc. There are some principles that will make an entrance look welcoming, but they do not need to be so rigid as to require only one style or application. There are many ways to handle erosion. Within the principles are a gazillion ways to skin the cat and they involve personal taste along with ideas about style, etc. For example, I think limbed up trees look contrived and there is a whole school of thought in aesthetics that I could waste my time arguing for it, but there is no absolute right or wrong about it. It won't necessarily kill the tree to limb it up, depending on how you do it, so if you LIKE that look and don't find it contrived, more power to you. But don't claim it follows some kind of universal aesthetic that is so overriding that there isn't room for more quirky and natural looking ideas. It's like saying everyone must decorate in midcentury modern style because all the rest of design is "dated" which is laughable. Or that bauhaus esthetic is "better" than victorian or that one couldn't morph the two together and create something equally gorgeous and unique. I find an overdone desire to tidy everything up creates a dull and soul-less landscape and I'll trade a mismatched and out of proportion but loved set of trees for a perfectly balanced one any day. One looks like humans live there and the other looks robotic to me. On the other hand, someone else might look at same and think, "Ugh, cluttered!" My main advice to you Alexa would be to not get drawn up into the world of magazines and television and even on here where people make you feel dissatisfied with stuff that isn't really that important over the long haul. The perfect is the enemy of the good and much of that is just bupkes to motivate you to buy more stuff or services you don't necessarily need. To your question Alexa, you've got a real issue with overgrown shrubs around your house, so I'd start with a foundation planting overhaul. You have many options, and it doesn't hurt to peruse houzz sample photos or other web sites and books from the library, magazines, etc. to find some inspiration. You can begin to develop an idea of the kinds of styles and plants you like. The trees in your yard aren't going away, so they can sit for a year or two while you focus on the foundation. Then you may want to keep them, reshape them or remove. My friend inherited a similar property and she began developing beds around her trees and in a couple of places incorporated several trees into big islands. Her landscape was a mix of shrubs and perennials under the trees (planted properly so as to not interfere with the tree's growth) and it was stunning. Took her about ten years total to integrate all that she wanted done, both front and back. Start with what's closest to the house and work outwards as far as priorities. Does not mean you can't do something outside of that recommendation, but implement the things that will make the most difference first, (like a new walkway) along with things that take a long while to grow, (like shade trees, for example) and pick the low hanging fruit for greatest impact. Get an overall plan and if you want large drifts and beds, you can implement them one at a time or whatever, as time and money allows. That tree on the left in your photo of the front of your house looks like it is not long for this world. I wouldn't invest too much into fixing it/reshaping it, unless I am wrong from what I am seeing. Oh, and I'd start with the front, and let the back be more of an adventure for the kids for now. I inherited a similar property with a lot of overgrowth and "issues" to say the least. Carve out little islands of beauty and order for yourself and learn to squint at the stuff that you just don't have the time and money right now to fix. One step at a time, small victories!