Can't make recommendations, 'cause I live in a warmer place, BUT:

My "garden mix in a can" turned out to be stuff that died & stuff that was invasive.

Just a thought: would bulbs work?

You might get more help if you posted in the forum for gardening in your state, garden clinic, or annuals.

best luck.

sylvia

I have heavy, horribly alkaline clay too. Most of my annuals haven't worked really well except for my cleomes. I found a scabiosa, though, (dumped out on an empty lot--can you imagine!?) that worked really well. My best guess is it's 'butterfly blue.' Good luck.

Probably one of the best things you can do is amend the soil with compost, leaves, etc. to lighten up the soil. That way anything you plant will do better. I've had the same problem with the soils next to the house, which were full of back fill and gravel from building.

Thanks for the responses. Up to this point I have been spading in bark mulch every year. Just read an article saying turning the soil destroys the " fungal network". This year I'm trying seeding directly into 2-4 " of pure compost.