First things first, build yourself a nice compost bin. I built mine with
four left-over 4x4's (for the corners) and 2x6's for the sides, using a slat
style construction. I'm also planing on re-doing a crappy yard with raised
beds, so I went for a 4 ft.(deep) x 8 ft.(wide) sizing. You can do it
however you like, but remember to use the pricey coated screws, it's worth
it down the road.
Murri

"Patskywriter" wrote in message
...
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