Hi folks,

I finally took the plunge and started digging to discover the cause of
my drainage problems. Surprise, surprise - it's heavily compacted soil
on top of solid clay ... lots of clay.

I haven't got the patience to wait for the effects of soil improvement
techniques, so I've decided to start from scratch and just excavate the
whole site.

What I need to know is this:

1) ... What depth should I dig to? (I have a digger).
2) ... What type of aggregate and organic materials do I need?
3) ... What depths should each material be, and in what order?

My best guess is (top to bottom):

Compost
Topsoil
Sharp sand
Chips (granite?)
Hardcore

Is this correct? What depths for each?

Is the materials and depths different for lawn areas than for borders?

I've already excavated a test area about 12'x3' and discovered all kinds
of builders rubbish, including massive lumps of concrete and plastic
bags, etc.

Both front and back gardens are flat; the back has full sun; the front
is shaded. I'm in the N/E coastal area of Scotland (clay country), and
it's wet and windy.

Thanks,

[H]omer