If you have restrictions on impermeable surfaces, tou want to consider if the asphalt is a good place for a patio (You can cover it with something) before you dig it up.

Gravel is best scraped off. I use s hoe.

Compost is effective at improving soil. Put up a few bins where you want future gardens, compost all your leaves and grass clippings. In a year, move the bins to a new spot, incorporate compost into your garden.

Hmmm, I would tend to look into the possibility of having the previous owner pay for the removal since he/she should have disclosed the presence of impervious restrictions. I wonder if the layer of dirt was to avoid being fined or having to remove the asphalt. Laws to protect the Chesapeake Bay are pretty wll-enforced these days, I think (we are in Northern VA and have to abide by them even though we are an hour's drive from the bay).

Thanks for the input--all helpful. The people who concealed the asphalt and brought in (and covered) all the gravel are long gone and I doubt a law suit would go anywhere. Yes, there are serious restrictions on impermeable surfaces (Anne Arundel County) especially since I live on the Chesapeake Bay. The problem is that the impermeable surface was determined at the time of renovation, when a significant amount of impermeable surface was concealed with a layer of dirt and grass. Of course the grass eventually died. Taking up the asphalt is going to be complicated and expensive. What kind of expert/contractor do I need to consult for this issue? Thanks so much for your advice--I'm really lost when it comes to this problem. I suppose a large amount of money can fix a lot of things, but I've already overspent this project. Really--as beautiful as the house is--the yard maintenance is more than I can handle.

You don't need an expert to remove asphalt.....or even concrete, for that matter. All it takes is effort and elbow grease :-) Does not need to be expensive, either. This can be a DIY project with some time and effort. And maybe a few good friends you are willing to ply with pizza and beer :-) My friend, my ex, my brother and I broke up and removed a 60' long concrete driveway in just a couple of weekends. Too old to attempt now but not an overwhelming project at all for someone reasonably fit.

If gg's elbow grease is too daunting, one of these and a small dump-truck would clear the asphalt and tidy the area in an hour at most...couple of hundred bucks and move on.

Don't forget the dumping fee. Not sure how large the space is but you may need to bring in a dumpster. Asphalt can be recycled

That looks like fun!

Or you might be able to offer chunks of pavement for free. Around here people will pick them up to use as fill or to stabilize banks and such.

For soil mixed with gravel, consider sifting it somehow? If there were some kind of large mechanized sifter you could rent, a bobcat could scrape the stuff up and dump it in, and voila, clean soil you can mix with compost and put back, and gravel that someone can use. "Topsoil screener" would be the thing to look for.

Where I am concrete, bricks, and old asphalt get dumped at no cost and get recycled as road base (its a clever business model, private industry collects it, grinds and grades it, then sells it ...) If that is the case where you are, I too think the cost won't be terrible- a bobcat will make fairly quick work of it. If you are lucky get a tree company to dump a load of mulch for you- spread that on top now and by next spring nature will have started breaking down the clay for you.