Beginner Gardening: Help! Feel like I live in Ireland!, 1 by karma38

karma38 wrote:
I desperately need some advice. First, let me just say I need advice for a low budget. I am trying to figure out what I can do to make my backyard more plant friendly and not so much a "no mans land". I live in Georgia so the soil is clay, but that is not the problem. The real problem is that the ground is FILLED with rocks, big ones, little ones and everything in between! I CANNOT dig into it! Also, the yard makes a considerable slope away from my house and water tends to just pool in some areas. I have thought about trying to level off the backyard but that would require retaining walls. I know I could get a heavy duty tiller and till the area, but that wont keep my plants from drowning when it rains nor will it get rid of the rocks. I have thought about raised beds, but I would love to have grass or something in between the beds. Does anyone have any other ideas? Thanks!