dwayne, great suggestions! i definitely plan to do much of the "structural"
stuff this winter. because the dirt that was trucked in is so bad, i'm going to
build raised beds for my fruits and veggies and add composted manure and good
topsoil. i'm hoping that the "new" pressure-treated wood is OK. for the
tropical garden, bird/butterfly garden, dwarf fruit tree mini-orchard, etc i'll
have to improve the soil area by area. i can't afford to bring in good topsoil
and compost for the entire yard at one time.

i've actually planned the layout although i haven't committed it to a grid yet.
i should probably do that. i have also compiled a list of all the plants i want
to get--many i'll start from seeds.

thanks again for the great suggestions!

pat