Sounds like when they built the subdivision, they removed all top soil and after the building was done, they just covered up all the building debris and laid sod. That is what we faced here in the suburb we live in when I tried to dig a garden. We bought a brand new Troy tiller and pretty much ruined it immediately because we kept tilling huge pieces of concrete. (Obviously, we couldn't get our money back!) My answer to this was to bring in truck loads of soil, cover it with truck loads of wood chips (at least those were free from the village) and just waited for a year. Then, I was able to plant gardens of perennials.

I added as much compost as I could get - even getting the kids in the neighborhood to collect bags of grass clippings and leaves for me. It took a good three years before the grounds looked really nice. After five, it was awesome! Now, 13 years since we bought the house we are ready to sell it, and I won't be surprised if the new owner just uses Round Up on everything and plants grass.

Our Realtor already told me that the gardens might intimidate a new buyer who isn't into it. Oh well, just give us the money. We are ready to live on our farm where we have 18" of black top soil in most areas!

I think Roberta has the right idea. I am a big fan of compost, and I never dig a new bed. Instead, I smother the grass with cardboard or newspaper, (layers of it), and add grass clippings, shredded leaves and kitchen scraps for a year. In theory, you can do the very same thing, without waiting a year, called "lasagne gardening." Check it out on the Soil, Compost and Mulch forum.

I garden in lots of thick clay. It seems very fertile and my roses thrive on it. Of course, I add lots of mushroom compost and leaf clippings to it. The only downside is, that clay is SO HEAVY that I always have to get the landscpaer to dig beds for me. I tried doing it once and gave up. Not worth a hernia.

We have great soil NOW --we live in the Chicago North west burbs' we have been in our home for 5 years and now are the proud owners of 8 composters ..........and a zillion bizillion huge sea sepent worms --our youngest thinks they are pets ...........when we buy [more]compost [????????] we cringe at the folks that ask for 'dirt' --bless there hearts --when we surgest compost we get the 'does'nt it smell' question ................
All I can add is COMPOST without ours we would'nt grow anything .......... we now end up with a garden like a nature preserve --all thanks to our 100% organic appproach
Janice Britmum

if you like making pottery, i have the clay. and lots of it.

Niles, IL

Thank you, no...I have enough! @@ LOL

I did the butterfly bushes and am going to wait to see what they do. So far, so good, they haven't croaked yet!

Other than ONE climbing rose in an established bed, I'm doing my roses in pots this season. Not ready to deal with massive disappointment! And will be working compost, etc into the established beds, and DH doesn't know it yet, but I want to put a top dressing on the lawn too at some point.

We may have to move, so I'm not going to go gangbusters, but lordy, this is some tough soil!

Our soil is the best I have ever seen, approx 40 miles East of KC.

Rich black and full of worms.

We consider ourselves very fortunate

We live in St. Louis county. We are very fortunate to live in a subdivision that was built on what used to be a farm. We have some clay, thanks to the "topsoil" they brought in to fill up around the foundation. But I absolutely NEVER hit a rock. I grew up in High Ridge where there was nothing but rock and clay.

I have read that clay is actually very fertile. So if you can simply amend it with something to loosen it up, like compost or clay or peat, it's not a bad thing to have. The multitude of rocks are a different story though.

Good luck! Sheri

Lots of rocks but the soil we do have is not too bad. I have been doing lots of composting and had a dump truck of top soil delivered for raised flower beds and all the flower pots and boxes. Live in Benton COunty, Cole Camp Mo. Just moved here last year from Colo. LOVE IT!!

Another vote for compost/lasagna beds.

My garden was clay..heavy clay from the silt that Lake Michigan deposited long, long ago. I dug in a few inches, I could have built a pottery right on the spot. Over the years, I have dug in leaves, mulch, anything I could get my hands on. Now it it is black and loamy....a joy to sink my hands into.