I like how Laag described judging the economy of your decisions. Heres a few thoughts based on experience to help you choose a design and materials direction The cheapest material to lay down for a patio is compacted class II road base. It comes in different sizes of Ârock sizesÂ. By using a small chipped rock size you can achieve a nicely finished looking patio for very little money. I did all my paths in this material and would have done my patio with it , had it not already been installed with concrete. In my geographic area ( one of the most expensive in the US ) it cost me $ 10.oo a yard in materials. I did the labor. Link to photo - Stoney Point road base gravel :http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/QLV2gitwkc8xrrPn1PjfGQ?feat=directlink Coming in second in regards to the raw materials is CRUSHED GRAVEL not PEA GRAVEL The two types of gravel are extremely different in regards to price and how they work as a surface treatment. Crushed gravel compacts down when the proper thickness is laid. The small stones are angular and compact down. Pea gravel never compacts due to itÂs round shape. It will almost always be squishy under foot unless it is mixed with a binder. Link to a crushed gravel patio area. http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/2sbKsocpCgh-6C3FFtUg9Q?feat=directlink The next financial step up is recycled cracked concrete. You can often find this raw product free but the amount of labor that it takes to lay the sub base and set the stone makes it a more costly product than crushed gravel or base rock surfaces. Link _ http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/bYLsDHN9uHuDQwR-poTVnw?feat=directlink Next up Pea Gravel - I never use it for a path or patio . I find it messy, uncomfortable to walk across and aggravating to set furniture on. I donÂt recommend it at all. It is a nightmare to maintain especially if you have an adjacent lawn , which makes it a down right dangerous choice. Decomposed Granite is the next choice. In my area this material is pretty costly in comparison to other surface choices. Call around to the different suppliers to get price quotes. You may find in your area that DG ( decomposed granite ) is the same price as crushed gravel or maybe even less. In my area it is significantly more costly. It is a product that can be laid down by a DIYÂer. I strongly suggest that you have a BINDER mixed in with your D.G. to keep it from turning into mud after a rain storm. Link to a DG patio area -http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/qVRjqspD5PFAqQmixS_l-w?feat=directlink There is also a DG. like material called Terra Pave. It is basically DG mixed with a super hard biner ( Pine Tree tar ). It renders a hard as asphalt finish and is really lovely. We professionally install it in the N.Cal area for about $ 10.00 a sq. foot. Concrete is an excellent long term investment for a patio surface. It will out perform the above mentioned surfaces ten times over. The cost upfront is more $$ but in the long run , it is more cost efficient and low in the maintenance catagory. Link to a colored concrete patio _ http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/IS4whvxcbXEB8aVQbbjrxg?feat=directlink These are some of the most inexpensive surfaces for an outdoor patio.

If people are still looking for a cheap solution I had the same challenges on a similar size garden plot. I added compost and manure but not enough. Before I planted for a couple weeks I sprayed Compost Tea on the ground to add moisture and then I added gypsum rock dust to help break up the clay a little bit. The compost tea was by far the cheapest way that I could help the plants. Because my soil needed so much help I ended up spraying with compost tea almost every watering, but they loved it and it was very affordable. I found DIY compost tea brewer instruction posting that really helped, and another one on the best compost tea recipes. After reading for awhile I decided I love Compost tea. Try this recipe, it's been proven under a Microscope. Compost tea: 5 gallon bucket 4 gallons of water 1.5 cups of Earth Worm Castings 1/3 Cup Molasses Aerate with 18-20watt airpump for 30 hours. Use immediately! You can pour the tea through a filter and into your sprayer or just water each plant with an equal amount. You Cannot hurt your plants with compost tea when done right. Just make sure that it doesn't smell awful, or sweet. You want it to smell earth and pleasant when you use. To sweet and the molasses hasn't been used up yet and you don't want too much of this in your soil. Also, if it smells foul, then it hasn't enough air and should be tossed!

Homeowner mentioned that the house did have brackets, and that the previous owner removed them. Maybe your home had "rafter tails." Most of the homes in our neighborhood were built in the 1890s-1920s and those which have a similar look to yours have rafter tails going all the way around under the eaves. I agree with the other posters that mentioned that brackets similar to the ones in your photo might not be right for the house. Do you have an old photo that shows brackets like that? I have found a great resource online for for every conceivable sort of bracket and corbel. I bought some large ones to support a portico over my garage door and some small ones to support some large window boxes. I wish I had known about them years ago, as I've also had brackets custom made and that route was more $$. The place is called Pro Wood Market. Lots of good inspiration photos from other people's projects, too. I swear I have no affiliation--just a good resource for those of us with old houses!! (-: Your home is lovely, OP!! rafter tails:

"Inexpensive to operate compared to an electric heater." No, I don't think that's true. As I said above, a 1500 watt resistance heater (which all portable heaters are) would use 1.5 KwH of electricity in one hour and would produce 5000 BTUs. They're all the same. If an electric radiator stays warm for awhile, then compared to a radiant heater that would emit 5000 BTUs in an hour, maybe this one if unplugged after one hour would emit 3500 BTUs for the first hour and then another 1500 as it cools off. Electric resistance is heating the liquid inside and one kind of electric resistance of an equal wattage is the same as another. If something is rated at fewer watts, it gives off less heat. A 750 watt heater (half of 1500 in the example) would use half as much electricity and give off 2500 BTUs (half of 5000)